Customer Reviews

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - The Complete Series [DVD]

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this review I will frequently refer to 'Aaron Sorkin'. Sorkin is the writer/creator of this show, and he also wrote the mega-hit 'The West Wing'

Firstly if you liked 'Sports Night' or 'The West Wing' then this is an essential purchase.

Aaron Sorkin is in my opinion the best writer in the world and he proves it again with this show. The dialogue is witty, back-and-forth and yet somehow always seems real. Sorkin has an uncanny ability to throw out one-liners and insert jokes into a script, and it doesn't seem forced. I'm sure we have all seen shows where the characters interact with each other through a series of one-liners and the show seems fake because of it.

Sorkin always makes you believe that you are behind the scenes, watching regular people doing an extraordinary job. This is evidenced here.

The acting is superb, Perry is a revelation. Whitford and Peet are their normal brilliant selves, and Steven Weber's performances were a very welcome surprise. Hard to believe he was the same actor who played the ir-responsible brother on 'Wings'. All of Sorkin's shows are superbly acted and this is another example.

On top of an incredible core cast, there are an array of guest stars. Judd Hirsch, Allison Janney, Sting & Jason Alexander to name but a few.

Honestly up until this point, i'm sure it sounds like a perfect show - but there is a problem.

Matt (Perry's character) is sold to the audience as the best writer in Hollywood. He is the funniest guy in America and the only person who can save an ailing sketch show from being cancelled. He takes over the show along with his best friend and producer Danny Tripp(Whitford).

This was big news and there is a lot of pressure on their shoulders to prove that they are deserving of the praise being given to them.

This is an excellent premise for a show, and is something different. Up until this point the show is a 5 star television classic.

Now onto the major flaw I mentioned in the title, this is such a big flaw that IMO it is the reason the show got cancelled.

The sketches we see are painfully unfunny and quite frankly it shatters the entire illusion of the show. There are episodes where you watch 40 minutes of a great writer preparing this brilliant sketch, then when you see it performed at the end of the episode.... To call it underwhelming is to be kind.

As I said it shatters the entire illusion. When you watch 'The West Wing' you believe that you are watching the most powerful man in the world struggling with decisions that can affect the course of history. It is 100% believable. Now imagine if in every episode The President ultimately made the wrong decisions at the end.

That is what Studio 60 is like, instead of feeling like you are watching a comic genius constructing a piece of comic art, you feel you are watching a hack who has an undeserved reputation.

This is such a shame, because everything else about the show is so very good. The worst part is that i'm sure by hiring one or two writers with history of writing a sketch show, that this could have been easily avoided.

Here is another problem, although it isn't that big of a deal. Sometimes Sorkin takes the situations way too seriously. Sometimes I felt like yelling at the screen that they only work at a comedy show. You'd think you were watching the West Wing sometimes, they take it so seriously.

Matt Albi honestly thinks that he has a duty to the American public to make them laugh and to help them through their tough times etc it is at times ridiculous.

I know I have spent a lot of time criticising Studio 60, but I do love the show. It was brilliant and didn't deserve to be cancelled. It should have been allowed the chance to mature, very few shows hit the ground running.

I recommend this show to anybody - especially Sorkin fans, but sometimes the show has believability issues.

Nevertheless this was the best show on tv in 2006, and it's a damn shame we'll never see any more.

I'd just like to add that Sorkin knew that the show was cancelled, and as such there is a fitting finale, everything is resolved. You won't be left on a cliff-hanger or anything, as is sadly so often the case with other cancelled dramas.

I'll be honest, i was concerned that this would be another forgettable series of fake one liners and pointless story lines but...well....i was suprised. This show was acted out brilliantly by all he characters and the chemistry between them is amazing. Yet again though they cancel a show because it's not broad enough and doesnt appeal to the masses who would prefer to watch a fake painted backdrop and faceless characters batting forgettable one liners between one another. This show did make you feel you were getting a privliged behind the scenes view of a sketch show. I love how the writing was quick back and forth that at times seems ad-libded and the performance of Matthew Perry is fantastic (Chandler Bing is dead) I hope that the networks see sense and relaunch the show because seriously, how can a show like Will & Grace go on for a long as it did???? it still baffles me.

