You Studio 60 rookies.
Now that you've detached from yer mama's apron strings go and follow all 6 fake Studio60 twitter accounts.
I've already watched this thing twice all the way through and I'm watching it again right now. Terrible is way too simplistic a term for what's going on in that show.
I think Studio 60 is the most fascinatingly awful show of my lifetime.
There are some strong points with the show:
1) The direction and style is fairly interesting. I know it's Sorkin's trademark to do a lot of walking, camera sweep shots and it's become kind of cliche at this point. But it's still visually pretty decent -- which is pretty cool because the show is essentially about people writing comedy or talking about ratings demographics.
2) The characters are well-drawn enough that someone can make Twitter accounts that 100% accurately capture what these people say and act like. So Sorkin & Co. at least were able to create memorable characters. It's just the characters are just the absolute worst, most unlikable characters in TV history.
And that's about it.
Some of the "best" moments of the show:
1) To get it out of the way first -- the "comedy" bits that are terrible and the stakes of the show are ridiculous.
1) The beginning is the absolute laziest writing ever done. It's a total rip-off of Network that they, via the faux-news reports, admit is a total rip-off of Network. Translation: I'm not a good enough writer to come up with something completely original. Although I plan on using "GO TO VTR NOW!" as much as possible when in emergency situations.
2) Some of the critical reviews are hilarious when they talk about how talented the cast is. Nate Corrdry -- very talented. D.L Hughely -- pretty talented. Bradley Whitford -- he can hold his own. Steven Weber -- definitely has the sleazebag corporate asshole persona down pat. But there are so many glowing reviews of AMANDA PEET AND MATTHEW PERRY! They are beyond awful! Amanda Peet's "charming, witty but serious" persona is beyond ridiculous. There's no way any executive would believe a word she was saying! And Matthew Perry somehow manages to be even more irritating than he was on Friends -- and it's not just that the character's irritating. He's just completely untalented.
3) Matt and Danny non-stop touching each-other during heart-to-hear speeches. Also: that beach scene they have is soooo awkward. And it's not the homoeroticism -- who cares about that? It's just so horridly conceived.
4) The stresses over the cold opens. And that their debut cold open is the most self-congratulatory thing of all-time. It doesn't even reference Wes' meltdown and is instead all about Danny's cocaine thing. And Albie's "I HAVE A STROKE OF GENIUS" face that leads into a musical parody of Pirates and Penzance (I found that out reading some blog about the show) and the lyrics go by so fast and the music is so loud you can't even hear a thing they say. And it gets a standing ovation? I guess the live audience is made up of lip reading Gilbert & Sullivan fans.
5) Harriet's supposedly a sex-bomb Christian that is beyond talented. She's Christian, at least.
6) Both Jordan's and Harriet's characters talk exactly like Lorelai's in The Gilmore Girls, which is pretty insane since The Gilmore Girls style of cadence is essentially Sorkin's style. And I read that Lauren Graham has a role in a few upcoming episodes. That's META at its finest. Wondering if Rob Jeter would bust out an Emily Gilmore impersonation like his Jack White's?
7) The Jordan has a DUI from eight years ago -- who would seriously give a shit? And who would read a tell-all book about a TV executive?
I cannot WAIT for the Afghanistan stories coming up.
