Actual funny skit on Studio 60

So far all the "skits" they've done and talked about on that show were
worse than anything SNL has ever done, obviously stuff written by
non-comedy writers who don't know how hard writing comedy is. But this

jem33...

Actually according to Entertainment Weekly, prior to writing the
episodes, Sorkin had hired comedy writer Mark McKinney, late of SNL
and Kids In The Hall (who's recently also appeared as an actor on the
show) to help write the comedy sketches, which doesn't make them any
funnier....

I've liked some of the shows, especially the first of the 2 with John
Goodman, but the comedy still isn't its strong suit, imho.

past episode they had a brief skit that I actually laughed out loud at:
Santa dropping in on NBC's to Catch a preditor. Very funny.

3finger...

The Steve Wynn joke was funny as well.

jem33...

I think I'm in the minority on this, based on postings I've seen, but
I didn't think it was very funny - just mildly amusing. Also it makes
no satirical sense, because Santa-down-the-chimney never meets up with
any kids. It would've been a more apt parody if it took place with a
Department Store Santa, but imagining the enactment of that does evoke
creepy imagery, and I understand why they didn't go there...

Bah, humbug...

I also admit Studio 60 itself has gotten way way better from its first
couple of episodes (which were terribly unfunny and pretentious). I
actually like the show way better than Heroes, which has become boring.

Rob Jensen...

This is IMO why fangeeks need to hold back a bit on the complaining
about first-year shows. Unless it's a show like Grey's Anatomy that
hits the ground running, they generally take anywhere from 6 to 11
episodes to really find their voices. Especially since the networks
often ask the networks to make the first 6 episodes of most shows to
essentially NOT move the show much beyond the initial formula so that
any new viewer can jump in at any time -- for most shows the first 6
episodes are basically, more or less, six pilots for the same show.

Now, we're seeing Studio 60 open up and start telling the stories
about these characters -- I loved, in particular, the casual,
throwaway reference in this week's episode to Tom and Simon being best
friends since high school (blink and you missed it). Danny finally
makes a play for Jordan even *when* she's 3 months pregnant with
another guy's child, thus finally turning Danny into a(n insane)
character rather than a plot device. And the wholesale clearing of
the writers' room, leaving us with Matt, Darius, Lucy and The Burnout
Guy helped narrow the cast of characters to a manageable level, where
we'll have these four to anchor the writers' bullpen aspect of the
show and *then* gradually bring in nameless extras to fill it out.

IMO, the show's *much* further along now than Invasion was at this
time last year. I just hope that NBC eventually has the smarts to 1)
renew it for a second season and 2) put it in an earlier timeslot
where it belongs, such as 9pm on Tuesdays or 8 or 9pm on Wednesdays.

-- Rob

...

If it's gotten better enough to be watchable it must have
improved about 1,000,000 percent. The "romance" angles have to
be the most forced and ludicrous and juvenile ones ever forced on
a TV audience in modern time.

robert underhill...

I agree with you on the Santa Claus skit, it was really funny. But why
the Bradley Whitford character would go with the Amanda Peet character
to the ob-gyn was so contrived they didn't even bother to find a pretext.

Rob Jensen...

Dude, Danny was already falling for her in previous episodes. They
didn't *need* to have Danny need a pretext.

Anim8rFSK...

Heck, didn't she ask him to go the Carribean or someplace with her in
their first meeting?

The pretense that there was

Bill Jonesi...

Didn't he have a wife in the premiere episode?

-- Rob -- adds, "Go Aztecs!"