fullygoldy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fullygoldy) wrote2006-11-06 05:27 pm
fullygoldy) wrote2006-11-06 05:27 pm
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
You have to understand that I was predisposed to like this show.
Sports Night was OMG, wonderful - the smartest, funniest 30 minutes per week on TV in its time, but unfortunately, 30 minute shows that weren't situation comedies were extinct except for Sports Night, and I believe that had something to do with its unfortunate demise. (The slash aspects ((Dan/Casey)) didn't occur to me during its run, probably because I had never heard of slash at that time, but the first SN slash fic I ever read had me pointing and laughing and going, "of course!")
Then came The West Wing, which was also OMG, wonderful. TWW made me cry just about every week, as well as laugh and think. And it made me wish fervently that I could believe that our real life politicians were as thoughtful, hard working and intelligent as those portrayed (even the TV Republicans). I could proudly live in a country led by these people, even during the times I disagreed with them, because I would believe that they were doing their best and that they were upholding the spirit of service intended by the founding fathers. I don't know if it's because Sorkin and I are of similar generations or if we have similar backgrounds, but I believe we hold the same beliefs about *how* our government could and should work. TWW had a good run, and I was sad to see it go, but I'm not sure it could have been sustained any longer. Matt Santos was an even more unrealistically in-touch, forward thinking politician than Jed Bartlett, ya know? It would have hurt too much to watch and want it to be true, all the while knowing how vastly different reality actualy is. (The Josh/Sam dynamic was fantastic in the early seasons, and I was thrilled at it's reprise for the end too.)
So now we have Studio 60, and it's just as delightful as I expected and hoped. I love Bradley Whitford (playing Danny). He delivers the dry, cerebral wit like nobody's business, and he's got self-deprecating down cold. Matthew Perry (playing Matt) nails the slightly neurotic, but endearing writer with aplomb. The entire ensemble already seems well-meshed, and other contributors/players are all of top quality. Sorkin draws the cream of the crop when he wants to do stuff, and I really admire that he hasn't lost that pull yet. The show is smart and funny, fast and furious, touching without being shmoopy. If I had never seen SN or TWW, I would be merely delighted with Studio 60. (And OMG, the slash mill is hopping already - from the first episode Matt/Danny was practically canon, and Tom just has a big ol' man-crush on Danny as well).
However, I fear that Sorkin is about to succomb to the Heinlein syndrome. I'm afraid he has run out of stories to tell. SN was a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a live TV show. So is Studio 60. In it's way, TWW echoed that behind-the-scenes feeling. We've got older sons tortured by guilt; dead siblings; sons with dysfunctional relationships with their fathers; smart, beautiful and driven women who have to give up their (social/family) lives for their work; cold and idiotic powers-that-be; the glare of public perception coloring everything all the time. We've got the same actors playing in Sorkin's verse over and over, the same character names showing up over and over, the same device of major characters being from the midwest or the northeast, and the stereotypes that come with geography. Can Sorkin really make me care about the Studio 60 people in the same way I cared about their predecessors? I fear the actors will also let themselves succumb to a new variety of type-casting or character acting. Sure, they're smart, funny and sexy characters, but I'd think actors would want to demonstrate their entire range eventually. Is Danny that much different from Josh? Is Matt Albie really any different from Chandler Bing?
The pacing of all three shows is very nearly frenetic, a pace I actually enjoy, that meshes well with ensuing banter - it reminds me of the best of Hepburn and Tracy. No one on TV does banter like Sorkin (although the Stargate:Atlantis crew is giving it a close run). But this pace - is this what we get after 30+ years of Sesame Street? Studies have shown that kid's attention spans are much shorter than the experts would like them to be, and they're blaming it on children's television, with it's super-short sound bites. The pace here isn't quite as quick as SG:A's, but it still makes it hard to work a scene.
Don't get me wrong, the show is quite enjoyable, and well worth watching. It's some of the smartest, most entertaining stuff on the small screen right now, and that's important in its own right. But Heinlein went from being a favorite writer to being a placeholder on the shelf. I'm not even re-reading him any longer because I got tired of the story. The one story that he told dozens of times, very successfully, very masterfully. It just got boring. I am not looking forward to Sorkin going down the same path. I'm already wondering when we'll see the sexual harrassment episode, or the way Jordan will fall apart in the face of her mother's impending visit. I like Simon and Harriet for being minority characters that break the expected stereotypes. I loved Simon's reaction to the 'popular' black comedian, and his follow up reaction to the guy with the esoteric humor - how long has it been since someone went for a laugh based on the old testament or geometry? I love that Harriet is proudly Christian, and openly admits that she doesn't follow all the "rules," is still respectful of others' beliefs, and holds a brief prayer circle before shows, that not everyone participates in. But I've already caught myself playing the "name that SN or TWW reference" game, and while it's kind of fun (I've always liked 'getting' the literary references), I'm afraid it can't bode well for the future of Sorkin's work. ETA: John Goodman! Yep, he plays that type of character well (Nevada Day, part 1)
I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy this series for as long as I can. You can join me on Monday nights. I'll be chuckling and giggling and wildly impressed with the writing and the derring-do. Plus, the guest hosts and musicians, ala Saturday Night Live are really fun too. It's cool to see real celebs interacting with the fictional characters. I loved the Sting appearance!
