Watching Studio60

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 8, “Thespis,” which originally aired on November 17, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “The ghost of Thespis is running amok on the set as a nervous Dana practices defrosting a Thanksgiving turkey on the show’s set lights, and the gang experiences other troubles.” Those troubles, which certainly deserve a mention, include Isaac’s daughter having an emergency C-section and Casey not remembering the anniversary of his first show with Dan. Best of all, though, is the frequent opportunity Jeremy has to show his impressive mastery of obscure factoids, in this case of gods and ghosts.

Cue up your DVD and watch this episode with me tonight, and come back during the week for a review, recap, and memorable lines.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Sports Night, ABC, Thespis

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 7, “Dear Louise … ,” which originally aired on November 10, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “While Jeremy drops a line to his sister about his job, Dan smashes into writer’s block, Isaac endures his daughter’s new boyfriend and Natalie indulges Jeremy with a kiss.”

Well, technically, I think Jeremy was done with that letter to his sister when Natalie kissed him, and what was really memorable about Dan’s writer’s block was the way Natalie tried to shock him out of it, but whatever.

Cue up your DVD and watch this episode with me tonight, and come back during the week for a review, recap, and memorable lines.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Sports Night, ABC, Dear Louise

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 6, “The Head Coach, Dinner and the Morning Mail,” which originally aired on October 27, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “Casey lashes out at a head coach over a decision, and Jeremy tries to shield Natalie from the hate mail she starts receiving, which leads to a disastrous first-date dinner.” Well, “disastrous” in the sense of “totally heart-tugging and sweet.” The total adorableness of Sleep Deprivation Jeremy in this one is pretty hard to deny.

Cue up your DVD and watch this episode with me tonight, and come back during the week for a review, recap, and memorable lines.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Sports Night, ABC, The Head Coach Dinner and the Morning Mail

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 5, “Mary Pat Shelby,” which originally aired on October 20, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “A disreputable football star guests on the show, which is a big boost, but he ‘reveals’ too much and goes after Natalie in a pre-interview. She later struggles over legal options, and Dana decides to cancel the piece.” Wow, is that a dull and hoaky description for an episode that is one of the series’ most powerful. How much do I love whoever wrote that box copy right now? Not much.

Cue up your DVD and watch this episode with me tonight, and come back during the week for a review, recap, and memorable lines.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Sports Night, ABC, Mary Pat Shelby

Well, this is exciting news, especially as we’ve just embarked on a re-viewing of all those old episodes: Shout! Factory, known for feature-packed sets of TV cult classics, is coming out with a 10th anniversary edition of Sports Night. It’s sure to be an improvement over the old set, which had zero special features. Here’s what we can expect, according to a press release on the TV Shows on DVD site:

“Marking 10 years after Sports Night’s initial premiere on network television, the multiple award-winning cast and creative team come together for the first time on DVD when Shout! Factory presents Sports Night: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition DVD box set on September 30, 2008. Offering the first comprehensive Sports Night experience ever, the 8-DVD collector’s box set contains all 45 acclaimed episodes, a special 10th Anniversary book, and 2 full discs of exclusive bonus features that reveal the genesis, life and afterlife of the series with all-new interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, gag reels, deleted scenes, and commentaries featuring the principal cast and creative team. You don’t have to know sports to enjoy Sports Night. The collectable 10th Anniversary Edition of Sport Night: The Complete Series DVD box set is priced to own at $69.99.”

Well, I’m excited about all the goodies. I’ve got to think those commentaries are going to be pretty hilarious, and there are some good deleted scenes that have never seen the light of a TV screen. I wish it didn’t cost so much, especially to essentially replace something we already own, but I suppose they know there’s no way we’re not going to want this regardless. I’ll be finding a way to justify the cost to myself. How ’bout you?

