Watching Studio60

According to the More4 site, “B-12″ was the episode broadcast last night in the U.K.; it originally aired last November in the U.S. For those who want to read what was written about this episode when it was first broadcast, here are links to reviews, recaps and forum discussions on:

• Entertainment Weekly
• TV Squad
• Television Without Pity (recap)
• Television Without Pity (forum - R/O)
• Studio 60 Guide

To refresh your memory, “B-12″ is the one where everybody was getting sick and needed shots of the titular booster; Harriet couldn’t tell a joke; everybody did spit takes; Howie Mandel guested and participated in a Danny-led takeoff of Deal or No Deal; Corinne Bailey Rae sang; and, as shown in the YouTube video below, Jordan’s condition was revealed to be a little more delicate than everybody else’s.

Studio 60, NBC, B-12

Well, this hardly seems fair.

The DVD of D.L. Hughley’s HBO comedy special, Unapologetic, went on sale September 25, four days after it debuted on the pay cable network.

The DVD for Studio 60, on the other hand, won’t be available until October 16, about four months after its final episode.

Sure, season sets are more involved, but it seems like a whole lot of other shows have had their sets from last season drop already. I got my Brothers & Sisters DVD set in the mail this week, and I’m excited about that. Yet still, for Studio 60, we wait and wait. (Another 18 days, 10 hours and change, according to the countdown clock on this page).

Just feels, yet again, like Studio 60 fans are kind of an afterthought. I guess we should be glad we’re getting a DVD set at all. But I sure wish I had it to watch now. Or, better still, four days after it went off the air.

Studio 60, NBC, DVD, D.L. Hughley: Unapologetic

The new TV season is now under way, sadly without Studio 60 on the schedule. But there will be some familiar faces in the lineups. I’ve already mentioned Steven Weber making an appearance on Law and Order: SVU, and Sarah Paulson guest starring as Felicity Huffman’s sister on Desperate Housewives. Now, two more steady gigs for NBS grads:

• Ayda Field (above left), who played cast member Jeannie on S60, is a regular on the new Fox sit-com Back to You, starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. Field plays a character described on the show’s site as “Montana Diaz Herrera, the perky, sexy weather anchor.” Sounds like a character from a Studio 60 sketch. This show debuted last week, but I missed it. Did anybody catch it? What did you think? It’s on again tonight at 8 p.m.
• Kari Matchett (above right), who played the lawyer that I really thought for a long time was all in Matt’s imagination, will be checking in to ER in a couple of months playing a character described in a BuddyTV article as “Skye Wexler, a tough lady who works in the ER to fund her own world travels.” I am so far from the days when I could watch ER without wanting to throw something at the screen that I’ll just wish her well and move on.

Those who also like to keep up with other Sorkin alumni will want to tune into ABC tonight at 10 p.m. for the debut of Dirty Sexy Money with Peter Krause (Casey on Sports Night), which is getting promising reviews, and tomorrow at 10 p.m. for the debut of Big Shots with Joshua Malina (Jeremy on Sports Night), which is getting punishing reviews.

Are you seeing other S60 or Sorkin vets on the tube? Mention them in the comments.

Studio 60, NBC, Ayda Field, Kari Matchett, Peter Krause, Joshua Malina

Okay, I know that the ratings for the Studio 60 pilot didn’t reflect the ratings it ultimately had. I know that for many (misguided, hypercritical) viewers, the pilot was the high point of the series. And I know that the amount of hype S60 received pre-preview is far more than the new show in its timeslot has received.

Yet, I gotta say: Seeing these words on the TV Squad blog this morning made me really, really happy.

Journeyman must be a bit of a letdown for NBC, considering the Heroes lead-in. Ratings were down 26% from the Studio 60 premiere last season.

Good luck with that timeslot there, NBC. You can be pretty sure I won’t be watching anything there, unless Aaron Sorkin is foolish enough to sign on with you folks again.

