Watching Studio60

A couple of items of interest passing through my Google Alerts inbox today.

First, an item from a column by Anna Griffin on OregonLive.com: “The Spouse and I just finished the second season of 30 Rock on DVD, which makes this month’s Vanity Fair cover story on Tina Fey timely and fascinating. Also fascinating: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote the thing. A year or so ago, her ex-boyfriend, Aaron Sorkin, had a Dowd-like character show up on the set of his SNL-inspired drama, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, to do a Vanity Fair-esque piece on the fictional show and its producers. Now the real VF has the real Dowd doing a real story — as real as celebrity journalism gets, at least — on the real creator of a show inspired by SNL. It’s too much meta for this early in the week.”

That Dowd-inspired character was Martha O’Dell, played by Christine Lahti. Personally, I’ve never gotten into 30 Rock, partially because I’m already DVRing more things than I seem to be able to find the time to watch, partially because I’ve never been able to get over holding a grudge that it survived and Studio 60 didn’t. Amusing coincidence (or editorial in-joke) on the writing assignment, though.

And from James Poniewozik’s Tuned In blog on Time.com comes the question: “What brilliant-but-canceled show would you like to see remade?” A reader wrote in about the Cupid remake, with Studio 60’s Sarah Paulson replacing Paula Marshall and Bobby Cannavale stepping in for Jeremy Piven to give the tale another try after it tanked on ABC ten years ago.

The reader mentions Sports Night as a show somebody might get it in their head to remake, and while I agree with a commenter that Aaron Sorkin needs to be writing for TV again, I can’t even begin to imagine that story with a different cast. I don’t want to. Studio 60, on the other hand … While I like it just fine the way it was, I think there may be other interpretations of Harriet in particular that might have worked better, something with a little more Ainsley Hayes to it. Should somebody be bringing the show back with new actors in ten years? Share your recasting thoughts in the comments.

A heads-up for West Wing fans who haven’t yet started keeping up with Bravo’s resumed schedule of re-runs: Tomorrow morning, the two parts of “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen” are scheduled for 8 and 9 a.m.

Those episodes really marked the beginning of my own West Wing fandom. I skipped most of the first season, resentful mostly that West Wing was taking creative energy away from Sports Night. I finally tuned in for the final episode of Season 1, thinking that the attempted assassination storyline sounded interesting, and that was enough to get me tuning in for Season 2 (that, and Sports Night’s untimely demise.)

Those two opening episodes of the second season then hooked me but good. I’ve since gone back and seen the first season’s episodes, and I’m fond of a lot of them, but as introductions to the show and the characters, it’s hard to do better than “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen.” This is one case of backstory where you don’t need to know the people first for it to work.

Here are a few good scenes from YouTube, though not nearly all of them:

The discovery of shot Josh. It’s hard to see on YouTube my favorite part, which is Richard Schiff’s facial expressions and hesitation in depicting Toby’s shock and fear. Not often this guy’s speechless.

And the president, shot and wisecracking. “Do you have any medical problems?” “Well, I’ve been shot …”

Bartlet pissing off the dairy farmers …

… and Leo telling him he’s going to lift houses off of the ground:

Toby offering a pool-drenched CJ a job, because Bartlet was allegedly impressed with her work “with that girl’s group with the stupid name” …

and CJ showing why she was a good hire:

Josh meets Donna …

… and shows Sam his bad poker face.

That should hold us ’til tomorrow … though maybe just a little peek at the DVDs before then.

I have Google alerts set up for all the old Studio 60 cast, and this week my inbox has been filling up with commentary on D.L. Hughley’s CNN news/comedy show. Here’s a batch of blog posts Google’s sent me links to since Monday’s assortment of reviews.

Title: “D.L. Hughley on CNN Getting Bad Reviews”
Source: Jack & Jill Politics
Sample sentence: “Yes, it’s plenty offensive, racist and worst of all, unfunny as hell.”