Sports Night, ABC, DVD

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 4, “Intellectual Property,” which originally aired on October 13, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “While Dan painfully learns that ‘Happy Birthday’ is a copyright-protected song, Casey is vexed by Dana’s new romance, and the studio’s relentless resident fly.” Maybe an imaginary relentless resident fly. Or, maybe not.

Cue up your DVD and watch this episode with me tonight, and come back during the week for a review, recap, and memorable lines.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Sports Night, ABC, Intellectual Property

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 3, “The Hungry and the Hunted,” which originally aired on October 6, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “Jeremy struggles with his principles when his first big break is a segment about hunting. Meanwhile, jealousy rules when Casey sees a stunning Dana on a date to a formal party.” Or, as I always think of it, “the one with the deer.”

Cue up your DVD and watch this episode with me tonight, and come back during the week for a review, recap, and memorable lines.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Sports Night, ABC, The Hungry and the Hunted

Our Sports Night marathon continues tonight with Episode 2, “The Apology,” which originally aired on September 29, 1998.

The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “A breaking magazine interview reveals Dan’s support for the legalization of marijuana, and network top dogs look for an on-air apology. Natalie outs her feelings for Jeremy, who struggles to get a highlight piece just right.”

We will be watching these, of course, on our old DVD sets, of the sort I photographed for these blog entries. That was the set that came out in 2002, a few years after the show’s demise, for fans who were so desperate to be able to visit their Sports Night friends agan that they were willing to pay considerable money for the episodes and nothing but.

For years, that’s been all that’s available — but it looks like there may be a 10th anniversary set in the offing with the extras we should have had before. And also with a lack of technical glitches, which apparently were common in those early sets, though I always just blamed mine on my DVD player.

It will be interesting to see what they come up with in the way of extras if this set actually materializes. I’d hope for at least an Aaron Sorkin commentary on some episodes, and it would be great to get the cast together again for either commentary or appreciation. What would like to see in those extras? And will you shell out for another set if you’ve got one already? Share in the comments.

Anybody out there still following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday marathon? We’re at the end now, at that glorious finale that tied up all the loose ends and sent us away sad but satisfied. That would be “What Kind of Day Has It Been,” which first aired on June 28, 2007, and was directed by Danny Tripp himself, Bradley Whitford.

When I first saw this episode, almost a year ago, I went into fearing the worst — worried that Sorkin would, understandably, end things in the most negative and depressed way possible, with Jordan dead, Danny losing custody of the baby, Tom’s brother killed in a way that makes those who tried to ransom him responsible, Simon fired, Jack … I don’t know, Jack crossing the street drunk and getting hit by a bus. The way the show was treated by critics and the network, I couldn’t have blamed its creator for leaving it in ashes. But I was so hoping against hope for the best for these characters.

I don’t want to ruin things for anyone who’s experiencing the episode for the first time now, but … let’s just say, fear not.

Share your thoughts on this final episode here, then come back through the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions. After that, I’ll have just about run out of things to say about Studio 60, but this blog will be mutating into a look at All Things Sorkin, including Sports Night and The West Wing. So this is not the last “What Kind of Day Has It Been” we’ll be talking about.

Don’t have the DVD set? You can watch this episode online at Hulu.

Studio 60, NBC, What Kind of Day Has It Been

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday marathon, we’ve now come to the second of the three “K&R” episodes. “K&R Part II” was the twentieth episode, and originally aired on June 14, 2007.

The plot keeps all the balls thrown in the air during “Breaking News” and “K&R Part I” in flight — Jordan’s still in the hospital, having her baby and life-threatening complications; Tom’s brother is still a hostage in Afghanistan, leading Tom to spar with a stonewalling military man and contemplate a rescue effort proposed by Mary Tate; Matt and Harriet are still Matt and Harriet; and the flashbacks to the days after the start of the war keep a-coming, recounting Matt and Danny’s stand against Jack that cost them their jobs.