Have you found any shows to pledge your allegiance to this season? I’m feeling a little burned at the moment, having loved both Studio 60 and John from Cincinnati and seen them trashed and dumped. Of existing shows, I’ll watch Brothers & Sisters, since I also blog about it for 451 Press. I’ll watch Grey’s Anatomy, providing they’re quick about getting Derek and Meredith back together and ending the abominable George and Izzie “romance.”

I might give Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money a spin, but they’ll have to grab me quick. There’s really no new show that I feel as excited about as Studio 60 last season, and we know how that turned out.

Do any of this season’s new shows look promising to you? Share your programming choices in the comments.

Last Monday I mentioned that Bradley Whitford was appearing on HGTV’s Living With Ed that night, and while I watched the show, I must admit that I nodded off before his segment was done (totally a reflection on the way allergy season was hitting me in the head with a hammer, and not on the show at all). Today, I noticed that the entire Whitford portion of the episode has been posted on YouTube, and now here as well for your viewing enjoyment.

The segment made me laugh out loud a few times, and I otherwise just really got a kick out of what a naturally funny guy Whitford seems to be. (Plus, something about Ed Begley Jr.’s blonde wife hanging around making sarcastic comments was giving me serious Josh-Donna flashbacks.) It’s worth the seven minutes it takes to play, anyway.

Studio 60, NBC, Bradley Whitford, Living With Ed, HGTV

Please excuse a momentary departure from “Missing Studio 60” territory into “Missing The West Wing Too,” but I was so excited to be watching the season finale of Burn Notice last night (DVR’d from Thursday) and seeing Richard Schiff — Toby! — as the mysterious bad guy.

That’s probably a spoiler to those who haven’t watched their DVR’d episode of Burn Notice yet. And to prevent further spoilage, I’ll put the rest of this after the break.

(more…)

If you’ve got HBO, you can see D.L. Hughley tonight at 10 p.m. (and, knowing HBO, endlessly thereafter) in an hour-long stand-up comedy special, D.L. Hughley: Unapologetic. According to HBO:

“Taped in front of a live audience in Washington, DC, D.L. Hughley: Unapologetic offers a full hour’s worth of all-new comedy material, focusing on such topics as the dangers of living in Washington, the qualifications of the 2008 presidential candidates, the current administration, immigration, Cuban refugees, airplane restrictions, the ‘n’ word, Don Imus and freedom of speech. And, of course, Hughley will spend some time ‘interacting’ with hapless audience members in the first row.”

Gotta love those quotes around “interacting,” don’t you? I’ve never seen a Hughley stand-up performance, but judging from most comedians, “interacting” here means “mocking and abusing.” Do people have to sign a waiver to sit in the front row? Do they do so knowingly? I prefer a dark table in the back.

You can watch a video excerpt from the special on the HBO site, and watch a video of one of the things Hughley’s unapologetic about — his comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team on the Tonight Show — in the YouTube selection below.

Personally, I wish I had a DVD already of Hughley’s work on Studio 60 to watch instead. Or that HBO would just keep running John from Cincinnati marathons. But that’s just me. Weird, but unapologetic.

_{Photo: HBO.com}

Studio 60, NBC, D.L. Hughley, HBO

According to the More4 site, “The Option Period” was the episode broadcast last night in the U.K.; it originally aired last November in the U.S. For those who want to read what was written about this episode when it was first broadcast, here are links to reviews, recaps and forum discussions on:

• Entertainment Weekly
• TV Squad
• Television Without Pity (recap)
• Studio 60 Guide

The YouTube video below actually has clips from several episodes, but the first one — in which Matt talks Harriet down from her idea of doing a lingerie magazine spread — is from “The Option Period.” And a very sweet scene it is, right down to the revolving cactus.

Studio 60, NBC, The Option Period

Today continues a recurring feature for this blog: brief profiles of Studio 60 cast members. I’m gathering these on a page for easy reference, but introducing them one at a time here.

