R.I.P. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Dominic · #1 06-29-2007, 02:50 AM

Tonight was the last show...with little fanfare, NBC aired the final four episodes of the show over the last month, culminating in a satisfying series finale. I'm sure I'm one of maybe a handful of people who even noticed.

As a fledgling show in its infancy, it had its problems trying to find a balance between being a show about a show or an ensemble drama that focused more on character, but it was still better than 90% of the network dreck that passes for entertainment these days.

This last four-hour story arc (Tom's brother is captured and held prisoner in the Middle East, Jordan has her baby amid life-threatening complictions, Matt and Harriet finally get it together) showed how good the show might have been if allowed to continue.

The characters all became three-dimensional and interesting: Amanda Peet and Steven Weber were both really great; DL Hugley and Nathan Cordrry were both a little lost in the shuffle at the beginning of the season but finished strong; Mathew Perry and Bradley Whitford were absolutely perfect together and a great team; and Sarah Paulson, in perhaps the most difficult role as Harriet - the star of the show and born-again Christian - became the real glue that held it all together.

I know it's just a failed TV show but I think it's a shame we're not going to get a chance to follow these characters for at least a few seasons more. I thought it was a damn good from the beginning and I still think so after watching the last show. Sorkin and Schlamme should be commended for continually trying to make American TV just a little more classy and smart.

Vehn · #2 06-29-2007, 02:53 AM

I wasn't aware it was a series finale (but guessed that) but imo it finished up fine.. tbh the writing and producing was never particularly interesting or unique. I enjoyed the end of the show and have no problems with never seeing it again. The "problems" with this show is basically that sorkin apparently ran out of original/interesting ideas years ago and storylines like tom's brother.. sucked, and bored me to tears. It didn't help that apparently no one on their writing staff could write sketch comedy to save their lives. I enjoyed most of the time I spent watching this show and honestly can only say.. good riddance.

mrTEA · #3 06-29-2007, 03:15 AM

I'm a pretty devoted Sorkin fan but I agree with vehn on the weaknesses of the show. The only episodes that I really enjoyed were the pilot and christmas episode. In the end I didn't really care too much about any of the characters, though I did like that he ended the series on a note similar to Sports Night.

youtalkfunny · #4 06-29-2007, 03:53 AM

<---Another Sorkin fanboy who wasn't that impressed with S60.

It wasn't BAD, but it never sank its hooks into me.

(Judd Hirsch's scene at the start of the pilot was an awesome grabber--unfortunately, it was also when the show jumped the shark. I can't think of another show in tv history that jumped the shark in its first scene.)

EDIT: Since I mentioned it, it's worth another watch.

Praetor · #5 06-29-2007, 03:58 AM

i really liked it

SmileyEH · #6 06-29-2007, 06:09 AM

Watching the last few torrents now. Stupid NBC [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

DrewDevil · #7 06-29-2007, 06:58 AM

My wife and I were glued to the set during these last 4 episodes. If the first 4 had been this good, it would have taken off. Seems like it was just hitting its stride. too bad.

philr · #8 06-29-2007, 09:34 AM

That sucks. I really liked the show - I am pretty tired to shows starting up that i get in to only to get cancelled. At least with this they showed the final episodes, not like the one murder mystry show where they cut it off half way through and never really told you who did it.

sylar · #9 06-29-2007, 09:59 AM

i am a pretty devoted (and now disappointed) sorkin fan, having watched and loved every episode of sports night and west wing. but this show seriously blew from the beginning. i watched it hoping that it would hit its stride, and it seemed like it had some moments mid-season. however, i thought that the last 4 episodes were the worst.

the thing that SN and WW had that S60 didn't is the characters. i loved the SN and WW characters (well, not all, but many). there isn't a single person i care about on S60. actually, no, there is, i think Nate Corddry's character is great, and his gf on the show is good. but that storyline was short, and he just wasn't himself in the scenes with the army captain. i can't stand DL. Whitford is playing some remote resemblance of Josh Lyman and it truly sucks in comparison. Perry is doing a great job, and there were like two moments between him and Paulson that could have been interesting, but that storyline just dug itself deeper and deeper into sucking. Perry's best scenes were the writing room, i thought. come to think of it, Perry's character is interesting, but he had very little to play off of.

the character of jordan... geez, should i even begin. the lawyer that was hitting on Matt would have made a much better NBS executive.

RIP Studio 60. you had a lot of potential, and you seemed to start to deliver. but you probably won't be missed too much.

Five-Star · #10 06-29-2007, 10:07 AM

I'm sad to see it go, intelligent TV is missing from the airwaves so much now. The only problem I had with S60 (from what I saw, I didn't get to see too much sadly) is that I kept feeling/expecting it to be West Wing. That's partially due to the fact that I'm such a "Wing Nut". There is no doubt Sorkin will give us another reason to watch TV again.