TV commentary -- man, this takes me back
Sep. 26th, 2006 05:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stakebaitI didn’t see the first episode of Studio 60. (I was having a little medical drama of my own, which has – knock wood – hopefully been cancelled.) So last night was my first chance to watch it, and they had me before the end of the teaser. More precisely, they had me at “you get thrown into a firey pit” “can we do that now?” when I laughed so hard and long my friend had to pause his DVR. This is going to be a problem when I am watching at my own, totally low tech house. I don’t even have cable.
I love the concept of having, instead of the standard TV rationing of one snarky guy per show, who is always my favorite, the snarky guy and the other snarky guy be the heroes. It makes a lot of sense in a show about writers (and man, Sorkin gives good writer, and even better *collaborative* writer. I am getting a hit here I haven’t gotten since season 4 of the West Wing.) If there ever was a place made up of all the class clowns from high school, you gotta figure the writer’s room of a comedy show is it.
I love that this is simultaneously an unabashed buddy show a la old fashioned cop programs, *and* an ensemble. Two guys, equals themselves, in that Buffy/Angel/Mal role. Maybe it’s been done and I just had my head under the rock again, but I can’t remember really ever seeing it before, and I think its genius.
I love that already I’m starting to get a character vibe about the rest of them and it’s a little nuanced even after only 20 minutes. I’m not sure if I like the leading ex-girlfriend or not, and I like that I’m not sure.
I love the moments of meta/self-referentialness (“it needs to do too many things”), especially since at least so far they don’t seem to be getting lost in it.
I love the Gilbert and Sullivan, because the Achilles heel of so many creative works about creative works is the excerpts supposedly being created. And you know, it *worked* as TV. I’d have laughed. I did laugh. “that’s not what we said.” Bwah!
Most of all, I love the writing. With great love. “count backward from 7.” Bwah again!
Things I don’t love (you knew there had to be a couple, right?)
The name of the show is also the name of the show-within-a-show. Minus one point for being too precious, minus three points for what I can already see is going to be an ongoing confusion akin to Serenity the pilot episode, battle, ship, movie, and dessert topping.
I don’t love the Christian prayer before the show-within-a-show opened. Maybe that’s totally legit showbiz tradition but it felt dragged in, like they were making a point because NBC did not have the courage of NBS and demanded a sop thrown. Plus, isn’t one of the writers Jewish? Does he do Hebrew when it’s his turn? Do the atheists get to deliver short pithy speeches on the non-existence of God? Are there people who refuse to participate and do they run into bad feeling from their co-workers? Maybe this is all going to be a plot point but it just left a bad taste in my mouth – I would no more pray with my co-workers than I would invite them to sleep over. Although come to think of it they did that too.
I am mixed on the president of the network. She did say president, right? I have a hard time believing that someone who is about my age and female would get that job, when they all seem to be at least 20 years older and male. OTOH what I lose on suspension of disbelief I gain back on good example. I don’t understand who the guy who hates spunk is and who is in charge between them, so I’m having a hard time understanding the power dynamics. Presumably all will become clear in time, or if I can find anyone who taped the first episode. In the meantime, I can’t not like someone for refusing to break promises. And I can’t not thrill a little to her announcement that she doesn’t think people who watch TV are any stupider than the people who make it. This, clearly, is going to be Studio 60s version of the wish fulfillment West Wing politics, at least for me.
Though can we have a brief reality check? The shows that I and my mom like and that I would want my kids to watch are a tiny fraction of what’s popular at the moment, not because other people are stupid but because they’re not me. Some people even eat green beans voluntarily, and if I were in the vegetable business I’d be wise to take that into account.
Of course, this halcyon moment only lasted until one of those people who watch television dared to open her mouth. Granted, it’s a different character who went off about Revenge of the Hacks (and still another who came back with Bernadette’s five cats), but to an extent these are all the Voice of Sorkin – and given that I’ve already seen similar speeches coming out of Josh and Donna on the West Wing(Parliaments and muumuus), I think that extent is not negligible.
This is my biggest fear about this show, that Sorkin’s dismissive attitude towards active fandom is going to spoil it for me. It only turned up in TWW twice, but on Studio 60 it could quite legitimately become a running subplot. [Further rant deleted because it was no fun and most of y’all are in the choir. Clearly I’m just bitter because I quit smoking Parliaments and I’m four cats behind.]
On a much lighter note, why is S60 the show-within-a-show an hour and a half long? Or did I just misunderstand? I could have sworn they said 11:30-1. An hour would be standard, and if they’re changing that it would make more sense to me to make it half an hour, so that on a Very Special Episode we could see the whole show-within-a-show and still have time for some backstage action.
I’m skeptical about Bradley Whitford’s character getting caught doing drugs, not because it Sends the Wrong Message but because that happened to Sorkin. And there can be a fine line between Write What You Know and Marty Stu. I never felt that his handling of Leo’s alcoholism on the West Wing was anything less than uncompromising and brilliant, but now there are so many more points of correspondence between Sorkin’s bio and the character’s that I just worry. But we’ll see. He hasn’t put a foot wrong yet.