As I wrote back in December, when this episode first aired in the U.K., “The biggest development differentiating this episode from its fellow plot puzzle pieces is Simon’s stupendous PR implosion. He was just supposed to step outside the studio, speak to a friendly reporter to correct a story alleging that Tom and his brother were on the outs, and step back inside. But he got caught by less-friendly press vultures, and by the time it was over, he was pretty much blaming the American public for the war and allying himself with the Taliban. Well, not really, but sound-byte-wise, totally. Hey, thanks for helping!”

Nice to see Simon back after he was MIA last episode. This time, it’s Jordan’s turn to be unseen, but she has a good excuse, what with being in surgery and clinging to life and all.

Watch this episode with me tonight, and stay tuned throughout the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

Studio 60, NBC, K&R Part II, commentary

Wondering what ever happened to that promised recap, memorable lines, and five questions for “K&R Part I” that were promised last week? Me, too — although really, what I’m wondering is what happened to the week? Let’s just say that the blog posts about “K&R” were kidnaped by a hectic schedule and competing obligations, and that I will be rescuing them this week, beginning with the recap tomorrow, really, I promise.

So we’re taking a little break tonight from our Monday marathon. What do you want to watch instead?

An episode of another Sorkin creation that’s been on my mind lately is “The Short List,” from the first season of The West Wing. I’ve been thinking about it since I heard the news that actor Ken Howard, who played ill-fated Supreme Court nominee Peyton Cabot Harrison III, is going to be guesting on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, where he will be playing a presidential candidate who, according to spoilers, makes an offer to a senator and failed presidential candidate played by Rob Lowe (possibly a vice-presidential spot).

That made my mind flash back to “The Short List,” and the way Sam Seaborn derailed Harrison’s court bid, earning the judge’s disdain. I don’t know if there will be any sly references to that episode in the B&S scenes between Howard and Lowe, but I want to watch “The Short List” again so I’ll be able to make some up if need be.

Watch it with me again, won’t you?

Photo of Whisper (who wants you to know she is innocent of recap eating, though she did eviscerate two perfectly nice dog toys) by Terri Mauro

Studio 60, ABC, The West Wing, Rob Lowe, Ken Howard

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday marathon, we’re now coming closer to the end with the first of the three K&R episodes. K&R Part I was the nineteenth episode, and originally aired on June 7, 2007. The director was Cal Shanley himself, Timothy Busfield.

As I wrote back in November of last year, when this episode aired for the first time in the U.K.: “Among the other plots in this and the coming episodes was the approximately 3,685th take of Matt and Harriet’s conflict about religion; flashbacks to the days after 9/11 and the disagreements between Jack, Matt and Danny over the way the show should respond; and Jordan’s pregnancy complications, leading to an emergency C-section. But if you’re a romantic like me, the thing you’ll remember most from this episode is Danny’s marriage proposal — a perfect blend of sweetness and snappiness that perfectly captures the Jordan-Danny dynamic. Seeing it again makes me wish all the more that we could have seen their relationship grow over another season or two or four.”

This episode is, if I recall correctly, the last we see of Jordan until the series’ final episode, “What Kind of Day Has It Been” — though unlike “The Disaster Show,” at least this time she has a good excuse for being missing in action. Tune in tonight and join me for the start of the trilogy that took our Studio 60 heroes to the edge of disaster and back, then come back during the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

Studio 60, NBC, K&R Part I, commentary

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight’s the night for “The Harriet Dinner Part 2,” which originally aired on February 5, 2007. When we stepped away from the table at the end of Part 1, things were not looking good for three couples, Cal’s blood pressure, and the fate of Western civilization. To recap:

Matt and Harriet: Harriet didn’t think it was so sweet that Matt bid big bucks to be her date at a dinner in her honor when she found out that he thought he was bidding against Luke. She starts thinking that Luke might be right about her being stuck in a semi-relationship with Matt, and deserving of more. Her last words to Matt as the episode ended: “We’re going to be finished tonight. Don’t be scared.”

