"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"

If it had been written by Paddy Chayefsky, this could've been a
knockout show. But it wasn't. Instead it was written by a would-be
Chayefsky, which made this a would-be great show. What's lacking in
this show is 'bite'. What it resorts to is more like nibbles or
pinches than any real sting to its delivery. Consider this a
warm-and-fuzzy version of Chayefsky's "Network". It was alright and

Steven L....

"Network" was rated R; and so something with that much "bite" couldn't
be shown in network prime time.

I'm inclined to give it another shot or two to see where it's really
going. Matthew Perry was actually watchable in this one in a way I
couldn't stomach him or any other member of the Friends cast, so right
there there's some hope for the show on that basis alone.

Jorabi...

Loved it. But I was thinking about family and friends that aren't
as into TV as I. They will not want to work hard to understand
things that come naturally to me and other RAT'ers. We've been
here before, so I fear it won't last very long.

Jeffy3...

I read in one review something that hadn't occurred to me: how can you
have a live late night show out of Los Angeles? It would air at 2:30
in the morning on the east coast!

Anim8rFSK...

Who says it was filmed late? They were shooting it while the awards
dinner was going on, which would make it maybe 8:30pm LA time which
would be 11:30pm NY time. Still after dark in LA.

Jeffy3...

In the second episode, didn't they confirm that the show airs live at
11:30 ?

Anim8rFSK...

Yeah, but I think that HAS to be New York time they're referring to.

Richard Evans...

I don't think so. If you are in Pacific time zone, and say to someone
in the same zone: "Tune in Friday at 11:30" (which is the context in
which it was mentioned) it wouldn't make sense to be referring to
Eastern time.

jayembee...

Except that she wasn't really saying it "to someone in the same zone",
she said it to reporters who would be broadcasting that press
conference live all across the country. And I'd argue that she wasn't
even saying it to the reporters there, but to the people around the
country watching the press conference.

And if people on the West Coast see the show via tape-delay rather
than live, then even *they* would be seeing the show at 11:30.

Barry Margolin...

West coast viewers don't see the live show. It's broadcast live to the
east coast, and the tape is broadcast 3 hours later for the west coast,
so they see it at 11:30 their time.

Jeffy3...

BINGO! We have our answer. So obvious yet never thought of it!

Obveeus...

...and as time fold in upon itself, the cast is able to sit around at the
wrapup party and watch themselves performing live on TV. ;-)

The only exceptions to this rule are sports and awards shows, which are
scheduled to be in prime time in the east and seen earlier on the west,
and the occasional live episode of episodic shows, where they actually
do separate performances for each coast.

jayembee...

I'm sure it is. Especially given that the title of the fourth episode
is "The West Coast Delay". To be honest, I've never thought about it,
but isn't that what SNL does? Use a tape-delay broadcast rather than
have it go out at 8:30 PT?

It's a problem brought about by setting the show in LA rather than NY,
but to try and clarify it on-screen would probably require needless
exposition.

Jeffy3...

I thought it was just okay. A couple of good laughs, and Matthew Perry
is good. I certainly wouldn't write the show off based on one episode,
as there is too much going on and too many characters. What I didn't
like: Amanda Peet's acting was terrible. The photography was too much

Hunter Rose...

Uh, Moira Kelly, playing Mandy?

like the West Wing. Too dark. It was also unfortunate to put Bradley
Whitford's character in a shirt and tie for the whole movie...it looked
like his West Wing character was just dropped into a new show. That
was a major distraction for me.

Grade: 6.5 out of 10

altec3220...

*slow clap*

And WG keeps 'em coming.

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" - Umm...