Sports Night was OMG, wonderful - the smartest, funniest 30 minutes per week on TV in its time, but unfortunately, 30 minute shows that weren't situation comedies were extinct except for Sports Night, and I believe that had something to do with its unfortunate demise. (The slash aspects ((Dan/Casey)) didn't occur to me during its run, probably because I had never heard of slash at that time, but the first SN slash fic I ever read had me pointing and laughing and going, "of course!")
Then came The West Wing, which was also OMG, wonderful. TWW made me cry just about every week, as well as laugh and think. And it made me wish fervently that I could believe that our real life politicians were as thoughtful, hard working and intelligent as those portrayed (even the TV Republicans). I could proudly live in a country led by these people, even during the times I disagreed with them, because I would believe that they were doing their best and that they were upholding the spirit of service intended by the founding fathers. I don't know if it's because Sorkin and I are of similar generations or if we have similar backgrounds, but I believe we hold the same beliefs about *how* our government could and should work. TWW had a good run, and I was sad to see it go, but I'm not sure it could have been sustained any longer. Matt Santos was an even more unrealistically in-touch, forward thinking politician than Jed Bartlett, ya know? It would have hurt too much to watch and want it to be true, all the while knowing how vastly different reality actualy is. (The Josh/Sam dynamic was fantastic in the early seasons, and I was thrilled at it's reprise for the end too.)
So now we have Studio 60, and it's just as delightful as I expected and hoped. I love Bradley Whitford (playing Danny). He delivers the dry, cerebral wit like nobody's business, and he's got self-deprecating down cold. Matthew Perry (playing Matt) nails the slightly neurotic, but endearing writer with aplomb. The entire ensemble already seems well-meshed, and other contributors/players are all of top quality. Sorkin draws the cream of the crop when he wants to do stuff, and I really admire that he hasn't lost that pull yet. The show is smart and funny, fast and furious, touching without being shmoopy. If I had never seen SN or TWW, I would be merely delighted with Studio 60. (And OMG, the slash mill is hopping already - from the first episode Matt/Danny was practically canon, and Tom just has a big ol' man-crush on Danny as well).
However, I fear that Sorkin is about to succomb to the Heinlein syndrome. I'm afraid he has run out of stories to tell. SN was a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a live TV show. So is Studio 60. In it's way, TWW echoed that behind-the-scenes feeling. We've got older sons tortured by guilt; dead siblings; sons with dysfunctional relationships with their fathers; smart, beautiful and driven women who have to give up their (social/family) lives for their work; cold and idiotic powers-that-be; the glare of public perception coloring everything all the time. We've got the same actors playing in Sorkin's verse over and over, the same character names showing up over and over, the same device of major characters being from the midwest or the northeast, and the stereotypes that come with geography. Can Sorkin really make me care about the Studio 60 people in the same way I cared about their predecessors? I fear the actors will also let themselves succumb to a new variety of type-casting or character acting. Sure, they're smart, funny and sexy characters, but I'd think actors would want to demonstrate their entire range eventually. Is Danny that much different from Josh? Is Matt Albie really any different from Chandler Bing?
The pacing of all three shows is very nearly frenetic, a pace I actually enjoy, that meshes well with ensuing banter - it reminds me of the best of Hepburn and Tracy. No one on TV does banter like Sorkin (although the Stargate:Atlantis crew is giving it a close run). But this pace - is this what we get after 30+ years of Sesame Street? Studies have shown that kid's attention spans are much shorter than the experts would like them to be, and they're blaming it on children's television, with it's super-short sound bites. The pace here isn't quite as quick as SG:A's, but it still makes it hard to work a scene.
Don't get me wrong, the show is quite enjoyable, and well worth watching. It's some of the smartest, most entertaining stuff on the small screen right now, and that's important in its own right. But Heinlein went from being a favorite writer to being a placeholder on the shelf. I'm not even re-reading him any longer because I got tired of the story. The one story that he told dozens of times, very successfully, very masterfully. It just got boring. I am not looking forward to Sorkin going down the same path. I'm already wondering when we'll see the sexual harrassment episode, or the way Jordan will fall apart in the face of her mother's impending visit. I like Simon and Harriet for being minority characters that break the expected stereotypes. I loved Simon's reaction to the 'popular' black comedian, and his follow up reaction to the guy with the esoteric humor - how long has it been since someone went for a laugh based on the old testament or geometry? I love that Harriet is proudly Christian, and openly admits that she doesn't follow all the "rules," is still respectful of others' beliefs, and holds a brief prayer circle before shows, that not everyone participates in. But I've already caught myself playing the "name that SN or TWW reference" game, and while it's kind of fun (I've always liked 'getting' the literary references), I'm afraid it can't bode well for the future of Sorkin's work. ETA: John Goodman! Yep, he plays that type of character well (Nevada Day, part 1)
I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy this series for as long as I can. You can join me on Monday nights. I'll be chuckling and giggling and wildly impressed with the writing and the derring-do. Plus, the guest hosts and musicians, ala Saturday Night Live are really fun too. It's cool to see real celebs interacting with the fictional characters. I loved the Sting appearance!