Why You Should Mourn Studio 60

Laremy Legel,  Feb 21, 2007

As early as October TV, critics asked the question, "Can Studio 60 Be Saved?" and USAToday's "Pop Candy" blogger, Whitney Matheson, opined:

I hate to say it, but I'm ready for a change. Though I've seen almost every episode of Studio 60 and adore Matthew Perry, I've been disappointed with its recent transformation into a sappy romance.

Heck, NBC even shelved the show a week early. I'll be the first to admit the show was limping along, but I'm still extremely saddened by its departure. The show, officially on hiatus, is all but dead as NBC moves a new drama into its slot (The Black Donnellys). Why should this concern you as a television consumer? Isn't NBC just switching out a drama for a drama? Can the fall of Western Civilization be linked to one little quasi-cancellation?

Yes and no. Clearly, Studio 60 departing the airwaves has not created a hubbub or an outpouring of fans, mostly because the show hadn't established a fan base yet. It hadn't really even established what sort of show it was going to be when it grew up, thus the ding of "sappy romance." But it should have had that chance. Aaron Sorkin, the show's creator, has given us gifts like The West Wing and Sports Night. The guy can flat out write. He's the master of quick and intelligent dialogue, a lost art in a programming schedule awash with reality shows and situational comedy. Though he's been labeled as "preachy," Sorkin aspired to something better in a prime-time slot, a drama about the making of a Saturday Night Live-style sketch comedy show. The fodder for such a show was plentiful -- check out this book which details the drugs, sex, and rock n' roll behind the pressure cooker that is live weekly comedy. Matthew Perry (as Matt Albie) was already one of my favorite characters to watch even if the stories surrounding him weren't always captivating.

In the end we didn't trade one drama for another, and no matter how good The Black Donnellys is, it won't make me feel better about Studio 60. What we really traded was the chance to get another drama added to the docket. In a day where shows like Grey's Anatomy and Heroes are thriving, I think NBC should have held on to a smart drama and given it a chance to develop.

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Laremy Legel -- Mail Me, but only if you think we'll be friends.