Name: Steven Weber
S60 Role: NBS chairman Jack Rudolph
Birthdate: Born March 4, 1961 in Queens, New York
Stats: 6 feet 1 inch tall; married to second wife Juliette Hohnen since 1995; two children
Best Known As: Brian Hackett, brother to Tim Daly’s Joe on Wings
Other Notable Roles: Artist Sam Blue on Once and Again; the Jack Nicholson role in the TV remake of The Shining
Memorable Moment on YouTube: Death makes a sandwich
Sites to See: + IMDb listing + Wikipedia + The Huffington Post

What would you add to this list? Share your favorite Steven Weber roles and info in the comments.

_{Photo: NBC.com}

Studio 60, NBC, Steven Weber, Jack Rudolph

I saw this potential casting nightmare in a Liz Smith column this morning, and all I can say is, no. Just … no.

“Matthew Perry is said to be ‘attached’ to an NBC sitcom tentatively titled Occasional Wife, about a guy who persuades a young woman — ‘a wacky artist’ — to pretend to be his wife, the better for his career. … Some high-ups at NBC think Britney Spears has the right quality to play the free-spirited girl who helps Perry put over his charade.”

So apparently, by “free-spirited,” they mean “a complete train-wreck.” I’m not unsympathetic to Spears, and I hope that one day she will get the help she needs and be able to resume some sort of a career. But a sit-com? Now? With an actor I’d like to see stay on TV for more than one season? In a show that doesn’t turn his career into a train-wreck, too? No, no, no.

This sounds like a stunt somebody would pitch to Jordan, and she would dismiss it with a withering reply. May somebody in the NBC hierarchy have the good sense to do the same.

Studio 60, NBC, Matthew Perry, Britney Spears

Today continues a recurring feature for this blog: brief profiles of Studio 60 cast members. I’m be gathering these on a page for easy reference, but introducing them one at a time here.

Name: Matthew Perry
S60 Role: Writer Matt Albie
Birthdate: Born August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Stats: 6 feet 1 inch tall; son of actor John Bennett Perry
Best Known As: Chandler Bing on Friends
Other Notable Roles: Ron Clark in The Ron Clark Story (Emmy nominated); Joe Quincy on The West Wing (ditto); Bruce Willis’ foil in The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel.
Memorable Moment on YouTube: On his first day at the White House, Joe Quincy puts two and two together
Sites to See: + IMDb listing + Wikipedia + Everything Matthew Perry

What would you add to this list? Share your favorite Matthew Perry roles and info in the comments.

_{Photo: NBC.com}

Studio 60, NBC, Matthew Perry, Matt Albie

Bradley Whitford will appear on tonight’s edition of Living With Ed on HGTV at 10:30 p.m., and again tomorrow at 2:30 a.m. Set those TiVos!

The “reality green show” stars actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr., described by HGTV as “the greenest man in Tinsel Town,” and his wife, Rachelle. Here’s the description from the Living With Ed site for the Whitford portion of tonight’s episode, “West Wing Actor Sees Green”:

… Soon the time comes and the Begleys had to be on their way, they have Bradley Whitford stopping by their home. Ed and Rachelle are going to teach Bradley how to be green.

The Begleys get home and Bradley is there. Bradley and Ed have done a lot of work together in the past. Bradley enters the house and right away Ed begins to take him on a grand tour. Showing him the compact florescent lights, the energy star thermostat, his energy star dishwasher, and also his compost. Bradley is kind of shocked with how much Ed actually does to be green. Ed is overexcited to show Bradley everything he has; he even lets Bradley take a spin in his new electric truck.

Bradley was nice enough to even get Ed a brand new computer chair made up of 100 % recycled materials. Bradley feels deep down that Ed doesn’t really want to get rid of his old computer chair from the ‘70s, but he’s trying to persuade him that it’ll be OK.

Has anyone out there ever watched this show? I watch House Hunters on HGTV at 10 p.m. lots of times, but must never have hit it on a night when Ed’s holding forth.

