Studio 60′s Death Knell
Aaron Sorkin’s latest series Studio 60 has received mixed reviews since it premiered last fall in the new 2007 season. After several episodes fell flat in the ratings, something near impossible to do after following the powerhouse that is Heroes, NBC has decided to shelve the series until it decides what to do with it.
The problem with Studio 60 is not the premise of the show itself. The idea works: behind the scenes at a live comedy sketch show as it is written and developed each week. What doesn’t work so well is Sorkin’s character development within the series itself.
Almost all of the complaints about the show revolve around one of two things:
1. Aaron Sorkin knows how to write drama and witty dialog, but doesn’t know how to write a comedic sketch to save his life.
2. Almost all of the characters are so wrapped up in their self and their pretentiousness that no one cares about them.
Both of them are true to a point. Once I got used to the series being more about the interaction of the characters and less about the creation of a show, I got used to not seeing the “funny” sketches they mention throughout each show. Even a sketch that was part of a major plot point during the first few episodes, “The Crazy Christians”, was never developed other than being used as a show device.
Now on the characters end, this is where the show is suffering the most. The Danny/Jordan relationship that developed over the past few episodes (resulting in a too-cliche “stuck on a rooftop” gag) worked well, but the Danny/Harriet relationship makes me want to stab my eyes out in frustration.
The only characters who hold any interest for myself are Tom & Lucy’s developing relationship (if only because she was the “Original” receptionist on BBC’s The Office), and the zany stressed-out antics of Cal (Timothy Busfield), who in my mind is single-handedly saving the show–albeit a little too late.
No one is quite sure what will happen to Studio 60 once it’s midseason replacement, The Black Donnelly’s, finishes its five-week run. They may decide to air the rest of the episodes, or they may send it to it’s doom as a online-only feature like ABC did with the failure that was Daybreak. The best advice came from TV Squad reviewer Jay Black this morning, who suggested moving the series to HBO with fewer season episodes, making the show writing much tighter and with much more freedom than on broadcast TV.
NBC is also temporarily pulling 30 Rock–the other show (and definitely better written) about a behind-the-scenes comedy show–to run the new Andy Richter sitcom. 30 Rock will definitely return in April, as it is one of NBC’s strongest shows this season.
