My head hurts, PopWatchers. And it’s not because I’m hung over, like usual. No, my head hurts because Aaron Sorkin has BETRAYED MY TRUST by choosing the week after I very publicly defended the man and his Studio 60 to run THE WORST TELEVISION EPISODE OF ALL TIME.
Let’s see. Which part was most egregious? Was it Simon (D.L. Hughley, pictured) complaining about how the writing staff was a bunch of white guys who all went to Harvard and then managing to hire the only black comedian in L.A. who acts like Chris Stevens’ half brother Bernard from Northern Exposure? Or was it Tom’s dad not knowing what "Who’s on First" is — something my father, who doesn’t even know what NBC is (for real) can still identify/recite? How about all of the assorted war mumbo-jumbo? (AFGHANISTAN!!!) Or… I know! Sorkin trying to make the "art can change lives" point I was trying to make last week but doing it as ham-fistedly as I’ve ever seen him do ANYTHING, and that’s INCLUDING that one time Martin Sheen yelled at God in the National Cathedral!! "You can say their names now, Eli." REALLY??? THIS is how you’re going to convince people that your show can actually be important someday, Aaron?? By name-checking CLIFFORD ODETS?? You are KILLING ME HERE.
Look. I still believe in the redemptive power of television. And I still believe — as evidenced by Tom’s tour-guide monologue for his parents (which would have been terrific if any one of the many other plotlines swirling around it had been even remotely compelling, btw) — that television is necessary because it helps us know who we are, who we were, and who we are becoming. But because I am a scholar of these things, and I am not 9 years old, I do not need a lecture on that (or WWII) (or HUAAC). I just need an hour of entertainment. Remember entertainment, Aaron? That was the stuff you used to put in West Wing episodes, you know, drizzled around Sheen wandering the halls, endlessly repeating "shibboleth" or whatever? Entertainment! What Sports Night was 99-point-9-percent-pure?
Gah. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea you titled this episode "The Wrap Party." [insert sound of my hair being pulled out here]
Now I’m going to have to work twice as hard to defend this damn thing. Thank God for the trio of twit girls. They were funny. ("But what do you DO?") And Lauren Graham. Who makes everything better. Even sucky episodes of Gilmore.
Oh, people… What if every show I like sucks now? PopWatchers! I am descending into madness! Is there any reason why Studio 60 should not be dead to me now?
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Great episode last night. It’s been talked about in the past from the press when shows don’t hire black actors in big parts, or shows don’t have any black writers. But it was great to see the topic actually talked about during the show by two main characters of that show. It wasn’t brushed aside. It was a serious discussion of needing diversity on a show. The discussion, the trip to the improv, and the hiring of the comic to be a writer were all handled maturely and with respect. Great episode.
I’m ready for Friday Night Lights to take over this slot for good.
Just goes to show that you should have had a heroes tv watch instead of studio 60. not that im saying its a bad show, its one of “its new, so its just good enough” shows that i watch. studio 60 is on its last legs unfortunately. last nights episode bored me, except for the part where they found one of their new writers. i agree to a certain point with kevin on that segment
there is no reason why the show shouldn’t be dead. It died for me in last nights episode. I thought it was just one cliche after another…. and not even cute cliche’s but the worst cliches imaginable. It was like a shopping list of the worst cliches. I didn’t know TV this bad could still make it on the air.
1. Conveniently staying for a drink to catch another even worse comedian and giving him a job on the spot. Yes, diversity is great, yes I am minority, so I was more insulted that instead of trying hard to find a real talented comedian, they went with the unfunny guy who wasn’t insulting over the unfunny guy that was. This is only something Aaron Sorkin would do.
2. The baseball player was a jerk, because that’s what baseball players are, complete jerks who hand out their numbers at parties. Hey, how about the decent guy who the girl is just not as attracted to. How about layering a character even if he’s on one episode.
3. The three dumb chicks, well, they were funny, but a total cliche.
4. The parents who don’t understand their kids dream of being a bad comedian, and who have a son away at war, and who scream it at inoportune moments right before the commercial break. Please, yes, i would be more worried about my son away at war over my son doing bad comedy by bad comedy writers who supposedly came to save the network with their amazing brilliance. But please, Mr. Sorkin, insulting parents who have loved ones at war because you feel your role as entertainer is equally as important is not only cliche, but also insulting and demeaning.
and just like that RECORD the son handed the father and said he would laugh. I realized, that this show was something to put away in a box, and put it in an attic, where all the cliches go and hope no one finds said box ever again.
Last night’s episode definitely wasn’t one of the best, although I thought the dialogue between Matt and Simon at the bar was pretty amusing. Well, the part where Simon was mimicking Willy Wills “argument tactics” while Matt was telling him to shush. Other than that, the show didn’t seem to have much, if any, coherency. I’m willing to keep giving it a try though.
Agreed.
What gets me (in addition to all that you’ve said, Whitney), is that the name checking and references are consistently from 20+ years ago and/or are pretty obscure.
