Studio 60: The spin-off
Consider this: An hour-long drama about a hard-charging network executive who’s juggling the demands of her job with those of a new baby and a new marriage. She’s got to fight daily for both the high ground and the bottom line, while facing constant challenges and second-guessing from her sharky boss and scheming underlings. Not to mention a viewing public that would rather watch crummy reality shows than brilliant scripted programming.
Would you watch that? I’d watch that, if it was written by Aaron Sorkin and starred Amanda Peet as the embattled Jordan McDeere; Bradley Whitford as her husband, Danny Tripp; Steven Weber as her shifty boss, Jack Rudolph; and as many Studio 60 cast members as they could afford to wedge in as friends and colleagues.
The idea for The Jordan Show was floated in an item on the Philadelphia Daily News site, after Peet — who’s doing lots of press right now for Martian Child — mentioned how much she wanted to work with Sorkin again, and suggested somebody pitch him a Jordan spin-off. Interviewer Howard Gensler quickly obliged, suggesting that Studio 60’s sprawling cast and troublesome show-within-a-show are what didn’t work, and streamlining the concept to focus on Jordan, her job, and her family.
It’s an interesting thought. I don’t know that it’s the first thing I’d have thought of spinning off — wouldn’t Cal be a cute center for a sit-com, directing and trouble-shooting at home the way he does on the set? — but it’s not a bad idea. Then again, an article on Film.com makes a case for Peet being box-office and ratings poison, so maybe Sorkin should just stick to making movies with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts for a while.
What characters would you spin off from Studio 60, and how would you do it? Pitch your own ideas in the comments.
Studio 60, NBC, Amanda Peet, Aaron Sorkin
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