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Home » Blogs » Malinda Lo's blog » TV Alert: Studio 60's last bow

TV Alert: Studio 60's last bow

by
Malinda Lo

The last episode of Aaron Sorkin's highly anticipated but ultimately disappointing series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, so set your TiVos if you want to catch out actress Sarah Paulson in her last turn as sketch comedian/devout Christian Harriet Hayes.

Sorkin's series about a Saturday Night Live-like sketch comedy show was one of the most-buzzed-about shows of the 2006 fall season. Though it started off with a respectable 13.1 million viewers for its fall premiere, ratings immediately began to slide and critics quickly began to snark about the show's self-important tone. What worked on The West Wing didn't seem to translate to a Hollywood location.

The series went on a brief hiatus over the holiday season, returning in late January for another five episodes before going on a second hiatus until May 24. The last five episodes have averaged about 4 million viewers each.

Tonight's episode, the series finale, is titled "What Kind of Day Has It Been," a title that Aaron Sorkin has used twice before: on the first-season finales of his two previous series, Sports Night and West Wing. The episode includes a hostage crisis and a premature birth and revisits the on-again, off-again relationship between Matt (Matthew Perry) and Harriet.

I watched the first few episodes of Studio 60 but soon was turned off by the show's un-funniness and, I admit, I found Sarah Paulson's character kind of annoying.

What did you think of Studio 60? Did any of you continue to watch after the first few episodes? And though I wasn't into Harriet, it is a bummer that Sarah Paulson is no longer on TV. It was great to have an out actress in such a buzzed-about network show, even if the show itself ultimately tanked.

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    • Submitted by
    Malinda Lo
    on June 28, 2007 - 12:19pm.
    TAGS :: 
    Maritza's picture

    hmmm

    Submitted by
    Maritza (60 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 12:35pm.

    I watched all the episodes because I wanted to like the show, not that I actually liked it. I became a huge fan of the West Wing (the first 4 seasons especially) and was looking forward to Studio 60, and that's the main why reason why I watched it. It is a shame that it did not take off, I don't think I would have watched much more of it anyway. It's another lost opportunity for good entertainment.

    anywhichway's picture

    Well...

    Submitted by
    anywhichway (5 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 12:42pm.
    I have to admit, I have actually liked this show.  Maybe it was my innate desire not to be studying for finals, or a biological need to spend time with the love of my life, (tivo, sadly) but I think that the last few episodes have been quite good.  And besides, who doesn't enjoy watching a hostage situation unfold to lighten the mood?
    Tease's picture

    Me too.

    Submitted by
    Tease (371 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 12:45pm.

    I also continued to watch because I WANTED to like the show, in the end, I just couldn't. I'm not sure why I wanted to like it though, I hated The West Wing. I guess I thought a show about a comedy show would be ... funnier?

    I've learned my lesson ... "don't look for comedy from a drama writer."

    Lisa


    Hannah's picture

    Alas, Poor Studio 60

    Submitted by
    Hannah (299 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 2:15pm.

    Ok, I really wanted to like this show.  I loved the west wing, sports night, and sorkin's movies.  And then there were so many great actors on this show, least of all Sarah Paulson.  Plus, she's based on Kristen Chenoweth who I adore.  I liked the potential the character Harriet had, but I kept thinking "Does Aaron Sorkin really feel so smugly superior to women in general and Kristen Chenoweth specifically?  If so, how is it possible that he ever gets laid?"

    I feel like Studio 60 had everything going for it but Sorkin's ego had just inflated so much he killed it.  It's like he thinks he doesn't have to try to be witty anymore, so he doesn't even try.  And the political rants that worked so well when he was doing a show on politics don't work so well when he is doing a show on Saturday Night Live.

    I guess want I really thought was awful is that the show is simultaneously asking to be taken seriously while reprimanding the audience for taking the entertainment industry so seriously.  I probably could have handled that if it the show was consistently funny. 

    But yeah, I watched it pretty much every week and I'll probably watch it tonight (if I get home in time).  It's like a codependency thing, I have to watch it self-destruct. I can't believe he reused the damn "What Kind of Day Has it Been" episode title.  He is getting tired.

    ETA: I realised I had typed "So many actors..." instead of "so many great actors..."  Really?  There were actors on a scripted television show?  You don't say!  Yeah, I'm an idiot sometimes.

    Anonymous's picture

    I found , once I got passed

    Submitted by
    Anonymous
    on June 28, 2007 - 12:58pm.

    I found , once I got passed the whole SNL thing, I really enjoyed this show and I am sorry it has been cancelled.

     

     

    "call me old fashioned but I prefer feminism that leaves a little something to the imagination!"

    Harpy's picture

    Loved it.