Abbot and Costello were genius, sure, but why does it feel like the reality of “Studio 60″ never had “Animal House” or George Carlin or Bill Cosby? Not to mention more recent comedy references — would it kill ‘em to name check, say, “My Name is Earl” or Dave Chapelle or “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”?
Being literate and witty isn’t the sole path to humor; there’s a lot to be said for absurdity and pratfalls when done well. I want to like “Studio 60″ — it’s choc-full of great talent, if nothing else — but the show is burying the needle on my pretention meter.
I really haven’t had any problems with the previous episodes. I like the show, but I do agree that last night’s episode was torturous. I could see the points they wanted to make, but then they BEAT THEM IN WITH A HAMMER. Scenes that would have been interesting or touching if they were a few minutes shorter became tiresome. I think they are starting to mimic their foil, SNL. SNL always seems to drag sketches on too long, making them suck when they would be fine if they knew when to stop. Aaron, please relax, just a little.
still haven’t seen a single episode so i’m just putting in my ubiquitous and inappropriate plug for friday night lights which everyone, including aaron sorkin, should be watching…you are watching right? right? RIGHT?!?!
“Great episode last night. It’s been talked about in the past from the press when shows don’t hire black actors in big parts, or shows don’t have any black writers. But it was great to see the topic actually talked about during the show by two main characters of that show. It wasn’t brushed aside. It was a serious discussion of needing diversity on a show. The discussion, the trip to the improv, and the hiring of the comic to be a writer were all handled maturely and with respect. Great episode.”
You have GOT to be kidding me. DL’s first monologue could have come from any black movie from the early 90s, from Boyz in the Hood to I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. And to immediately hire the guy just because he didn’t make a joke about “phat asses?” That’s ham-fisted to the point of insulting.
Let’s not even go into “AFGHANISTAN!”
Come on.
This is terrible.
Hmm, guess I watched a different episode because I loved it. I’m aware that it took a lot of “hot topics” and shoved them down our throats, but it didn’t bother me because this is television and it’s supposed to take things to the extreme so everyone gets it. I guess I mostly like the show because the acting is so good and I personally like what the show is trying to say. Sure, it’s not a perfect show but I find it very entertaining and look forward to it every week. It’s not dead to me!
This show has lost me – just doesn’t and hasn’t kept me interested.
It has been officially removed from our TiVo Season Pass list.
Bye “Studio 60″
http://jakesboysbigbadblog.blogspot.com/
Yes, Aaron Sorkin seems to favor old and/or obscure references, but that’s nothing isolated to Studio 60 (Sports Night’s “Sword of Orion” and “Eli’s Coming,” anyone?) I too have had trouble accepting that Studio 60 is no Sports Night, but I think that’s my problem for expecting it to be. I think there are about five people total–including me–who watched Sports Night, and it got canned. I can’t fault Aaron Sorkin for thinking he might have to mix things up a little to keep this “show-within-a-show” on the air. That said, I agree that he could punch it up a little bit. I did see signs of that patented Sorkin story overlap with the blacklist storyline (which I loved) and Tom’s tour schpiel, but I think it could be better utilized.
Wait, why shouldn’t we get into Afghanistan? I understand some of the criticisms of last night’s episode (which I happened to enjoy even though it wasn’t one of the better ones), but what, specifically, put people off about the reference to Afghanistan?
I absolutely LOVED last night’s episode. I’m glad the sketch “comedy” was non-existent. I enjoyed the fact that they made a point to point out that most black comedians (and rappers, actors) are nothing more than the modern-day equivalent of minstrel show performers who re-enforce and confirm stereotypes. I don’t buy that they would hire the guy who was smart but not funny, but I’m interested to see where it went.
I’m glad they’re dealing with the rich history of Hollywood and the blacklist…honestly, many people DON’T know about this or we don’t talk about it.
And entertainment is overrated. Sometimes we need tv that makes us think and reflect (which is also entertaining in its own right) rather than just given us a laugh or cry. Sorkin’s show is getting people to talk and argue (mostly about the show itself and its motives) but that’s more than can be said for most tv shows.
Because “Afghanistan!” was basically on par with “I’m so excited…” from Saved By the Bell as a The More You Know moment. How about that?
Whit: As Gayle King says constantly to Oprah: Deep, cleansing breath. Deeeep, cleansing breath. OK? OK.
JR, that’s a good point. But 10 years later and the problem still exists. Simon’s point all the more relevant.
The guy got hired because of his content, not because of his delivery. He was a horrible comedian, but could be groomed into a decent, of not prolific, writer.
“I absolutely LOVED last night’s episode. I’m glad the sketch “comedy” was non-existent. I enjoyed the fact that they made a point to point out that most black comedians (and rappers, actors) are nothing more than the modern-day equivalent of minstrel show performers who re-enforce and confirm stereotypes. I don’t buy that they would hire the guy who was smart but not funny, but I’m interested to see where it went.”