If, like me you were a fan of the West Wing you will love this show! The writing is fast paced and the storylines are gripping; much the same as the west wing. The humour is sometimes a little too fast paced and you may miss it but will howl even more on repeat viewings. Watch out for cameos from some of Aaron Sorkin's previous shows and appearances from other great guest stars.

The main cast are simply excellent. This is Mathew Perry's best performance since Chandler, and Bradley Whitford's performance, although playing a similar character to Josh Lyman in the West Wing is also superb. That is to take nothing away from the other main cast members who have great chemistry throughout.

The only negatve comment about this show it that this is the one and only series. The storylines that Sorkin and co were developing needed much longer to flesh out, but on the whole, great viewing. I look forward to Sorkin's next project!

Brilliantly written, but flawed. The characters are well drawn and interact extremely well. The dialogue is intelligent, thought provoking, fast and snappy. However the problem lies in the storytelling and the pace of the show. It just doesn't move fast enough and the story arcs don't grip you. There just isn't anything on the screen for you to invest in! It's worth watching, don't get me wrong, but it's not a 5 star show...... in fact it's not even close.

For those of you wondering why it was canceled..... It came down to cost and ratings. NBC committed to the show before a script was even in place and paid a huge amount of money to Warner Brothers so that the show would air on NBC.

As for the ratings, well they sucked and unfortunately it wasn't down to bad scheduling. NBC had the show airing at 10pm Mondays with Heroes as it's lead in. At the time heroes was drawing upwards of 15 million viewers, so the show had no excuses when it lost 60% of it's lead in audience. Granted the shows were not compatible, but what show would of worked with Studio 60?

Aaron Sorkin is in the news again in 2012 with his latest TV show, The Newsroom, which made me dig out my DVD of Studio 60, a far superior show in my opinion. Sorkin is renowned for his snappy dialogue but also for his preachy smart alec characters. Whether you find them fascinating and charming, or irritating and in need of a slap depends on your affection for Sorkin's style.

The series is set behind the scenes on a Saturday night topical comedy sketch show, and begins with a terrific pilot featuring Judd Hirsch as head writer Wes, who has a meltdown live on air, leading to the arrival of Matt and Danny, Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitfield, the stars of the show, to take over. The show covers the writers and actors at work, and also network execs Amanda Peet, trying a little too hard to be smart and witty, and the always terrific Steven Weber.

Studio 60 only lasted one season, and watching, it is pretty clear everyone knew the writing was on the wall, as things go downhill and increasingly melodramatic as the series concludes. Bradley Whitfield as Danny is almost indistinguishable from The West Wing's Josh Lyman, and is probably the most guilty of unbearable smugness. Also, suddenly making Danny madly in love with Amanda Peet's Jordan and ever more ridiculously having her reciprocate was a big misstep. The pregnancy drama of the final few episodes was just cliched and lazy. Peet is rather annoyingly perky, Whitfield so laid back, he looks half asleep at times.

Next problem, the show within the show simply is not funny, and the supposed Big Three - Sarah Paulson as Harriet Hayes, Matt's on again, off again girlfriend, Nate Torrence as Tom and DL Hughley as Simon - just don't convince as tv sketch stars. Paulson comes off best by far, her impressions are pretty good and she is funny. I found the two guys totally unfunny in ANY of the paper thin sketches we saw during the series. The melodramatic story about the kidnapping of Tom's airman brother in Iraq that ends the series is manipulative and tired. Simon's storylines are by far the weakest element for me. His patronising attitude made him top of my 'needs a slap' list.
Hardly any of the sketches or jokes are actually funny, and just being TOLD something is funny doesn't work.

