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Sports Night Replay: Episode 1-01

by Terri
Sports Night back 1-2

Hey, I remember this show!

We’re starting our Sports Night Replay marathon with the first episode, “Pilot,” and boy was it fun to be dropped back into this world. It’s been a while since I re-watched this show, and I missed these people.

I love how fast the show is — all the rapid-fire banter we love from Sorkin shows with none of the weighty topics to ponder. Yeah, I know, they’ll get into weighty topics, but at a sit-com pace, not a drama pace. After the kind of melancholy final batch of episodes of Studio 60, this was really zingy and refreshing.

I also like how we’re dropped in without much explanation and left to figure out the relationships of all the people. Pilots too often are all about Explaining It All for You, and I’m generally forgiving of that. But the Sports Night pilot didn’t really pause for exposition. The tensions and relationships — between Dan and Casey, Casey and Dana, Dana and Isaac, Isaac and the network, and potentially Natalie and Jeremy — came out as natural parts of the plot that went zipping by.

The one standard sit-com moment, sadly, involved an actor I like and a character I love, and that would be Jeremy’s basketball meltdown. I don’t know if poor Joshua Malina was directed to be that schticky, or he was playing to a studio audience, or what, but every time I see that scene — which word-wise, is pretty cute — I feel like it’s been dropped in from a much, much broader type of TV comedy. Thank goodness Jeremy calmed down and learned how to be panic on the run instead of in the spotlight.

What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts in the comments, and come back during the week for a recap and memorable lines.

Photo by Terri Mauro

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Posted in Opinions on April 29th, 2008

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2 Responses to “Sports Night Replay: Episode 1-01”

  1. Cynthia Says:
    April 30th, 2008 at 9:21 am

    I disagree with you. I thought Malina’s meltdown was the comic highlight of the pilot! Looooved it!

  2. Terri Says:
    April 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am

    I’m really glad to hear that, Cynthia. I’ve always felt bad for not liking it. So maybe it’s just me. :)

    Glad to see there’s somebody out there reading this blog, too!

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About Watching Studio60

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was a show about making a show -- a Friday night sketch comedy living and dying by the ratings and the buzz and the bottom line. It also turned out to be about the ways that overinflated expectations and caustic criticism can doom a TV drama. Still, if you're a fan of great acting and Aaron Sorkin's way with dialog, there's a lot to love in Studio 60's sole season. Read here to look back at the show, and look forward at what the cast and creative powers are doing now.

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