That Sorkin continues to play into this binary mode of diamond-in-the-rough thinking is the insulting part. That they would scoop up that mumbly dude as “the one,” assuming that every other black comic was like Willy Willz, is an embarassing relic of late-60s early-90s liberal guilt thinking, that if this show were the “important, thought-provoking” crusade that they try to shove down our throats, it would have dropped years ago.
That could have been from an Episode of Good Times.
Bad episode, bad television, low ratings. In any other network this show would have already been replaced by a better alternative. But NBC likes to bleed out money like they bleed out quality.
Ok, so I get that you think the Afghanistan point was way too obviously thrown in our faces. But with a war going on that Americans seem to have forgotten about (even though 25,000 U.S. troops are still there), what’s so wrong with addressing it up front and directly? I’m not trying to wage a personal attack here, but I just don’t get why Sorkin should be berated for addressing a huge topic on a personal level (i.e., a family dealing with their son being overseas) when everyone else in the media all but ignores it. Seriously, what’s a better way for Sorkin to address it, since he clearly wants to?
I liked it.
Trying hard to like this show, but god was last night’s show awful!
“We have 3-4 hours to hear you talk about how writers were blacklisted 50 years ago, do tell. And tell the uninformed public why we are SOOOO GD important to the earth and everyone in it. Please go on dodgering old man… er… hero”
Great cast, worst writing and story lines ever.
Dear Studio 60,
We had a lovely first date, but over time I slowly realized that you were just too good to be true. I’m the type of guy who likes to be surprised, yet all of your promises eventually stacked up to an excellence that I don’t believe can be attainable. I’m sorry that I never laughed at your jokes, but they simply weren’t funny. I also find your taste in music to be quite cheesy and appalling. I will admit, you have your clever charms about you, but overall I believe such recognition of wit defeats wits purpose. Frankly, I think you’re full of yourself and the time has come for us to part ways. Good luck. I may check in from time to time to see if you’ve cleaned up your act.
Sincerely, Kevy K
Started out loving this show but I’ve become a “Heroes” geek. Saving the world with superpowers is compelling. Saving the world through TV? Oh, please.
Would the person who last week disputed the indisputable — that Sorkin is an incorrigible hack — please repent?
AFGHANISTAN!!! I understand the point Sorkin was trying to make, but it just seem so contrived. Of course Afghanistan is way more important than a TV show, even the “flagship of NBS.” However, it was just thrown out there because Sorkin wanted to deal with the criticism that the show within the show was full of self-importance.
I really can’t stand that Sorkin is absolutely clueless about contemporary pop-culture. His whole point with the black-comedian was severely undermined by the fact that the black comedian they hired wasn’t even that funny. Political content and social commentary are great when incorporated into comedy, but humor is also an important element of comedy. It’s like Sorkin has no clue that comics such as Dave Chappelle and Aaron McGruder are doing great things with political/social satire that I doubt Sorkin is capable of handling. Also, I doubt he’ll even return to this black-writer in future episodes. If he doesn’t, Sorkin is just as guilty as the people he’s constantly complaining about.
Remember the song “Killing me Softly”. I read your article and the song came to mind. While getting ready for work this morning, I gave my husband almost exactly the same rundown that you wrote. I was literally SCREAMING at my TV – “Sorkin you jerk”. Columbus, Ohio is a totally MAJOR city with the #1 College Football team in the country and home to one of the largest colleges in the country. So, we are suppossed to believe that because Nate Cordry’s parents are from Columbus, they a.) don’t understand that their son works for a show (if this is SNL) that has been on the air for over 20 years which means that they would have likely been fans of the show from the conception. Also, not knowing “Who’s on first”? means not only that they don’t know one of the most well-known skits in history but they also don’t have movie theatres, VCR’s, or DVD’s and none of these people ever watched the movie “Rain Man” where it was a running gag with Dustin Hoffman. Puhlease!!! you don’t count because your brother is in a war – where did that come from? Because they are midwest hicks who don’t own a CD player and obviously don’t watch TV or go to the movies, they must be Republicans. I’m lived in Dayton, Ohio for 38 years and now live in Phoenix. I remember SNL with Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, John Belushi, the Coneheads, etc. I saw “Rain Man” at least 5 times. Oh – and how did the Dad “teach” him everything when he is on a comedy show and obviously there was no comedy ever allowed in his house. Republicans only go to church and join the military. How many ways can I say “jumped the shark”?
I love the show. It’s my current favorite program. Last night’s show was, by far, the weakest episode so far.
The whole “Tom’s parents” storyline was a disaster. Nobody talks to their parents like they’re a tour guide, and AFGHANISTAN!!! was ridiculous.
I don’t necessarily have a problem with the show giving the history lesson – it’s just too bad the way they did it was so boring.
The chairman challenging Danny to fight was just pathetic.
I actually didn’t mind the comedian thing, the Harriet/Jordan interaction was okay and the triplets were funny. Definitely a C+ episode, and yet still better than almost everything else on TV these days.
Brinco el Tiburon spanish for JUMPED THE SHARK… I just thought Mr. Sorkin would like to know that the failure of this show is multicultural.