_{Photo: HGTV.com}

Studio 60, NBC, Living With Ed, HGTV, Bradley Whitford

So it wasn’t exactly Studio 60’s night at the Emmy’s. The show’s one nominee, Thomas Schlamme for Direction of a Drama Series, lost to a director from The Sopranos. Matthew Perry, who was nominated not for S60 but for his title role in the TV movie The Ron Clark Story, lost to Robert Duvall in the miniseries Broken Trail. John Goodman, who probably would have been a presenter thanks to his Guest Actor win at the Creative Arts Emmys, was a no-show. (I read somewhere that he’s off filming Speed Racer and wasn’t at the Creative Arts awards either.)

And while 30 Rock’s Best Comedy win didn’t defeat any Studio 60 hopefuls, it still had to sting a little for those of us who took Sorkin’s side in the “two shows about backstage goings-on at a late-night comedy show” contest. (Though I have to say, I really enjoyed Tina Fey’s American Express commercials, in spite of myself. Maybe I will have to check out 30 Rock after all.)

Felicity Huffman was at the Emmys as part of the Desperate Housewives crowd, but every time I saw her walking the red carpet or presenting or smiling from the audience, I couldn’t help thinking of her line in the Studio 60 pilot about the “slutty dress.” Apparently, she couldn’t find anybody else to wear it, because she sure had it on last night. How do women sit for hours in dresses like that? Doesn’t the seat fabric itch against those bare backs? And if you slump at all, something’s going to fall out of that thing. I’d go with a nice turtleneck, myself.

A lot of that Emmy couture will wind up on the block at Clothes Off Our Back, the auction site founded by Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek to benefit children’s charities. Right now, there’s not much besides a couple of pairs of Sopranos shoes, but items will be added over the next week or so, and the auction runs through October 2. Maybe giving well is the best revenge?

Studio 60, NBC, Emmy awards

He’s been in every previous Aaron Sorkin production (most notably as Jeremy on Sports Night and Will on The West Wing), but Joshua Malina never did turn up on Studio 60, though I kept looking for him. So where the heck was he?

Interviewer John Kubicek asks that question for us in an article on Buddy TV. Here’s the portion of the interview, with questions in bold and Malina’s answers following.

“You also mentioned Aaron Sorkin earlier, and I think anyone who appreciates quality television knows that he is responsible for probably two of the greatest shows of the last 10 years, if not ever.

“My money, he is the guy, I don’t think it gets any better.

“Exactly. And now, you appeared in everything he did, but you didn’t show up in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. And I’m just wondering, why not?

“I know, and I’m terribly sad that a record is broken. It’s true, actually. It certainly wasn’t for lack of trying, to be perfectly candid, I lobbied him hard. But alas, no, I didn’t make it, I would’ve done a cross in the background.

“Just to keep it going.

“Yes, well, no. The truth is, actually, I don’t really care about the streak or the record or whatever. I actually love his writing, and we’re good friends, I couldn’t be more fond of him personally, so I want to be in everything he does, just because I think everything he does is great, so I want to be part of it one way or another. But I couldn’t wheedle my way onto this one.”

The rest of the interview is worth checking out for news on Malina’s new show, Big Shots; the fate of Celebrity Poker Showdown; and an idea on how ABC can atone for the death of Sports Night.

Studio 60, NBC, Joshua Malina

Today begins a recurring feature for this blog: brief profiles of Studio 60 cast members. I’m be gathering these on a page for easy reference, but introducing them one at a time here.

Name: Bradley Whitford
S60 Role: Producer Danny Tripp
Birthdate: Born October 10, 1959, in Madison, Wisconsin
Stats: 5 feet 11 inches tall; married to actress Jane Kaczmarek since 1992; three children
Best Known As: White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on The West Wing
Other Notable Roles: An unlucky father-to-be in the ER episode “Love’s Labors Lost”; if you have a daughter of a certain age, America Ferrara’s father in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; fund-raiser for autism research.
Memorable Moment on YouTube: He’s Da Man
Sites to See: + IMDb listing + Clothes Off Our Backs + Just Brad

What would you add to this list? Share your favorite Bradley Whitford roles and info in the comments.

_{Photo: NBC.com}

Studio 60, NBC, Bradley Whitford, Danny Tripp