Thought I'd start a thread. Any fans of this show? I love the cast! It's great to see Matthew Perry in primetime again.

When does it air?

Monday night at 10pm on NBC.

Thank you, EmJay! I'll watch when I get home nxt Monday.

I'm really loving this show. Matthew Perry is great! It's like I don't even see Chandler anymore.
The writing is witty and sharp. One of the best new shows of the season!

I'm loving this show too!!

Started to watch because I'm a huge Bradley Whitford fan, but I'm really enjoying Matthew Perry's character. He's all grown up, and much more interesting.

Sk8888

I'm also loving this show. Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry are terrific as is Amanda Peet and all the rest of the cast which is pretty huge. It's great to see MP back on TV again - and better than ever. He and BW have such a strong rapport with each other that it seems like they've been a team forever. And of course the writing is incredible. Thank you Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme!

Make sure you spread the word if you're one of those who enjoy it, since intelligent tv like this is not at all a sure thing to stay on the air. To a long and fruitful life!

I'm a huge Matthew Perry fan and now I am totally loving Bradley Whitford. He is great. I never watched the West Wing so I didn't really know much about him but he's awesome and really quite handsome too!


movin2thabeet

I'm worried too because the ratings haven't been that great. Hopefully NBC will give it a chance to grow instead of giving it the axe!

Anyone watch last night??

An interesting factoid I read a couple of years ago, Christine Lahti, the actress who played the reporter character last night, is married to Thomas Schlamme, who co-writes with Sorkin.

Sk8888

This show is great. However, it's missing 5 other actors!

West Wing under the covers, right?? :D

Sk8888

Actually no, I was referring to Friends.

:wub:

Can you tell that I didn't really watch it? Oops!

There's at least three actors that are former West Wing characters.

Ready to watch another interesting episode tonight.

Sk8888

I taped last weeks and kept forgetting to watch it but I finally watched it last night. The baseball bat through the window was funny. I've never really cared for Bradley Whitford but he is definitely growing on me with this character. Sarah Paulson (Harriet) and Matthew Perry are great together.

Can't wait to see tonight's episode! :)

Best show yet!!

Aside from the actual storyline, I love how they have Sting on singing and "practicing" for a sound check, since he will be the musical guest.

I am also enjoying the short snippets of the skits. Harriet's portrayal of Nancy Grace was good.

And the Nicolas Cage skit was even funnier. And, this is just the gravy.

Sk8888

Loved the Nancy Grace skit and Sting's "rehearsal." I wish they would have shown more of Lauren Graham. She's so talented and funny.

See.... here's the thing... I want to watch this show because I am in love with Matthew Perry.. HOWEVER.. I'm in love with him because Chandler is the funniest ever. I'm going to have to tune in because you guys are saying such great things..

It's kinda like how I dont want to watch AI next season because nothing can compare to E.

I had to respond since I also appreciate the talents of Matthew Perry. To link an actor to one part they've played, though, is to severely limit that actor and their gifts. Sure, Chandler was a great character and Matthew played him well. But the actor, Matthew Perry, is way more than that. He actually is a terrific actor. Like the American Idol badge, the role of Chandler was both Matthew's gateway in and a burden to overcome. Getting so intimately linked to one role is death to creativity - look at the Star Wars actors as a vivid example. How difficult it was and still is for those actors to be seen as something other than those characters.

If you really love an actor, you want them to have all the opportunities possible to explore their craft and for the people to have the pleasure of experiencing the results. Studio 60 happens to be a really well written, intelligent show full of great actors including Matthew. So, take a look with an open mind and I think you'll enjoy it.

I think I might have to start detaching myself from this show because it's not doing well in the ratings. I don't wanna invest myself anymore if NBC is just gonna cancel it. Although, I hope they let one "Friend" guest star first before they do that.

thanks.

I had to chime in on Matthew Perry.

