Sunset on Studio 60?

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article on NBC's new drama, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The title? "Can a TV Show With Dream Viewers But Low Ratings Survive? Stay Tuned." The theme of the piece is that the show attracts highly-educated, upper income viewers, which is good, but not many others, which is bad. Since the premier, the ratings have fallen each week. Without the original commitment to 13 episodes and the huge financial investment, many think the show would have already been cancelled.

I haven't written anything about the show, mostly because I was waiting for it to get better. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened.

As most of you know, I love the work of the show's creator, Aaron Sorkin. His previous shows, Sports Night and The West Wing, are two of my all-time favorites. I had very high hopes for Studio 60, but it's been a disappointment so far.

The article mentions one possible problem - the stakes are very low. Compared to presidential politics or the numerous crime and medical dramas, the survival of a late-night sketch comedy show lacks much urgency or sense of importance. However, Sports Night was dedicated to something arguably of even less importance, a sports highlight show, yet still captured my interest (although, admittedly, not many others).

I think the problem is that Studio 60 is simply full of itself. It's a television show dedicated to the idea that television plays a huge role in shaping popular culture and opinion, at the exact moment when most have come to the conclusion that it doesn't. The show is a bit of time-warp, insisting that the whole country holds its breath to see what cutting-edge, politically incorrect witticisms will change public opinion this weekend.

The characters, we're told, are incredibly talented and the best in the business, but there is no proof of this, we're just supposed to take their word for it. There is an overall assumption that we care about these people and the show, without giving us any reasons to care.

Combine all of this with Sorkin's love for the soapbox (my favorite was when he used his own show to defend his past drug problems - a character with a cocaine addiction argued his moral superiority to someone who drove drunk one time), I just can't find anything truly captivating.

The writing is intelligent and clever, as always, but there is so little about these people to like. There's is hardly anything about the show that I would call sweet, inspiring, or self-effacing, all of which were common elements in both Sports Night and The West Wing. The conventional wisdom is that critics and high-minded people everywhere think the show is first-rate - the only thing needed is to broaden the audience to include, well, lesser people. You'll find a similar arrogance on the show itself.

Comments

[Dean Shareski]

I never watched West Wing or Sports Night but am really enjoying Studio 60. Being a fan of SNL and any "making of" productions, it's a perfect fit for me.
I don't get the sense its full of itself but certainly translates the pressure and time constraints of producing a weekly live TV show.

I hope it continues, to be it's the best new show out there.

[stephen shields]

i find myself mostly agreeing with you. I too loved West Wing. I had stopped watching it after the 2nd or 3rd season and recently picked it back up on DVD and now am just waiting for the last season to come out. (I know Sorkin left the show, but it still held my attention). after a great 1st episode, it's just been downhill. and the skits it has shown simply haven't been funny. i'm hoping that these what seem to be almost universal sentiments ab the show will be taken to heart and the show can be steered around to people and issues that are compelling, instead of stabbing at gravitas that just isn't there.

thanks.

[L.L. Barkat]

I can't remember the last time I watched TV. Perhaps the audience they're reaching for, as you seem to imply, has gone on to other things.

[Blake]

It's not over yet. NBC just ordered 3 more scripts. I think they want it to work out.

[Matt]

I totally agree Brian. I've never seen the law of diminishing returns more applicable than here. Week 1 was great…. .week 2 was good.... Week 3... I may have fallen asleep during the show... Week 4, I forgot to DVR it... and yadda yadda yadda. It’s falling off the radar for me. I did like John Goodman’s character in the show last night... but still... There’s not enough for me to like to make it a weekly staple. Most of the characters seem miserable week in and week out. And further more... the sketches that the show is presenting to their production are totally not funny... Which is a lot like SNL these days.