The birth of the next great TV show

Not sure if you saw that the new TV season officially started on Sunday night. For me, it started with a bang with the new show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (a title I will screw up again and again).

The show, if you missed it, is by the same producer as Sports Night (very underrated) and The West Wing (very overrated). It is about the backstage people and personalities on an LA-based live comedy show like Saturday Night Live.

Yesterday's pilot episode started off amazingly. Without a real introduction of characters...just immediate drama as the show's executive producer (Judd Hirsch) has found out that one of that night's sketches has to be removed as the network rep from Standards and Practices believes it is too offensive. As the show begins, he hijacks the show mid-skit, and talks directly to TV and live audience advising them to change the channel and watch something else. This leads into a lengthy diatribe about what is wrong with TV. Talking about that they are only trying to appeal to 12 year old boys ("and not even smart 12 year old boys"). It was a scene reminiscent of the film Network. I found it on youtube almost a week after I originally posted this entry. If you did not watch the show, I suggest checking out the clip below.




The remainder of the show revolves around the new head of the network Jordan McDeere (played surprisingly well by Amanda Peet) and her insisting on hiring back Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Trip (Bradley Whitford) to take over the show.

This show moves fast and is not for stupid people. However, in my humble opinion, if there is a better show produced this season...I would be shocked.

J-Mac and I spent the weekend with my three year old niece Courtney who was staying with us. If you know anything about three year olds, you know this was an exhausting weekend. We drove her back to my sister's place on Sunday and despite playing golf in Angus, Ontario and having a great steak dinner in Thornton, Ontario...my whole aim was to get back home in time to watch Studio 60 at Sunset Strip. However, J-Mac wanted to watch Denzel Washington in the Spike Lee film Inside Man. I rented it on Friday but we were too exhausted on both Friday night and Saturday night to watch it. I suggested we watch it tonight (after Prison Break, of course) and simply pay the late charges. All part of my plan to watch Studio 60.

Yes, I know what you are thinking and you're right. I do need to get out more. And what's worse, the first sentance of this actual paragraph is a reference to Magnum PI that pretty much only I would find amusing. Further proof that I need to get out more.

Top 5 Denzel Washington films
1. Malcolm X
2. Remember The Titans
3. Glory
4. Devil In A Blue Dress
5. The Mighty Quinn