I actually wanted to watch the show because I am a huge Bradley Whitford fan, but Matthew Perry is superb in his role!

He is showing so many more complex emotions with this character. I am glued to every episode now because of him. The scene where Harriet almost kissed him, and she was doing all the talking. Matthew Perry said absolutely nothing, but he must have conveyed several different feelings and emotions with his facial expressions alone. And they weren't over the top or exaggerated for comedic effect.

No offense to those of you who loved him as Chandler, but this is a much richer part for him.

I will be really sorry if NBC cancels this show, but not surprised.

I can watch it and pretend it's a mini-series, so if it does get the boot, I am not as disappointed.

Sk8888

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2006/10/studio_60_death.html

The buzzards are circling 'Studio 60'
It's happening, PopWatchers: Most of the media in the Western world is predicting Studio 60's imminent demise.

Even though NBC has ordered 3 more episodes of the struggling series, that seems to be more of a peace offering/contractual obligation to Aaron Sorkin than a vote of confidence, given the god-awful ratings and continued barrage of criticism leveled against the show since its inception. The sad truth is that NBC can make more money by slapping on another Deal or No Deal than it can by trying to salvage Studio 60, and because networks only make decisions from a fiscal standpoint these days (unlike, you know, a creative one), you can pretty much kiss today goodbye, and point me to tomorrow.

I'm pretty heartbroken about this, to be honest; as one of the staunchest Sorkin apologists you'll ever meet -- as well as the type of person inclined to go off on rants about how society today is a commercially-driven cesspool of short attention spans and mindless drivel, with entertainment the bloated lowest-common-denominator rat swirling in its brackish depths -- I hate the thought that I may never know how Bernard does as the show's other black staff member, or if Tom's brother survives AFGHANISTAN, or exactly what purpose Bradley Whitford was on the show to serve. Still, I guess it's better to just set the cast and crew loose so they may find their way to higher ground, and I'm not gonna complain about having an extra hour of free time in my week.

Ooh! That's a good question: What should I use to fill that free hour? See how quickly I move on?

Whitney Pastorek | 10.30.06, 03:48 PM

:angry: :(

Wow Emjay,

When even the writers who cover the TV beat feel helpless and too jaded to critique the networks for being a bunch of bean counters, what's left for the poor viewer who craves a decent storyline?

If NBC dumps out of this show, I hope that HBO or even PBS for cripes sake will pick it up. I mean, does Masterpiece Theatre always have to be about a British "period" piece? (Hey, but I love those too. :D )

All I can say is that "Friends" wouldn't have made it past the first season the way the network(s) pull the plug these days.

So, here's to paying a higher cable bill so I have access to decent, well-written shows that take more than six weeks to gel.

Sk8888

Totally OFF TOPIC....but Amanda Peete looked like she might be pregnant the way she was dressed, and the angles they were shooting her in last week's episode.

Did anyone else notice this?

Sk8888

As far as I understand, Amanda Peet is pregnant.

And congratulations to NBC for acknowledging the value of Studio 60 and allowing it to stay on the air and further build an audience. Thumbs up NBC!!

Here is some info on that:

NBC has picked up Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" for the full season. It might not be the highest rated of the season's new shows, but as NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly pointed out, "Studio 60" "has consistently delivered some of the highest audience concentrations among all prime-time network series in such key upscale categories as adults 18-49 living in homes with $75,000-plus and $100,000-plus incomes and in homes where the head of household has four or more years of college."
"Studio 60" has "a passionate core audience," Reilly added. Count him in: "We can't wait for what's going to come in the remainder of the season."

Defininetly count me as one of the "passionate core" (it's true no matter what the context). I was one of the many who sent a little passionate e-mail plea to NBC.

Yep, she is pregnant. She was on Letterman (or Leno, I don't remember which) sometime last month and they were talking about it.

Thank you for the info movin2thabeet, I am so glad they've decided to give it a chance!