Sounds like I hate the show? No, not at all! There is a lot to like, and as with most Sorkin shows, it is ambitious and that is to be applauded. A huge cast of superb supporting actors like Timothy Busfield amd Merrit Weaver, always clever dialogue that only occasionally patronizes (although it never fails to ram down our throats how intelligent the characters are. ) There are great guest stars like John Goodman, Christine Lahti, Ed Asner, Allison Janney in probably the last decent episode, The Disaster Show, which is actually a very funny one.

One thing I liked a lot was the Matt/Harriet relationship. I know not everyone liked the endless back and forth, but Paulson and Perry spark off each other well, and I genuinely rooted for them. Sarah Paulson in particular really stands out. Very funny Juliette Lewis and Holly Hunter impressions, Nancy Grace sketches, and I wanted to see that Dolphin Girl sketch! Paulson is a fine actress, usually in serious drama, but shows a flair for comedy here. Matthew Perry is quite Chandler-esque, but his self deprecating charming manner is appealing while also infuriating. But really? He's the only one who can write and is such a genius? Not quite so convincing!

Steven Weber is another huge reason to watch the show. His character Jack manges to be a corporate ass, but also a man of principle; tough and a bit of a bully, but somehow still likeable, even when forced into a stupid over-long sequence with the charmless DL Hughley in the last couple of episodes.

Something you can't miss is the class of this series. The set is amazing, a huge construction that allows the cameras to swoop around following characters as they walk from the stage to the dressing rooms. Sorkin loves his walk-and-talks, and the money is certainly up there on the screen, with this great - and extensive - cast, amazing camera moves, musical guests and guest hosts like Sting, Rob Reiner, Corrinne Bailey Rae and Lauren Graham. It is fast, frantic, smart and classy. The problems that arose were largely later in the run, had everyone lost heart a bit by then? Did they revert to melodrama and cliche and tired romance storylines just because it was easier?

Studio 60 launched the same month as Tina Fey's 30 Rock. Studio 60 lasted one season, 30 Rock is about to wrap after seven years. While Tina Fey thinks of how to wind up her hit showand counts her awards, Sorkin has scooped an Oscar for The Social Network and launched The Newsroom (to a fair amount of critical mauling, totally justified in my opinion for its obnoxious self importance and pomposity.) I'm guessing Sorkin is happy enough with how things turned out for him, but Studio 60 was a good show, just never funny enough for a comedy.

I put off watching this for a while, partly because I knew it was going to be cancelled by the time it was shown in the UK, and also as a big fan of the "West Wing" didn't want my illusions shattered. However when a friend bought me the box set (as a thank you for turning her on to "The West Wing"!!)I sat down and watched.

It is wonderful. Great script, wonderful sets, terrific acting and, contrary to what some people say, very, very funny at times (heart wrenching at others, so be prepared).It is, above all, intelligent, and doesn't compromise in its views of TV, the networks, Hollywood, politics etc.

The big surprise for me was Sarah Paulson; what a range she covers, and her impersonations of Holly Hunter and Juliette Lewis are spot-on and hilarious, never mind "Dolphin Girl"...It was also good to see fellow Brit Lucy Davis in a sizeable role.

So, watch if you like intelligent, witty, well written TV. Oh, and a plague and a thousand curses on those who cancelled it...

Addiction to West wing withdrawal symptoms set in, and my daughter recommended this series to me which was very much love at first sight. I am so sad that the series never made it from season 1 to season 2. I would happily have watched for years to come and am very relieved it had a happy ending to round it up. Lovely ladies, brilliant sharp clever and lovely, and fine performances from the leading men too. Sorkin appears to use the same actors in his TV series, so there are cameo roles for many old friends here.
I shall watch it again and again when life is gloomy and dull and I need something to cheer me up. The trouble is, one just never wants to stop watching and have to be cruel to be kind and go to bed as usual and not stay for just one more episode.