Title: “Okay…Black America Will Give D.L. Hughley One More Chance”
Source: LAVANDE’ & CHOCOLAT AMER
Sample sentence: “If you are to be the trailblazer on CNN, D.L., isn’t it your responsibility to ensure the powers that be that African Americans are more than capable of holding their own without self-exploitation?”

Title: “Bad News for CNN and D.L Hughley’s New Show”
Source: RaceWire
Sample sentence: “Hughley has rested on reinforcing racial stereotypes for his punchlines, and the bad reviews prove that the joke may be on CNN.”

Title: “DL Hughley’s Def (and Dumb) Comedy Jam on CNN”
Source: Black Star News
Sample sentence: “But the new CNN show, ‘DL Hughley Breaks the News,’ was something I simply cannot forgive.”

Title: “D.L. Hughley on CNN: Yeah or Nay?”
Source: Palm Beach Post.com “Rhythm & Views” blog
Sample sentence: “Unfortunately, the debut left me and my 17-year-old, wise beyond her years and politically astute cousin less than impressed.”

Title: “D.L. Hughley = D.W. Griffith”
Source: John William Templeton
Sample sentence: “The 2008 election will also be one of the most historic elections in American history, but the misguided decision by CNN to damage its credibility with the equally outrageous D.L. Hughley show could leave the impression that African-Americans spent this year mired in silliness and self-hate.”

Title: “D.L. Hughley’s ‘Break the News’ Show on CNN Is A Disgrace”
Source: Black Political Thought
Sample sentence: “I found D.L. Hughley’s ‘Break the News’ an offensive show that perpetuates the negative stereotypes that have dogged blacks in this country for too long.”

Title: “People Upset By DL Hughley Breaks The News”
Source: ConnieTalk.com
Sample sentence: “Well, Darryl ‘DL’ Hughley’s new show premiered over the weekend on CNN, and I cringed so many times I’m afraid my face is going to get stuck that way.”

Title: “CNN: Breaking The News? (D.L. Hughley, you’ve got to be kidding)”
Source: EURweb
Sample sentence: “CNN’s attempt of a Flava Flav style of African American entertainment is an alarming step backward for a respected news organization.”

Title: “DL Hughley Is a Joke, But We’re Not Laughing”
Source: What About Our Daughters
Sample sentence: “If CNN is the most trusted source in news, what does it mean that right out of the box, they throw Black pimps up for all the world to gawk at.”

Title: “D.L. Hughley Headlines a New Political Comedy Show on CNN”
Source: Racialicious
Sample sentence: “I am still not convinced that D.L. Hughley is right for the anchor position on the show - and from what I saw, it doesn’t appear that he is convinced either.”

If you watched the show, share your own reviews in the comments.

D.L. Hughley, CNN

Aaron Sorkin is the subject of an interview in GQ magazine in which he talks about all sorts of things, including Sports Night, the writer’s strike, and Obama. Also the implosion of Studio 60, for which he takes the blame. Here’s that part of the interview (questions in bold, Sorkin’s response following), though it’s worth going to the GQ site and reading the whole thing:

“Why didn’t Studio 60 work?
I made too many mistakes. I would give anything to go back and get another bite of that apple. Basically, to use a sports analogy, you can have the best team in football playing the worst team in football. But if the best team in football throws four interceptions, they’re not going to win.

“That sounds a little arrogant.
I’m helped by a staff of people who have great ideas, but the scripts aren’t written by committee. I was too angry when I wrote Studio 60. The show became like the cover of Abbey Road. Everybody was trying to figure out who this character was in real life or what that incident was trying to be. But the anger—it was a post-9/11 anger. We were going through a time when the television networks were so sensitive toward appearing patriotic. And patriotism was just being questioned all over the place. It just seemed like the wheels had come off our national culture.

