Hiding Out in Studio 60

Jan 13, 03:08 AM

Studio 60's Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford

Aaron Sorkin’s popular and Emmy-winning political drama The West Wing shut its doors after seven seasons–a remarkable feat considering the general public’s usual ho-hum attitude about politics in general. Just the very fact that a drama set in the White House could attract a loyal audience and critical acclaim is a hopeful sign that maybe the general viewing public has an appetite for thought-provoking television that deals with issues that go beyond the usual will-they-won’t-they romantic dilemmas and bang-chase-action-cop-lawyer-doctor dramas that are broadcast season after season.

Yup, it was a good run. And I was a bona-fide fan. Hey, my favorite network is PBS, so you can count me among college-educated, lowercase L liberals who like to have their brains turned on when they flip on the groove tube.

Aaron Sorkin wowed me with The West Wing. Hey. Didn’t he also write the original stage-play-turned-motion-picture A Few Good Men? Who could forget, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”? Never was there a greater courtroom scene captured on film.

And how about The American President (that later became the template for The West Wing including many of its cast members) with Michael Douglas, Annette Bening and Martin Sheen who would later play President Bartlett? Aaron again.

See a pattern here? It only became obvious over a long period of time that I was an Aaron Sorkin devotee. I can’t think of another Hollywood writer whose work I’ve so admired as much as his (except for Sports Night which I’ve never watched).

So when it was announced that Aaron would be writing a new series for NBC called Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip –set in Hollywood behind the scenes of a fictitious live late-night skit show based squarely on the Saturday Night Live model–right away I was curious.

Bradley Whitford (previously on The West Wing), Matthew Perry (who also appeared for a few episodes) and Amanda Peet headline the ensemble cast. Studio 60 borrows the trademark style of The West Wing with the roving camera following the actors as they wander around the huge set, rapid-fire dialog and even the typography of the credits during the opening and closing minutes of the show. It has the same lush cinematography and dramatic lighting that gave The West Wing its cinematic quality.

I tuned into the premiere episode and watched the opening act as Judd Hirsch went on an extended tirade against big media business and the collapse of moral judgment in modern society on live television, reminiscent of the famous ‘Mad as hell’ scene from Network. This was good. Start the series with a bang. Of course, he gets fired as Studio 60’s producer, so I was sad to see that character go so quick.

It took a few episodes to warm up to the show and I’m glad I stuck with it (even though most of the audience fell sharply) because I love it now. I was cringing while thinking NBC would can it due to poor initial ratings. But the good folks there had the sense to show their support for this smart and funny comedy/drama. That shows that there may still be some intelligence amongst the suits of Hollywood.

Unfortunately, there has been some criticism about Sorkin’s preachiness. Too much high idealism and keenness to reach the summits of optimism that’s in sharp contrast to the cynicism of the real world. I suppose these nay-sayers would like the Hollywood writers to stick to smaller, more manageable issues like whether Pamela is going to keep Greg’s baby or if Nathalie will ever figure out what she really wants in a relationship or how naughty can those friends get in their risqué confabs over lattes in a Manhattan bistro.

It’s too bad that smart TV gets a bad rap for aiming at more left-brain audiences. I mean, how dare these shows portray politicians or Hollywood types acting nobly or honestly or finding common ground when the tendency is to be divided? This is commercial TV for heaven’s sake! If they want to talk about social or moral issues, do it on Sunday morning while the rest of us are sleeping in, not during prime time. We want more Gilmore Girls or Sex In the City or Grey’s Anatomy where the object is to be entertained, not to think.

The West Wing was a bright spot in television history when people did actually tune in to watch smart drama with plenty of humor. Of course, people did get tired of the ‘preachiness’ and Sorkin did leave the show halfway through. But it does show that there is hope for a program like Studio 60 to have its due time to grow an audience and prove that making good, intelligent programs can be profitable at the same time. It is a hidden gem whose charms and wit more people need to discover.