Studio 60 "B-12" 11/27/06
 

Looks like the issue much discussed in last week's thread is about come busting out all over. :lol:

I understand that on tonight's episode we learn Harriet is a Christian, and that despite this Matt is still in love with her.

I've been DVR-ing this show (and The Class) since it first started, but just finally got around to watching all the episodes this past weekend. Now I'm totally hooked! Can't wait to finally watch an episode the same week it airs.

Rob

Use spoilers, dude. You ruined it!!!!

i don't usually watch much of this show, but the beginning with the deal/no deal spoof was pretty funny. :lol:

Mark McKinney WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I hope they have Bruce or Kevin on here next!

I thought tonight's episode was a bit fluffy, but sort of funny (Harriet's inability to tell a joke, I know people like her in this respect). Jordan's bombshell was predictable, but the "who" is the mystery for now.

Danny and the Lahti character riff well. I wonder how many times they filmed the spit-take scene. The serious guy was killing me with his sarcasm.

I'm amazed that not only did they have a plot about a comedienne being unable to tell a joke, they didn't have anyone remark that this woman who makes her living telling jokes couldn't tell a joke.

McKinney was excellent.

Amanda Peet is probably happy she doesn't have to carry things in front of her belly anymore.

The Harriet subplot with her inability to tell a joke was good, and the monologue was actually good.

I agree with most of what has been said above. I also have to say that I love the continued Harriet partial undress stuff. We need more of that. :)

Are Dave and Mark the Kids that don't get along so well? I'd love to see Dave show up...

Sorkin seems to be either referencing or recycling Sports Night; e.g., a blonde woman who's bad at telling jokes (Dana), air horn followed by a spit take (Natalie and Dan), etc. I enjoy it either way.

Ha! Neither was referenced in this episode.
You think you have Sorkin's number.
But just when you think he's gonna Zig, he Zags.

I thought the episode was a bit uneven, but there's still enough solid material to keep me watching.

:thumbsup:

I hope we see more of him.

I was under the impressoin that these guys hated reality TV. Seems unrealistic that they would have Howie Mandel as a host.

Once again, the only good stuff was the network/Jordan stuff.

DOND is a game show, not a reality show. Some may lump them together, but some don't. It's clear which side of the line Howie's show is on.

I don't think you can be a TV guy and hate game shows. They're just as much a good part of television history as anything else is. You just have to cite shows like What's My Line? and Match Game.

The reality seems to me that NBC made a demand for some cross-promotion and this is what worked best for them. The material really was very good if you ask me.

Yeah, I don't usually do that but I was lazy in my characterization.

Regardless, DOND is a stupid game show - certainly not in the tradition of great ones like Match Game. I have a hard time believing that the show-runners of S60 would have the host of such a show host their program.

The cross-promotion by NBC was obvious, which is ironic considering these guys (and Sorkin I assume) would be extremely hostile to something like that. Frankly, I thought the opening skit, sorry sketch, was pretty lame.

DOND certainly is a stupid game show. It's also hard to imagine that they're just big Howie fans. At the same time, it could be that Wes had at least some of the hosts already scheduled and they just went along with it because they didn't want to get a reputation for the show as one that will cancel on you.

The best part of Match Game was Charles Nelson Riley's blank.

Ascot?

The DOND sketch was, unfortunately, exactly like something the current SNL writers would come up with. I mean, it's a game show that has had tear jerking family reunions and f'n Celine Dion on it. The parody sketch practically writes itself, and the best Matt (Sorkin) can come up with is Danny spending a really long time on the phone with the banker? Also, Mandel's line "Oh, you're doing a parody of my show" was really bad (I hope that was an ad lib by Mandel and not something Sorkin actually scripted).

Does Harriet have some kind of degenerative brain disease? Because her character seems to be getting stupider every week. She's been with Second City and the Groundlings, but now she can't remember even the simplest knock-knock joke?

So, according to Jordan, because people watch shows about lawyers and doctors, people will watch a show about the UN? :hscratch:

I liked the McKinney/New Writers storyline. I wish they would have spent more time on it.

Yeah - I usually like Jordan, but that was a pretty stupid line.

Anyone notice the Fight Club-esque soap on the TVs in the writers' room?

I noticed it. I think I've seen it before, though...in the writers room.

I like seeing the Studio 60 logo throughout the years. Few weeks ago they had a curly turquoise 70's type on one of the doors.

People were criticizing her decision to air a show about the UN, in part, because Americans (supposedly) have an unfavorable opinion of the UN.

Her point was that Americans (claim in polls that they) dislike doctors and lawyers, but still watch TV shows about doctors and lawyers.
So what people (claim to) dislike in reality does not dictate what they'll watch on TV.

Sorkin would be familiar with this argument because it was said that people hated Washington and politicians, and thus they would never watch a TV show set in the White House.

yep, she said that doctors and lawyers were the most "reviled" professions by Americans, but they still love doctor and lawyer shows.

this show is really hitting a stride. the last two episodes have been really good. mckinney was awesome.

as for the harriett/joke thing. it's obvious she can handle comedy, news/comedy, probably observational humor and other stand-up stuff. she just can't tell a straight-forward old-fashioned joke.

Well, she's half right.
Actually, since the Time magazine interview was intended to be a train wreck, it's probably a good idea not to pick apart what she said. I just hope when the upfronts come around, that a network president does a better job of selling a new show than "You like doctors and lawyers? You'll love UN deputy ambassadors!"

In "The Focus Group" she told that stupid bear joke twice from memory. Now she stumbles over the "Orange you glad I didn't say banana" knock-knock joke?

but that was a joke specifically written for the news segemnt, and told in a news-style delivery. probably a joke she wrote, too, as opposed to trying to re-tell a joke she heard.

i agree it's a stretch to make her unable to tell a classic-style joke, but there really is a difference between the two.

I honestly don't have a problem with the change in Harriet's character, IMO, she's the one who's character needed the most adjustment, to give her something to do beside being the token Christian.

I liked this show even in the beginning and I REALLY like it now. Definately starting to hit its stride.

Seems like so many people like to nit-pick at so many things in these weekly S60 threads.

welcome to internet discussion boards, SoSpacey. :)

I loved McKinney after the dress rehearsal Darius and Blondie are despondent about their failure and Darius wants to leave, but McKinney says "wait, you need to get the metaphor" (paraphrased) and then the door smacks Darius as the crowd rushes out. :lol:

yeah, so many great mckinney lines/scenes. really strong performance.

Seriously. This week seems to have taken it to a whole new level, with the comments about the UN show and the inability to tell a "duck walks into a bar" joke -- both of which make complete sense within the context of the show.

i enjoyed this episode.

I feel like this show is really hitting its stride now. I thought the opening monolouge was actually humorous. Loved seeing Mark McKinney. I did think the "can't tell a joke" things was a bit of stretch for the supposedly most talented member of a comedy skit show, but I can let that slide.

The only thing about the joke bit I wonder about is who Sorkin knows in real life who has played a funny character somewhere but couldn't tell a joke to save his or her life.

Lol. I know.

It just seems like everyone i in search of whats wrong with show every week instead of focusing on how much better its gotten every week.

I wanted to watch more when the episode ended.