Watching Studio60

It’s another Monday night, another night to pretend that it’s a year ago and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is still on and use our DVD sets to transport us back. This week, I’ll be re-watching episode two, “The Cold Open,� which originally aired on September 25, 2006. That’s the one that had the press conference in the beginning, the Gilbert and Sullivan parody at the end, and a whole lot of worry about how the Christian right would react to the resurrected Crazy Christians sketch in the middle.

And what will you miss if you join me at Studio 60 tonight? Let’s see what the networks are offering at 10 p.m. On CBS’s CSI: Miami, “a wealthy family’s nanny turns up dead at a dinner party.” On NBC’s Journeyman, “Dan discovers a young criminal in the making.” On ABC’s October Road, “Hannah shares her feelings with Nick upon his return.â€? And on the show I’d probably be otherwise watching at 10 p.m., HGTV’s House Hunters, “A couple search for a condo in Portland, Ore.â€?

Anything there you can’t miss? Hmm. That’s the beauty of DVDs, anyway. You can watch the episode any time you like, and just pretend that you watched it at 10 p.m. And I might do the same. ‘Cause maybe I haven’t seen that particular House Hunters yet, and even if I have, there’s just something about watching somebody else’s real estate decisions at the end of a long day that’s kinda soothing, you know?

But I’d probably, on any given day, rather be watching Matt and Danny and Jordan and Jack and Harriet and Tom and Simon and Cal and all the rest of that hyperarticulate, walking-and-talking crew. Whenever you wind up re-viewing the episode, stop by here tomorrow for my quick review, then all through the week for a full recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Studio 60, NBC, The Cold Open, DVD