I recently wrote a review of Sorkin's first TV Show, Sports Night and reflected it against his giant of a work, The West Wing and find myself having to do the same here.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was Sorkin's first TV work after leaving The West Wing after the 4th season. He once again uses actors that have appeared in his previous works; both Matthew Perry (known for his Chandler Bing character in Friends) appeared in 3 episodes of The West Wing and Bradley Whitford, surely best known as Joshua Lyman in the same series. Timothy Busfield, aka Danny Concannon, the news reporter in the West Wing, appears in every episode of Studio 60. It's clear that the band of actors that Sorkin uses, appreciates his abilities to get the best from them, as he clearly helps many of them push the envelope. He does so here with Perry, who brushes off both the Chandler character and indeed Perry's lack of movie success with a strong performance which earned him much deserved accolade and indeed a Satellite Awards nomination for Outstanding Actor in 2006. Whitford, who in my opinion, was outstanding in The West Wing and performs here without breaking a sweat and still manages to remain a class above most (if not almost all) of TV actors in any reoccurring TV series, past or present.

The show like most of what Sorkin does and does well, goes behind the scenes of a fictitious network, NBS and a comedy sketch show, Studio 60. It's obvious that Sorkin likes to go behind the scenes, given that he does the same in Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 and his new potential masterpiece, The Newsroom.

Sorkin is a idealist and I love him for it, but it fails to ignite in Studio 60, despite it being a watchable and highly likeable series. It failed to impress on the viewing figures and was canned after one season. As with much of what passes as success on American TV, it's suggested that both ratings and cost brought about the demise of Studio 60.

However, I suspect that part of the lack of success of the show was due to the unrealistic nature of what really goes on behind the scenes of a comedy sketch show. I read somewhere that a cast member of the real comedy sketch TV Show, Saturday Night Live, wrote that it would be impossible to actually show what goes on behind the scenes of a comedy sketch series and I do feel that whilst the show is entertaining, you don't leave it feeling as if you have been enlightened. I concur with the view that the major flaw of the show, is that the premise is that Perry's character, Matt, has been drafted in, along with Whittford (Danny Tripp) to save the show; he is apparently the best writer in Hollywood. Why then, are the sketches you see on the show, not at all funny. Perhaps with alternate view of the show, this could have been a cross between what it is and The Larry Sanders Show.

The dialogue, as you'd expect from Sorkin, is fast paced and whilst not on a par with The West Wing, is still intelligent and stylish. I'm not sure where the show would or could have gone with a second season, but I am pleased that the series was produced at all.

I feel for Sorkin, given that everything he does is going to be compared to The West Wing and for good reason; its brilliance is that it remains with you and inspires you to want to know things about, in my case, a political system that doesn't directly affect me. The West Wing changed my life and whilst I am grateful for Studio 60, primarily for Whitford and I'm pleased to see see Perry in good form, I long to be inspired by a TV series and I feel Sorkin is more likely to do that than almost anyone else. I'm hopeful that The Newsroom may just be current enough to be the next big thing.

One of the finest, well written pieces of television in the last few years.

The writing is sharp to the point of it being cutting. The characters are well written and not one dimensional. You feel at times that you are watching a 'behind the scenes' featurette rather than a actual television series.

While Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford are supposed to be the headline actors, its the strengh in depth of the cast that make the show, from Timothy Busfield (the west wing) through to Steven Weber (Wings), the cast really give some terrific performances.

Its unconventional, intelligent and youll be left wanting more.

A feat too rare in television nowadays.

This is a heavily underrated US TV show. Studio 60 is an enjoyable series with the likes of Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford as the starring roles. If you enjoyed the West Wing then this is one for you. Aaron Sorkin is a great writer and it shows in the storylines and bombshells that happen throughout. Unfortunately the show was cancelled but fortunately Sorkin knew this and the finale ends with everything being tied up nicely. A great watch for anyone that enjoys US dramas and sitcoms.