    Submitted by
    Harpy (9666 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 2:05pm.
    I loved it and am sad it's going off the air.  I admit the show skits were not funny most of the time -- But the show was not about that and I understand how they were trying to take attention away from the actual skits.  I think that turned a lot of people off because they expected a funny show.  It was more a drama with comedy thrown in.  Like a romantic comedy, per se.
           
    Well, NBC will again put out some inane crap this upcoming season.  I think it's Fox who has the bragging rights to the 'Caveman' show.  Good thing we have some quality entertainment to make up for the loss of a truly great show.  [smirks]
    Anonymous's picture

    I enjoyed it

    Submitted by
    Anonymous
    on June 28, 2007 - 2:10pm.
    I also watched every episode, and actually really enjoyed it. It was definately a show that took some time though. But once I became just the slight bit invested in the characters, I found all of their little nuances quite charming. Not to mention the show required some thought, unlike most out there these days.
    Gobias Somecoffee's picture

    I liked it

    Submitted by
    Gobias Somecoffee (270 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 2:24pm.
    These last episodes have been pretty entertaining and I'm sad that it's going off the air.  The Sorkin/Chenoweth thing he tried to recreate in Matt/Harriet was so annoying.  Also the fact that it was suppose to be a behind-the-scenes show about a sketch comedy but it strayed too much from that.  I had high hopes and then again I did like it.  The cast, I liked as well.
    HallyB's picture

    Not Sorry to See it Go

    Submitted by
    HallyB (165 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 3:52pm.
    I really, really wanted to like this show. I was captivated by West Wing when I first saw it and was hoping for some return to those early glory years. I was even willing to overlook Sorkin's holier-than-thou preaching (which we all knew was going to be present) because the concept sounded great. But it was so UNFUNNY, and the characters were so unlikable, that I couldn't make it through an hour. I was compelled to change the channel. Then, after a couple of minutes, I would peek again, and the cycle would continue. It was just no fun. And when you add that to all the preaching, even if you're in the choir, it just made it unbearable. I also think quite a bit of subtle misogyny leaks through on Sorkin shows, and it irks me.
    Anonymous's picture

    I loved the first eps that i

    Submitted by
    Anonymous
    on June 28, 2007 - 4:51pm.

    I loved the first eps that i watched, but lost interest in it fast, got very boring. Like 98% of the series out there :( I want my Xena and Gabs back!

    Nichole4FSU's picture

    Loved it

    Submitted by
    Nichole4FSU (479 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 5:22pm.

    I loved the show. It did get a little bogged down now and then, but I really liked the dialog and chemistry with the cast. It's a loss and I'm sad to see it go.

     

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    "I'm not sorry for what I did. I'm sorry for what I didn't do."

     

    Suhrr's picture

    I really liked the show. I

    Submitted by
    Suhrr (54 posts)
    on June 28, 2007 - 8:43pm.
    I really liked the show. I do see a lot of the problems in it, mainly the fact that the premise displayed during the preview period did not match up to the audience's expectations. However, the chemistry of the cast really makes up for the fact that Sorkin wrote a bad show. Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry had a really great rapport, and I'm sorry it got canceled after only one season.
    NorthernStar's picture

    Had potential

    Submitted by
    NorthernStar (164 posts)
    on June 29, 2007 - 9:37am.

    But the writing was too self involved.

    Excellent performace on part of the cast.

    Last night's finale was dissapointing though, "all well that ends well", which nauseated me. Couldn't someone die or get fired ot something?

    Tease's picture

    best line

    Submitted by
    Tease (371 posts)
    on June 29, 2007 - 10:48am.

    of the final show, Tom, when referring to our draft-dodging Commander in Chief: "Skippy McDumbass"

    Lisa


    Sporty Spice's picture

    Will miss it

    Submitted by
    Sporty Spice (94 posts)
    on June 29, 2007 - 7:00pm.

    A lot of good points made here, both pro and con, but in the end, I thought Studio 60 was a pretty good show, and I will miss it.

    It was a little too serious about itself, that was probably its most annoying feature. But it was a literate show with the expected Sorkin liberal bent, which is always welcome, and also wasn't afraid to take religion to task (would have loved to see the entire "Crazy Christians" sketch!).

    There's so little of substance left on TV. What do we have to look forward to that will replace Studio 60, some piece of so-called 'reality' crap? Origami with the Stars, perhaps?

    Can't wait...

     

    PrincessSophie's picture

    watched it for the Sarah scenes!

    Submitted by
    PrincessSophie (9 posts)
    on November 30, 2007 - 3:05pm.

    get it honayyy! http://glamgorgeousgay.blogspot.com/

    Well its on here in the UK and has been on for a couple of weeks... at 1st I watched it for my latest crush Sarah Paulson!lol! But I have to admit it's kinda intelligent/funny! I love it! And a chance for me to watch Sarah on TV... what more could a girl want!


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