“The Janet Jackson–FCC incident could easily be lumped in with that.
There was hysteria everywhere. Exactly. And the Internet [doesn’t help]—it’s a bronchial infection on the First Amendment. Nothing has done more to make us dumber or meaner than the anonymity of the Internet.

“Do you feel guilty about Studio 60’s failure?
I felt like I had let so many people down—from Warner Bros. and NBC to the cast and crew. You live and die with these things. It is a feeling that you can’t look these people in the eye anymore. Someone like Matt Perry.

“It’s tough to feel bad for Matthew Perry.
Exactly. Yet you do.

“Does it bother you that Tina Fey is still taking shots at you on 30 Rock?
I shook hands with her once. I know she’s had some fun at my expense, and that’s what she does for a living. If I’m going to take shots at whoever I want on my show, she gets to take shots at whoever she wants on her show. I have nothing but admiration for Tina Fey.”

Studio 60, Aaron Sorkin, GQ

A few updates on the current jobs of some former stars of Studio 60:

Bradley Whitford (Danny) is appearing on Broadway as a man engaged to three stewardesses in Boeing-Boeing, a sex farce that won the Tony for Best Revival of a Play last night. A couple of pieces of West Wing trivia: Mary McCormack, who played Kate Harper, co-stars in Boeing-Boeing as the German stewardess; and Mary Louise Parker, who played Amy Gardner, sometime girlfriend of Whitford’s Josh, gave out the Tony for Leading Actor in a Play that went to his Boeing-Boeing co-star, Mark Rylance (Brad wasn’t nominated, alas). Also sadly not nominated: Aaron Sorkin or anybody or anything associated with his play The Farnsworth Invention.

Sarah Paulson (Harriet) will be in ABC’s remake of Cupid, which ran for one season in 1998 and starred Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall in the roles now to be played by Bobby Cannavale and Paulson. If you missed it the first time, here’s the story, according to The Hollywood Reporter: “Cupid centers on the manic Trevor Hale (Cannavale), who thinks he is the Roman god of love, Cupid, banished to Earth until he can match 100 couples. Paulson will play Dr. Claire Allen, a psychiatrist specializing in affairs of the heart.”

Steven Weber (Jack), having completed a guest-starring stint on Brothers & Sisters, is lined up for another one on Psych, the USA detective comedy that co-stars Dule Hill, who was Charlie on The West Wing. Weber will play the brother of Corbin Bernsen’s character and uncle of screwball pseudo-psychic Shawn Spencer. According to TV Guide, “Weber’s Uncle Jack hits town claiming he has a map to hidden Spanish treasure. A race to beat raiders to the loot ensues, with James Roday [Shawn] presumably doing his best Shia LaBeouf.”

Ayda Field (Jeannie), who bounced right from the single-season Studio 60 to the single-season Back to You, has been cast in yet another show for next season, an untitled comedy by the creators of Will & Grace. According to TV Guide, “The pilot centers on two men — one gay (Alan Tudyk), one straight (Josh Cooke) — who are best buds and business partners. Field will play Cooke’s girlfriend.” Maybe the third time will be the charm.

Studio 60, NBC, Bradley Whitford, Steven Weber, Sarah Paulson, Ayda Field

What with all the Sports Night recapping, I’ve been letting down on my birthday observations here. Totally missed Aaron Sorkin’s 47th on June 9, and now I see that Timothy Busfield turned 51 yesterday. As a way to honor both of them, here’s a selection of memorable lines that Sorkin wrote and Busfield spoke as Cal Shanley on Studio 60.

From “Pilot”

Tell the writer’s room they’re going to have to stretch it another 25 seconds, and I’m sure that making it longer was the missing ingredient to making it funny.

No, there are strict rules or procedures for this kind of thing. I just didn’t follow any of them.

I faced off with Standards during a live broadcast, Harry. The guys I know who’ve done that feel lucky if they get a job directing Good Morning El Paso.

From “The Long Lead Story”

I’m getting a little tired of the lute players getting all the great women.

Jack Rudolph’s wandering the streets, so no one in L.A.’s safe tonight.

From “The Wrap Party”

I’m a real World War II buff. I used to set up little scenes with toy soldiers that I’d paint myself, and then I’d shoot it in Super 8. Which would help explain why I didn’t kiss a girl till I was 19.

From “The Option Period”

We got to the goodnights 37 seconds early. Danny had to ask Jessica Simpson to fill. Nice girl, nice performer, don’t want her to extemporize on our air. She had time to thank her pets, and then she asked us all to pray for peace in the Midwest.

From “The Harriet Dinner Part 2″

I’ve got the animal kingdom Axis of Evil down there.

Studio 60, NBC, Timothy Busfield, Cal Shanley, quotes

With the Studio 60 episodes all recapped, it’s time to broaden this blog to All Things Sorkin (see the change to the banner above?) and consider other shows by the Studio 60 creator. First up is Sports Night, which ran for two seasons from 1998-2000.

I’ll be doing the same review, recap, and memorable lines for the Sports Night episodes as I was doing for Studio 60, and if you’re out there reading this and watching along, I hope you’ll share your thoughts on revisiting these episodes, too. This show was somewhat spiritually related to Studio 60 since they both involved putting on a show (and a bantering couple who never could quite seem to get it together, although at least they didn’t argue about religion). It will interesting now to pick out familiar plot threads and dialog, since Aaron Sorkin is pretty well-known for stealing from himself.

This week I’ll be watching and writing about Episode 1, creatively named “Pilot,” which first aired on September 22, 1998. The synopsis, according to the DVD box: “Casey ponders leaving Sports Night as his divorce woes start showing through on air, while Dana hires Natalie’s favorite choice for an associate producer job — a good-looking candidate named Jeremy.”

You know, I love Joshua Malina, but would you describe Jeremy as a “good-looking candidate”? I’d have said “endearingly dorky,” especially since this episode had that absolutely over-the-top sports-geek meltdown.

There was also the weirdness of a laugh track in these early episodes. The producers didn’t want laughter, the network did, and so, according to an Entertainment Weekly article, they went with a studio audience, to be sweetened by laugh track. Sorkin is quoted as saying, ”Once you do shoot in front of a live audience, you have no choice but to use the laugh track. Oftentimes [enhancing the laughs] is the right thing to do. Sometimes you do need a cymbal crash. Other times, it alienates me.”

Me, too. But as I recall and Wikipedia confirms, the laugh track eventually faded away as the show become more of a dramedy.

I’m getting ahead of myself here, though. Let’s watch that old pilot tonight and discuss tomorrow.

Happy 58th birthday today to Christine Lahti, who was born on this day in 1950 in Birmingham, Michigan.

In honor of the actress who played reporter Martha O’Dell on Studio 60 (and is married to the show’s producer/director Thomas Schlamme), here are some quotes and exchanges between Martha and the S60 regulars, drawn from memorable line recaps for The West Coast Delay and The Long Lead Story.

To Jordan: You can be a woman, look like you do, have the power you do, but not all at the same time.

Martha: Google me, and you’ll find a lot worse than a DUI in Sag Harbor.
Jordan: I know.
Martha: Trust me, it’s like seasickness. You think you’re gonna die, and everybody else just thinks it’s funny.

It’s a 10,000 word piece. They’re not all going to be winners.

Matt: You’ve covered presidential campaigns. You’ve covered presidents. You’ve covered wars. What are you writing about a TV show for?

Martha: What are you writing a TV show for?

Matt: I’m not. I’m watching you dust my office for prints.

Martha: I’m writing about it because what’s happened here is important. I think what’s happening here is important. I think popular culture in general and this show in particular are important. (And … Tom walks in wearing a lobster costume.)

Martha: Matt, you know, we don’t know each other very well, but …

Matt: You’ve spent every hour with me for five days in a row. At this point, you know me better than my parents.

