Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

After what felt like the longest summer of waiting I just got to watch the pilot episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and only one word can be used to describe it and its creator: genius. Aaron Sorkin has brought TV it’s latest hit.

Studio 60 is more or less a take on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and after it’s head, Wes Mendel, has a “Network” type breakdown on live TV to rant about how bad the show has become, he’s replaced by Matt and Danny played by Mathew Perry and Bradley Whitford.

The show has an all star cast that also includes king of comedy D.J. Hughly and Nate Cordroy (who, along with his brother, was on the Daily Show), as well as Steven Weber, Amanda Peet and Sarah Paulson. From Sorkin’s previous West Wing crew is Bradley Whitford, Timothy Busfield and Thomas Schlamme who directed the pilot episode. I guess you might also count Mathew Perry amongst West Wing alumni having garnered more Emmy nominations for appearing in three episodes of the show than his entire Friends career.

At the front of everything Sorkin does is the brilliant dialogue that is quick, witty and clever as well as the ability to keep an audience interested by taking us behind the scenes of shows, networks or even the White House. Not to mention Schlamme’s style of walk-and-talk directing that you don’t see often enough in a television drama.

In short, Studio 60 kicks butt so do check it out. Will it save NBC’s slump? Who knows.

Trailer

The breakdown clip…

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