Danny and Jordan: Danny took his boss up on the roof to apologize for his amorous pursuit, but wound up locking them out of the theater. The pair bantered about whether Danny was really in love, when that happened, whether he was just feeling sorry for her, and all manner of other items of varying importance. Although it seems as though she may be softening toward him, among Jordan’s last words to Danny as the episode ended were: “You tremendous doofus!”

Tom and Lucy: Because Tom unaccountably took Matt’s advice and lied to Lucy about why he had to re-schedule their first date, she caught him with Kim and jumped to the obvious conclusion: that he’s just another no-good guy, and not a gentleman after all. Didn’t help that Kim was all over Tom and almost out of her dress.

(more…)

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight’s the night for “The Harriet Dinner Part 1,” which originally aired on January 29, 2007.

As I wrote about this episode back when it aired in the U.K.,

• It’s the one where Cal loses a poisonous snake under the stage, followed by an escalating assortment of carniverous creatures
• It’s the one where Danny and Jordan get locked on the roof
• It’s the one where Matt continues to bid for Harriet in an online auction, but turns out not to be bidding against who he thought he was bidding against.
• It’s the one where Jack orders Tom to talk Kim out of a comedy career, forcing Tom to lie to Lucy about breaking their date in a way that totally sets up up to get caught.
• It’s the one in which NBC made a clumsy attempt to get a little Heroes magic to rub off on Studio 60 by having Masi Oka guest-star and do a little riff on his show’s plot with Harriet Hayes/Dolpin Girl. Kinda cute, but desperate.

I’ll admit, I come to the rewatch of this two-parter with mixed emotions. On the one hand, this was a turning point for Jordan and Danny, and any chance to watch them banter at length and then get together is one I’ll be happy to watch again and again. On the other hand, this was a turning point for Matt and Harriet, and set up a lot of pain in the episodes to come, and seeing them fight the bad fight again is something I kind of hate to do. And the slapstick Kim subplot, while amusing in parts, comes at the expense of a really stupid conflict between Tom and Lucy. Seems there might have been a less predictable way to handle all of that.

Still, I’m finding as we go through the episodes again here that scenes and storylines I remembered less than fondly actually worked just fine, so I’m hoping the same will be true for these two. Watch them again with me, and let’s see. Then come back during the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

Studio 60, NBC, Harriet Dinner Part 1

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight’s the night for “Monday,” which originally aired on January 22, 2007.

As I wrote about this episode back when it aired in the U.K., “it’s the one where Danny calls Jordan, continues to call her even after she blocks his number, has his friends fax her with recommendations, and when she asks him to please back off, replies ‘No.’ It’s the one where Matt bids on Harriet, Tom asks out Lucy, Simon and Darius disagree about a Fruit of the Loom sketch, and Jordan wrangles with a new head of Illiterate Alternative Programming who’s read a stupid book about power. And it’s the one where Jack and Wilson wage war over the FCC ruling and make a deal with the father of viola-playing Kim that involves her going out with Tom on the very night of his just-made date.”

I remember, too, when the episode first aired in the U.S., that the reaction to Danny’s pursuit of Jordan was not good. Lots of critics and critical viewers felt Danny wasn’t so much being a persistent suitor as being a stalker, and that when he refused to back off when Jordan said, “No,” he crossed a line. I’m going to be very interested watching it again, knowing how this couple ends up, and having retraced the origins of their romance in this second time through the episodes.

It’s been pretty clear to me that a case was made for their attraction being mutual from the first episode, and up until this point at least, that Jordan likes and courts Danny’s attention but is distrustful of getting it for being pregnant. We’re meant to eventually understand that this is the reason for her rejection of his advances. I’ll be looking to see if that comes through strongly on the second viewing.

Interestingly, I had a whole bunch of YouTube videos linked from that earlier post that have been taken down due to copyright complaints by NBC. You know, they had to go and cancel the show, you’d think they’d still let us keep those silly little clips.

Studio 60, NBC, Monday