Martha: I don’t know your parents at all.

Matt: I meant …

Martha: I know what you meant. I was doing a dangling modifier joke.

Matt: Yeah, I stopped doing that to people in high school after the fourth time I got stuffed in my locker.

To Matt: Is the fear of failure on such a massive scale a helpful motivation?

Martha: I’ll be covering some of the House races.

Harriet: Which ones?

Martha: A couple where there are stories. A couple where there are just good jokes.

Martha: How would I be referred to in your parents’ house?

Harriet: The devil’s whore from Washington.

Martha: Yeah. I’m actually the devil’s whore from Bethesda.

I’ll say this about you guys, you look out for each other. You’re not very good at doing it, but it’s nice to see the effort.

Studio 60, NBC, Christine Lahti, Martha O’Dell

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight’s the night for “4 A.M. Miracle,” which originally aired on February 19, 2007. The episode has its fair share of Matt-Harriet psychodrama, but it will, to me, always be known as The One With The Exploding Baby. Ha! Pretty sure they’re never going to ask Tom, Simon, or Cal to babysit now.

I’ll have more to say about “4 A.M. Miracle” tomorrow after re-watching it tonight. Right now, though, I’m thinking about “Nevada Day Part II,” and a question I wrote at the time we re-watched that one:

“How great would it have been to have a face-off between Wilson White and Judge Bebe? When the scene in which Ed Asner’s White intimidates Jordan was immediately followed by the scene in which John Goodman’s Bebe made Jack melt down, I couldn’t help but wish these two great actors could have chewed some scenery together — whether butting heads or chatting over pie at the diner.”

Of course, we never got any sort of meeting between John Goodman’s character and Ed Asner’s in Studio 60’s single season. But some movie news I saw today made me think about that wish: The two actors are appearing in the same film, Gigantic, an indie romance starring Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel as characters named Brian and Happy.

According to an item in The Hollywood Reporter, “Asner will play Brian’s pot-smoking, gangsta rap-loving father,” and “Goodman will play Happy’s brilliant, domineering dad.”

Don’t suppose those two characters will be meeting at the diner for a slice of pie. But it’s nice to see them working, and working together.

Watch “4 A.M. Miracle” with me tonight, and come back throughout the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

Studio 60, NBC, Ed Asner, John Goodman, 4 A.M. Miracle

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight’s the night for “The Friday Night Slaughter,” which originally aired on February 12, 2007. This is the one in which Matt flashes back to his early days of writing for Studio 60, meeting and falling for Harriet, vying with Luke for her attention, and talking with some writer who nobody in the present-day Studio remembers. Maybe that has something to do with the pills Matt’s popping.

I’ll admit, I flipped around through this episode last week after watching “The Harriet Dinner Part 2,” mostly because I needed some more Jordan-Danny cuteness Right That Very Minute. There’s some in this episode, not a lot, but enough to tide me over to the fake-baby shenanigans in next week’s “4 A.M. Miracle.” I had to fast-forward through the Matt flashbacks, though, because I found the Harriet Dinner episodes to be just brutal on the Matt-Harriet front, and I’m not looking forward to the coming breakdown.

Still, tonight, for the purposes of writing about it here, I’ll keep my finger off the fast-forward. First time watching this, about a year ago, I was slow in picking up who Matt’s mystery colleague was. Now that I’ve had that particular anagram unscrambled for me, it will be interesting to re-view and see how well it all works. And heck, I can always rewind the Jordan-Danny scenes and replay a few times to cheer myself up.

Watch with me tonight, and come back throughout the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

Studio 60, NBC, The Friday Night Slaughter

If you’re a West Wing fan and have lots of time to blow on Internet reading today, check out “The Page About the Thing” on the Bartlet4America site. They’ve gone through five seasons so far of locating every script reference to the word “thing” and defining just what the thing was. Included is my personal favorite, Toby’s “What, you want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing?” from Season 4.

