Studio 60

[shipperx]

First impression, well... usually, I'm not a huge fan of Sorkin. I've tried, both with Sports Night and West Wing and... yeah... still not much of a fan. But, I like Matthew Perry and Timothy Busfield, and Studio 60 has had great reviews so I'm giving it a shot.

Anyway, first impression is that it tends to feel like Sorkin tries so hard to be so talky that I become distracted by how intentional it all is... so distracted that I don't 'feel' the characters, just the writing and production. At any rate, my first impression in the first five minutes is that it's trying so very hard and is so very earnest... and I tend to think drama is best when it's like ballet. It should be difficult, but the audience shouldn't see the strain.

Oh and Amanda Peet has the most distracting teeth this side of the guy who plays Brutus in Rome (and I can be terribly distracted by his snaggle tooth when he is on screen).

Hmmm...

Maybe the problem is that I have television attention deficit disorder.

Comments

[jerrymcl89.livejournal.com]

I think it's funny that someone who's this cynical about television could somehow still be idealistic about politics ;)

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Okay is it Sorkin that idealistic about politics, or me? Because if it's me... not so much.

Overall, I'm not feeling the warm and fuzzies for the show. I'll give it some more chances to catch me but I'm not in fanlove right now.

[jerrymcl89.livejournal.com]

No, I meant Sorkin. And it's actually not that surprising, since he works in television, and not politics.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

That's probably a good point. We tend to be far more idealisting about things which capture our interest than in the professions where we toil to (let's be honest) make a buck.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

In what way was he idealistic about politics? He took a very strong stand. It seems he may be just as bigoted as the man he condemned. Seems more jaded and bullheaded than idealistic to me. Yet, I think I'm slightly in love with him...

As far as the whole show goes I was taken with it. Then again I loved Sports Night. The way I look at it they established three dimensions in a large number of characters in 60 minutes. That's rarely seen on televison these days and I'm glad to see it.

I can also see why it didn't grab eveyrone who watched it. I love Sorkin but I was never able to watch Wet Wing becuase the subject matter left me cold.

[meko00.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I've only seen the leaked pilot; don't know yet what they changed. That said, I had issues. I don't really mind the talkiness, as Sorkin's shows are all about the speedy talk (mostly performed by very good actors), less about the characters and/or plot, which is a good thing in this case, as the latter parts are cause for some concern. Perry, Busfield and Whitford know what they're doing... but I really hope the rest of it shapes up...

I fully agree on the drama as ballet thing, though. :-)

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Well, pilots are tricky. Some of my favorite shows only had so-so pilots so it's not like I'm saying "bleugh! n\No more!" On the other hand, it's not exactly a pilot that has me going "Yeah! Gotta get more of that."

I'm ambivalent.

I'm gonna give it another couple of episodes to kick in

[katelennon.livejournal.com]

But the reason for the breakup? Pat Robertson's 700 Club? I may have to love Sorkin for that. I'm a pretty hard core Christian, but Pat just squicks me out and bad girl that I am, I giggle that Sorkin is smacking Pat around. He sold out as far as I'm concerned. It's one thing to be broadcasting and trying to get the word out, it's quite another to appoint yourself the arbiter of all things.

Re: I'm gonna give it another couple of episodes to kick in

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

My mother happily refers to our family as heathens (though technically we aren't heathens.) I'm not religious, and I really don't care for Pat Robertson. But I tend to also feel uncomfortable with how prevalent Christian bashing is becoming. Not that some Christians don't deserve it, it's just a matter that people are beginning to generalize too much for my comfort.

[fishsanwitt]

I wasn't impressed with it and I *adore* 'Sports Night'.

It could be because I'm feeling so bad these days and nothing is holding my attention.

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

I think I like it. I've never watched any of Sorkin's other shows, though, so I have no preconceptions; and so far I like the actors more than their characters, so we'll have to see if they have their own personalities beyond who they're being portrayed by.

Matthew Perry is just good, though (ditto just about everyone else, really, although I found Peet distracting less for her teeth and more for her "my, she's a little... elegant to be a corporate sort, isn't she?" look... but I guess since the character was at a cocktail party, I suppose we'll have to see).

[mlgm.livejournal.com]

The entire time Brutus is on the screen, I'm thinking an American, especially an American actor would had those teeth fixed a long time ago.

Glad I'm not the only one distracted.