I agree *single tear*

I am trying to catch up right now.
I have all the episodes on my xbox...but I haven't watched them.

I love love love Mathew Perry. He is number ONE on my list.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the "Jesus" back-to-back episodes, and then the two episodes since then have been kind of weak.

We had some friends over during the Thanksgiving Holiday and introduced them to the show during that time, and they shrugged their shoulders, like "I guess if you like it, it's okay."

Got to thinking that they must have been part of the three "pick-up" episodes NBC authorized before signing on for a whole season.

Keeping my fingers crossed that they get back on track.

Sk8888

p.s. Debate in our household. Was the Amanda Peete character swigging alcohol or water before she nearly passed out at the end of last week's episode? The reason I'm asking is that if it was hard booze, then it was silly for her to freak out that they might give her a B-12 shot.

I didn't find this week's episode weak at all. In fact, to me, it's so refreshing to see a really well-written, well-acted ensemble piece each week on tv. It's like a breath of fresh air. This is not tv written and performed for the lowest common denominator as almost everything else on tv is. I think its very easy to fall into the accepted haze of what's considered good entertainment in any given time and place. In some ways, it's a miracle that it's made it this far - on network tv no less. Nowadays, you have to turn to cable to get more of a shot at insightful, risky programming (admittedly often hidden in the voluminous drek). Of course, being network tv, they are required to stay within certain boundaries, but with intelligence, creativity and really meaty acting, they're definitely moving this format forward.

It doesn't surprise me that the masses aren't appreciating this show. Similar to the way that some artists (as in the case of the AI contestant who 'will-remain-nameless-but-made-it-somewhere-over-a-rainbow') yearn for fame and fortune and will do whatever it takes to get it. While others, hopefully like Elliott, sing to give the music inside him a voice and consider it an honor to be given the opportunity to share that gift. At this time in our culture, those like Elliott are often overlooked for those with showier, tailored-for-the-bottom-line 'artists'. I believe that Studio 60 also falls in that category of creating quality tv at a time when that is not so commercially successful.

There are exceptions in all media - great stuff that manages to buck the trend and keep true artistry alive. Long live creativity that flourishes outside the box!!

I didn't see last week's episode because I somehow spaced out, but the latest one was really good in my opinion. I loved how they kept flashing back to things that happened earlier in the "week." This episode wasn't necessarily as funny as some have been, but I don't think it was weak. I do like that they are writing Amanda Peet's pregnancy into the show instead of hiding her behind props. Just one thing I'm not sure about, I must have missed something, who is the father of Jordan's baby? Shelley, I'm pretty sure it was meant to be bottled water that she was swigging.

I look forward to next week's episode, the previews look good. Matthew continues to shine in this new role and Bradley Whitford is really growing on me.

Hi Mel!!

I think we will learn who the father is next week.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!!

Sk8888

Shelley, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. Thank you. :glomp:

New episode tonight!

The Christmas Show
12.04.06 10/9c
Holiday magic works romantic wonders as the FCC cracks down.

Matt is determined to bring the Christmas spirit to Los Angeles with the holiday show; Danny struggles with his true feelings for Jordan.

What a great episode - the Christmas Show. The writing, the timing, the storyline on the FCC (not fiction), the portrayal of a potential budding romance, playing with the romance versus the facts and myths of the Christmas story, the ongoing bubblyness of the Matt/Harriet adventure. And for me the spine-tingling climax with the New Orleans musicians (also not fiction) was just beautiful. I really think this episode turned the corner for the show. This was what the show is capable of - heart, intelligence, wit. Revealing the issues of the day through great writing, weaving seamlessly into the story. No laughtrack formulaic same-old here. Couldn't ask for more.

Couldn't agree with you more.

The musical number/tribute at the end was indeed spine-tingling.

I get goose bumps just thinking about it. Incredible!

Sk8888

Back on this Monday!

Sk8888

Yes! I've missed this show. :bunny: