Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip

ExtremeSleuth

ExtremeSleuth

Veteran
Just got done watching the pilot episode. Easily my favorite show on tv. Great writing, acting, directing, everything. Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford are awesome in it. Tons of great lines in the episode and can't wait for next week. Anyone else watch it? I give it :thumbup: :thumbup: way up
 
I not sure what the time difference is in hell, but it hasn't started in the pacific. If it's the same episode they released on dvd for netflix, then yes, I have seen it and already know I will enjoy it even more than West Wing (just the premise, I'm more interested in behind the scenes of SNL than the oval office)
 
I checked it out, it's hot. I love the writing and the characterzations. It's a lot like a screenplay I wrote. Actually now that I think about it, Julia Ling, a future co-star of mine (Silvergun Samurai) is actually slated to be in two future episodes of this little ditty. I actually want to see what happens in these character's lives. It's good stuff.

-Nate
 
I very much enjoyed this show when I saw the pilot in early July. I'm bummed I won't be in the states to watch the whole season.

- Mikko ... Heros will be good too.
 
I will give this show another chance, but I was underwhelmed. People talked about this thing like it was the second coming of Christ. I thought Amanda Peet totally overplayed the "likeable leader" role. You could practically see the screen type: "She's so likeable" written on her forehead. And I'm not a fan of that showy writing, with all those clever and well-timed quips. I like more realistic stuff. But overall it's good enough to give a second viewing. I'm very curious to see how this does. Do the masses really care about a show like this?
 
ya, i think a lot of people would like to see a show like this. the characters of Matt and Danny, with their drug problems are based on Sorkin's drug history. i wonder who they'll be getting to guest star on the show, as the "host" of Studio 60. as for comparison to West Wing, i think their both on par right now for me. i'm into politics, and for me the West Wing was a great show.
 
I thought the first episode was very clever, perhaps too clever for its own good.

Aaron Sorkin is a WGA-winning writer who was pushed out of his own series for drug-related issues, and his series then tanked. So the same network (NBC) that pushed him out, begs him to come back and make a new series to save their drama schedule.

So he writes a series about a WGA-winning writer who was pushed out of his own series (and perhaps his partner's drug-related issues are to blame) and after he/they were pushed out, that series tanked. So the network has to beg him to come back and fix his existing series to save it.

I'm just curious about the other implications he wrote into the show, which seem to imply that he's going to be given unprecedented free reign. His characters in the show were given free reign, so is that relating to us that Sorkin has been given the same?
 
My wife and I watched it and we both liked it for the most part. Both of us are Matthew Perry fans, so that helps. I'm a writer, so I naturally like that angle. And Amanda Peet didn't bug either one of us as much as she usually does, which is definitely damning with faint praise.

I liked Thomas Schlamme's direction with a lot of the Steadicam work and some of the booms. I never watched "The West Wing," so if anyone can confirm if it's a similar style, please do.

Not so sure about the whole Christianity angle. I'll tread lightly to avoid a dust up, but I'll find it interesting to see if someone with a fairly obvious axe to grind (what I perceived last night) can play it cool and objective. I hope so, because I think the guy is good even though I don't view life as he does. Loved "Sports Night," btw, so you know I'm not some anti-Sorkin-dude-in-hiding.

We'll tune it at the same Bat-time next week to find out more.

Fox
 
I was/am a big fan of the West Wing. The cleverness of it is what got me hooked. This is right there, with a look at the studio setup. So how can I not enjoy it. My favorite style of writting and direction, to go with mocking the industry I work in, and mightly fine acting and directing tossed in.
Alas the West Wing gap has been filled, long live clever characters, and clever storylines.
 
JasonFox said:
Not so sure about the whole Christianity angle. I'll tread lightly to avoid a dust up, but I'll find it interesting to see if someone with a fairly obvious axe to grind (what I perceived last night) can play it cool and objective.
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I'm definitely interested to see where it goes. My screenplay is about an African American Christian filmmaker and his friend who gets a shot at Hollywood filmmaking via his Jewish ex-model and her Hwood contacts. I would love to see where this series takes the whole Christian angle. Will it be the same old Christian basing or will it be an honest take.

So far what I see is good. Two people on different sides of the fence about the issue neither person is all good nor all bad. That's truth rearing it's head in the writing. What I also find odd is the "Christian" in the series isn't really a Christian. She's a woman who for whatever reason sings "spiritual music" and at first glance seems to be simply making money from sales of her album but something else is there because she takes up for Christianity and prays before shows. It's a smart but slick move because if they misstep they can always revert back to the idea the character isn't really Christian. Originally I was somewhat irritated because if I do make my film I felt people would assume (I know, writers, you can't live with us...yada yada yada) it's my answer to Studio 60 (the only "Hollywood behind the scenes" show I've seen that's even eluded to Christianity vs Hollywood) but lucky for me my my film's already listed on IMDB.

-Nate
 
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JasonFox said:
I liked Thomas Schlamme's direction with a lot of the Steadicam work and some of the booms. I never watched "The West Wing," so if anyone can confirm if it's a similar style, please do.
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West Wing is steadycam city! It is kind of a gimmick to keep a very talky show visually interetsing, but hey, it works. It's also seems accurate in that those people are so insanely busy the only time they have to gossip is the 30 feet between between offices.

As far as the "cleverness" of the pilot, i do understand what you mean, but I recall the very early episodes of West Wing feeling similar. It's almost as if they want to "win you over" with how tight the show is, but i'm almost positive it will die down after a few episodes. Right now they have to set up who the character's are and why we're supposed to like them. An ongoing series like this gets better when the introductions are out of the way.
 
I agree John I love the steadicam but dose every shot have to be it. It makes me feel like I have a steadicam fix for a month in just one episode.

As for studio 60 I really liked it. I was a big fan of the west wing mostly beacuse of the writing and now it is good to see it come to another show. And on top of that a show about an industry I'm vagialy familar with. I like the way the show started off you already have a ton of conflict to work through. I expect big things for a show like this but It also could be a show that just starts to run together just like west wind did.
 
I love Hwood behind the scene shows, but this seems a lot more character driven and intellegently written than, say Entourage. Matt Perry has great timing and he's proving he's not just a funny guy. I love the "unique" reason why the relationship broke up (not because some one was cheating). I do want to see more, mainly the eps my homegirl Julia will be on. I'm so anixous to see her even if it's just a small role.

-Nate
 
tonight's show really had a West Wing feel to it. the shots, the editing, directing, everything. they even used the same style for the title of the episode and the credits.

tonight's show was great. "how did it know how long till the next show?" "in this modern age of technology we have managed to build something that can count backwards from 7". "but it was turned off!" "it has a battery. don't worry its just a clock".

loved when Harriet stormed in after Matt's speech on etiquette, "and all that will begin in just a few moments." the ending song was great. "hope you dont mind our producer was caught doing blow" HAHAHA! this is really turning out to be a great show, but i'm kinda wondering what the deal is with religion being talked about all the time... anyone else watch tonight?
 
ravinesedge...

i'm watching it right now...loved the first show and especially this line "the guys who stand up to standards feel lucky directing good morning el paso"

just happens to be where i live :grin:
 
novelt said:
ravinesedge...

i'm watching it right now...loved the first show and especially this line "the guys who stand up to standards feel lucky directing good morning el paso"

just happens to be where i live :grin:
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No way! That's where I'm originally from...
 
I didn't get a chance to see the whole episode but what I saw I liked. I think this is going to be the show i'm TVioing the season. That and I don't know how many got a chance to catch Heros befor studio. I didn't think I was going to like the show. But I have to tell you there is some stuff that caught my eys. The use of the Shins song was one thing. I thought it was going to have a really bad Xman rip off vibe. But I didn't catch that feeling. So I think I'm going to check it out next week and who knows.
 
this show is terrible. it would like to think, after it's cancelled, that it was "over people's heads". Truth is, it's just not a very good show. It's soooo dour. Everything is soooooooo serious. It doesn't know what it wants to be. Half the time people are talking about things that we don't know about (and thusly don't care about). Contrast this to a show I just saw for the first time, Grey's Anatomy (pilot episode) and you find a show that knows EXACTLY what it wants to be. Its message, themes, and direction are all very clear.

I give this show 6-8 more episodes and predict a huge ratings drop from last week.
 
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