The West Wing, NBC, Aaron Sorkin, quotes

If you’ve been following along with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight’s the night for “The Christmas Show,” which originally aired on December 4, 2006.

I’ve written about that episode here before, a couple of times, and will be writing about it throughout the week with a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions. So today, instead of caroling about it some more, here are a few pieces of news that have been rattling around my files, looking for an opportunity to be shared here.

Aaron Sorkin above the Sunset Strip: If you enjoy those real estate shows on TV, or like learning about the abodes of the rich and famous, the blog The Real Estalker is one you’ll enjoy. Recently, there was a post about Aaron Sorkin’s new residence high above that street his show was named for. The blog features eight photos of the house’s interiors and exteriors, as well as a description and design critique. The selling for the 3,700 square feet, four bedroom, five bathroom home? $6,100,000.

Aaron Sorkin off the red carpet: It’s good that Sorkin has a new house to occupy him, because the awards ceremonies are not being kind. Charlie Wilson’s War hasn’t won anything for its stars or its writer, and has but one chance at the Oscars, for Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Supporting Actor (a race likely to be dominated by Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men). I sure would have liked to see Sorkin get a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, but it’s not to be.

(more…)

It’s a mixed-up, messed-up holiday week, but I’m going to forge right on ahead with my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, with a few delays here and there (cause tomorrow? we have to recall the great Christmas episode). Tonight we’re viewing episode six, “The Wrap Party,” which originally aired on October 23, 2006. It continues straight on from “The Long Lead Story,” as we follow the cast from the show to the after-party, where Jordan gets drunk, Danny tries to fix Matt up with anybody other than Harriet, and Simon has an addition to the writing staff on his mind. Meanwhile, Cal is dealing with an elderly gentleman who provides a link to the studio’s past. Eli Wallach got an Emmy nomination for the part.

In other Sorkin news, his new film Charlie Wilson’s War is getting some good reviews. A few of the accolades:

“Nichols and Sorkin turn the wonkish jargon of politics into light comedy by staying absolutely true to it. There’s so much lying going on that each time someone actually comes out with something he believes, it’s like the jabbiest of punchlines.” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

“‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ is that rare Hollywood commodity these days: a smart, sophisticated entertainment for grownups.” — Todd McCarthy, Variety

“Fun is this movie’s unlikely and persuasive motto. If it’s the best politically themed movie to come around in a while, that may be because the director, Mike Nichols, and the screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, grasp that politics, for all its seriousness, is an essentially comic undertaking. Their film is never glib or flippant, but instead shows a lightness of touch and a swiftness of attack — 96 minutes to drink some cocktails, make some deals and send the Russians packing — that stand in welcome contrast to the plodding, somber earnestness of some recent movies I will tactfully refrain from naming.” — A.O. Scott, New York Times

“What is remarkable about the collaboration of Nichols and Sorkin is that they make this labyrinthine scheme not only comprehensible but wickedly funny, as Charlie Wilson uses his own flaws and those of others to do a noble deed.” — Roger Ebert

The film made $9.62 million at the box office on its opening weekend, putting it in fourth place behind National Treasure: Book of Secrets, I Am Legend, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Wouldn’t you just love to hear some Sorkin character rant about Alvin and the Chipmunks coming in ahead of a smart film about politics and war?

If you’re watching along in my Studio 60 Revisited Monday night marathon, tonight we’re viewing episode five, “The Long Lead Story,” which originally aired on October 16, 2006. It’s the one in which live-in journalist Martha O’Dell tries to get to the bottom of the Matt-Harriet situation, as if there was a bottom to get to. The staff is, predictably, spectacularly unhelpful in keeping any secrets about the twosome.

Join me, too, in congratulating Studio 60 creator Aaron Sorkin on his Golden Globe nomination for the screenplay of Charlie Wilson’s War, which finally hits theaters this Friday. Competing with Sorkin for Best Screenplay are Christopher Hampton for Atonement, Ronald Harwood for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Diablo Cody for Juno, and Ethan and Joel Coen for No Country for Old Men.

