If they cancel Studio 60 I'll go ballistic.

I DO watch TV (SO sorry everyone! kiss my grits..)but am picky...but I am in love with Aaron Sorkin's brain. It is such a breath of fresh air to listen to writing like that. I swear, if they touch a hair on Bradley Whitford's head, I'll fly to wherever they are and stick a five-inch heel up their collective asses. Intelligence is in short supply these days,and I'll take what I can get.

OH..and I will freely admit I have to now go edjumicate myself about Moliere (see? can't even spell his name!) and what that whole argument was about (17th century vs 15th? not sure?? Italian?? AAUGH!!--oh look, my brain is working!)

Brilliant.

(YES--I DO READ TOO. HUSH.)

He did some really great satire. In fact, my school is doing an updated version of his play "Tartuffe" -- set in Texas, with a Rove-inspired right-wing fundamentalist as the title character.

Speaking of which, SNL (and the Monty Pythons too) used to do skits which assumed the viewers knew about history, literature, and philosophy (Steve Martin in the "Vandals" skit, and the Pythons' "Philosophers Song", for example). I miss that. And I'm glad that Studio 60 is reminding people about what things used to be like.

I can't help but think, if only SNL had writers like Matthew Perry's character... But yeah it's a great show and I hope it sticks around for a while too

What is wrong with being challenged now and then? The people that don't understand will let it fly over their heads and not care or do a little reasearch and be gratified later. The people that do catch it will be rolling about on the floor.

BTW, now that the playoffs have started I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes from WW. John Hoynes:

"I think Americans like to savor situations: "One down, bottom of the 9th, one run game, first and third, left-handed batter, right hand reliever, infield at double play depth. Here's the pitch ..."

"Scoring in hockey - it seems to come out of nowhere! "Lepetia passes to Huckenchuck, who skates past the blue line .. Huckenchuck, of course, was traded from Winnepeg for a case of Labatts after sitting out the last season with -- Oh my God, he scores!"

And speaking of sports, is anyone here a fan of Sorkin's earlier work, Sports Night?

It wasn't quite as high-brow as West Wing,but there was a running undertone of great comedy that just kept you coming back. I actually thought the character development was better than some I've seen from him since. In other words, simpler but very well done.

We'll be the very model of a modern network TV show
Each time that we walk into this august and famous studio
We're starting out from scratch after a run of twenty years or so
And we hope that you don't mind that our producer was caught doing blow

They hope that you don't mind that their producer was caught doing blow
They hope that you don't mind that their producer was caught doing blow
They hope that you don't mind that their producer was caught doing mounds of blow

Yes it's hard to be a player when at heart you've always had a hunch
To bite the hand that feeds you is a scary way of doing lunch
But still when we walk in to this august and famous studio
We'll be the very model of a modern network TV show

But still when they walk into this august and famous studio
They'll be the very model of a modern network TV show

I am a Christian tried and true baptised at age eleven so
Unlike the liberals, gays, and Jews I'm going straight to heaven
But if you feel you've been cheated and our sordid content lets you down
We'll happily do the favour of an intellectual reacharound

They'll happily do the favour of an intellectual reacharound
They'll happily do the favour of an intellectual reacharound
They'll happily do the favour of a hundred dollar hooker's reacharound

That wasn't the same thing we said…

They'll happily do the favour of a verbal euphemistic reacharound

We know the Evangelicals are lining up to tag our toe
And then the corporations will not hesitate to pull their dough
But still when we walk into this august and famous studio
We'll be the very model of a modern network TV show

But still when they walk into this august and famous studio
They'll be the very model of a modern network TV show
But still when they walk into this august and famous studio
They'll be the very model of a modern network TV show

I just KNEW it was gonna be Gilbert & Sullivan. We fell off the couch.

our english teacher made us memorize the first verse to the Major General's Song. It was kinda fun. Like rapping before rap even existed.


I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.

I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies,
I know the croaking chorus from The Frogs of Aristophanes!
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore,
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.
Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,
And tell you ev'ry detail of Caractacus' uniform:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.

In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery—
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy—
You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a-gee.
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;
But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.

Husband loves this; but he has a hard time with big words,bless his heart. I am SO gonna get him with this!!
That jibe on himself about Pinafore is hilarious.

A British tar is a soaring soul
As free as a mountain bird
His energetic fist should be ready to resist
A dictatorial word
His nose should pant and his lip should curl
His cheeks should flame and his brow should furl
His bosom should heave and his heart should glow
And his fist be ever ready for a knock-down blow

His eyes should flash with an inborn fire
His brow with scorn be wrung
He never should bow down to a domineering frown
Or the tang of a tyrant tongue
His foot should stamp and his throat should growl
His hair should curl and his face should scowl
His eyes should flash and his breast protrude
And this should be his customary attitude

Absolutely bawdy.

when someone above mentioned the play, I felt dumb, 'cause I know the play...ah well, some of us have ADD and an English Professor mother that I didn't always pay attention to.
Off I go to re-read the play..............

Unfortunately for me, my husband also agrees.

If I have to hear him declare his love for Aaron Sorkin's writing one more time when I'm trying to LISTEN TO THE DAMN SHOW I'm going to scream. it's cool to love Studio 60 and all things Sorkin but is it really too much to ask to not vocalize it until a $%*&@! commercial?

:eyes:

My husband does the EXACT SAME THING.
We should stick them in a room together with the next episode and see what happens.

as expected. The odd part has to be the "30 Rock" cast is now not only faced with doing yet another show about the backstage of SNL but they are going to be compared to Studio60 without fail.

I don't see it happening.

That's one difference between the two.

But I agree...if "30 Rock" is going to be compared to the best new show of the season, then they will come up wanting.

Alec Baldwin running into Tina Fey backstage: "So when do I get to meet him?"

"Who?"

"Aaron Sorkin."

"No, that's the other show."

"There's another show? This is the one with Amanda Peet, right?"

"No."

Shot of Baldwin with mouth hanging open, thinking, "She's kidding, right?"

and then Tina Fey cracks that smile...i laughed hard over that one.

The ratings are low overall, but they're high in the one demographic that the advertisers crave most.

Not surprisingly, it's doing the best with 18-49 year olds who are upper-middle class. That means spending power and disposable income.

Plus, I've heard that NBC will be cool with it even if the ratings fall a little bit more...as long as that one demo stays where it is.

Networks yank a program so fast these days it scared me.

NBC is banking that the show picks up a couple of Emmys, or Globes, regardles of ratings in the first season.

"WW cast taking a break on the SNL set" I will be furious and completely give up on NBC - and that means I'll just have to forgo Medium (the only other show I watch on NBC).

I love this show. To finally have that razor sharp writing back is a godsend.

as it was "ended." Pretty much everyone on the show agreed that it was time to move on. NBC didn't cancel it against their wishes.

after Season 4.

John Wells is a wanker.

Edited to invite Huskerlaw to my "I Hate John Wells Because He's Such A Hack" party.

were sorta forced out of their positions. Someone wasn't too happy when Sorkin was caught with cocaine. Hence all the drug jokes thus far on Studio 60.

And you know I'm always willing to join an "I Hate John Wells" party. What a wanker.

I am loving the new show! I'm shocked the Matthew Perry is doing so well.