Also nominated for Charlie Wilson’s War are:

+ Tom Hanks for Best Actor - Musical or Comedy (competing against Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd; Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl; Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages; and John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

+ Julia Roberts for Best Supporting Actress (competing against Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There; Saoirse Ronan, Atonement; Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone; and Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

+ Philip Seymour Hoffman for Best Supporting Actor (competing against Casey Affleck, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford; Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men; John Travolta, Hairspray; Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

+ The movie itself as Best Picture - Musical or Comedy (competing against Across the Universe, Hairspray, Juno and Sweeney Todd).

You can get more information on the movie from its website.

Studio 60, NBC, Charlie Wilson’s War, Aaron Sorkin

It’s about half an hour away from 10 p.m. on the U.S. East Coast, at which time I’ll be continuing my trip through the Studio 60 DVD with a replay of “The West Coast Delay.” Watch it with me, or at whatever delay suits you, and come back throughout the week for a review, recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

To kill these few minutes ’til showtime, here are some excerpts from reviews of The Farnsworth Invention. Sounds like the standard-issue Sorkin complaints, the kind of pans that make it sound like I’d kinda like it. If you’ve seen the play, share your review in the comments.

“You’re likely to leave ‘The Farnsworth Invention’ feeling that you have just watched an animated Wikipedia entry, fleshed out with the sort of anecdotal scenes that figure in ‘re-enactments’ on E! channel documentaries and true-crime shows. This two-hour play is a fast-moving sequence of reflex-stimulating information- and emotion-bites. It never pauses long enough to find depth in any of them.” — New York Times

“Breezy and shrewd, smart-alecky and idealistic, the quick-moving drama presents two sides to the still-contentious story behind the invention of television. Sorkin is positively gooey-eyed about the scientific and entrepreneurial buccaneers in America between the world wars. As the creator of ‘West Wing,’ arguably the best expository political fiction on popular TV, he manages to relate both to the purity of the little guy and the corrupting happenstance of big-foot corporate power.” — Newsday

“Chronicling the birth of television and the ensuing patent war through the clash between an enterprising scientific genius from Utah and a Russian immigrant turned hard-nosed corporate honcho, ‘The Farnsworth Invention’ tells a fascinating story. But despite Des McAnuff’s stylish production, tells is the key word here, not dramatizes. Aaron Sorkin’s first new play since ‘A Few Good Men’ in 1989 was originally conceived as a screenplay. The plot-heavy drama is light on fully fleshed-out characters or subtext, making it likely to play more satisfyingly when it inevitably reverts to being a film or cable project.” — Variety

“The Farnsworth Invention, Aaron Sorkin’s new Broadway play about the genesis of television, is propulsive, pedantic, occasionally gimmicky (and always unashamed when it is), very clever (though a crucial 5 percent less clever than it thinks it is), hokily grandiose, and blaringly self-aware. The drama, with its bits of verbal brilliance and its throbbing narcissistic flaws, is of a piece with Sports Night and The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the series that have made Sorkin a household name in certain demographically desirable households.” — Slate

“Fans of The West Wing are familiar with Aaron Sorkin’s fondness for smooth talkers, rat-a-tat dialogue, and trivia from the margins of history. And Sorkin’s new play The Farnsworth Invention — his first on Broadway since his explosive 1989 debut, A Few Good Men — seems to be built entirely from the sort of anecdotal aside that Josh or Toby might have relished: A mostly self-educated Utah boy named Philo T. Farnsworth (Jimmi Simpson, resembling a younger Christian Slater) invented most of the technology behind modern television, but then lost the credit — and the fortune — in legal wrangling over his patents and died a broken man. His story is told in counterpoint to that of the budding telegraph-radio-television mogul David Sarnoff (an engaging Hank Azaria). — Entertainment Weekly