I also got to watch the first half of Heroes (then the DVR malfunctioned). I liked it. I’m not as totally sold as I was on Studio 60 – I found the Star Wars-esque text intro and all the Portentous Voice Over About Human Nature kind of eyeroll-y. But as soon as the actual humans started actually talking to each other, I warmed up fast. ‘Cause I liked them.
I have a special soft spot for the Indian professor, ’cause nothing warms my heart like intellectual enthusiasm. Plus, accent. And he’s really cute. But I kind of like *all* the cast of putative protagonists so far, despite being a little perplexed about what cheerleader girl is trying to do – kill herself or find the limits of her power or what. I hardly got to see Clockman, but anyone who references Spock can't be all bad. I like “I believe I can fly” co-dependant guy in spite of his tendency to say earnest things, especially his relationship with his mother, which is already more complicated and interesting than some shows get in years. Congresswannabe Brother I just want to smack, so far, and sigh for the Selfish Politician stereotype again, but hey, first episode. Maybe he’ll get layers later.
Speaking of which, is there only one normal girl in New York, that she’s dating one mutant and gets asked out by another? Manageable cast of characters good, but unless 1 in 10 people are gonna turn out to be heroes, and/or there’s some kind of non-random reason that they’re drawn to her, I’m still on ‘kay.
Also having a little trouble suspending disbelief when they start poking at the quasi-scientific causes of all this. Rapid healing, even regeneration, sure. Starfish do it, why not us. But what kind of genetic mutation could possibly cause your reflection to have a mind of its own? Unless, you know, it’s a fake out, she’s just a little mental and it’s her son who’s the superhero – or someone else is messing with her somehow. Not that my beloved Buffy was such a marvel of scientific plausibility, just saying its easier for me to swallow as “magic”, which by definition doesn’t make sense.
But again, first episode. First half of first episode. Possibly all this was resolved in the half hour I didn’t see.
Anyway, I’ll be watching Studio 60 for sure. Heroes, probably, especially since it fits nicely in the hour between when I get home and finish dinner on Mondays and when Studio 60 comes on.
I love the concept of having, instead of the standard TV rationing of one snarky guy per show, who is always my favorite, the snarky guy and the other snarky guy be the heroes. It makes a lot of sense in a show about writers (and man, Sorkin gives good writer, and even better *collaborative* writer. I am getting a hit here I haven’t gotten since season 4 of the West Wing.) If there ever was a place made up of all the class clowns from high school, you gotta figure the writer’s room of a comedy show is it.
I love that this is simultaneously an unabashed buddy show a la old fashioned cop programs, *and* an ensemble. Two guys, equals themselves, in that Buffy/Angel/Mal role. Maybe it’s been done and I just had my head under the rock again, but I can’t remember really ever seeing it before, and I think its genius.
I love that already I’m starting to get a character vibe about the rest of them and it’s a little nuanced even after only 20 minutes. I’m not sure if I like the leading ex-girlfriend or not, and I like that I’m not sure.
I love the moments of meta/self-referentialness (“it needs to do too many things”), especially since at least so far they don’t seem to be getting lost in it.
I love the Gilbert and Sullivan, because the Achilles heel of so many creative works about creative works is the excerpts supposedly being created. And you know, it *worked* as TV. I’d have laughed. I did laugh. “that’s not what we said.” Bwah!
Most of all, I love the writing. With great love. “count backward from 7.” Bwah again!
Things I don’t love (you knew there had to be a couple, right?)
The name of the show is also the name of the show-within-a-show. Minus one point for being too precious, minus three points for what I can already see is going to be an ongoing confusion akin to Serenity the pilot episode, battle, ship, movie, and dessert topping.
I don’t love the Christian prayer before the show-within-a-show opened. Maybe that’s totally legit showbiz tradition but it felt dragged in, like they were making a point because NBC did not have the courage of NBS and demanded a sop thrown. Plus, isn’t one of the writers Jewish? Does he do Hebrew when it’s his turn? Do the atheists get to deliver short pithy speeches on the non-existence of God? Are there people who refuse to participate and do they run into bad feeling from their co-workers? Maybe this is all going to be a plot point but it just left a bad taste in my mouth – I would no more pray with my co-workers than I would invite them to sleep over. Although come to think of it they did that too.
I am mixed on the president of the network. She did say president, right? I have a hard time believing that someone who is about my age and female would get that job, when they all seem to be at least 20 years older and male. OTOH what I lose on suspension of disbelief I gain back on good example. I don’t understand who the guy who hates spunk is and who is in charge between them, so I’m having a hard time understanding the power dynamics. Presumably all will become clear in time, or if I can find anyone who taped the first episode. In the meantime, I can’t not like someone for refusing to break promises. And I can’t not thrill a little to her announcement that she doesn’t think people who watch TV are any stupider than the people who make it. This, clearly, is going to be Studio 60s version of the wish fulfillment West Wing politics, at least for me.
Though can we have a brief reality check? The shows that I and my mom like and that I would want my kids to watch are a tiny fraction of what’s popular at the moment, not because other people are stupid but because they’re not me. Some people even eat green beans voluntarily, and if I were in the vegetable business I’d be wise to take that into account.
Of course, this halcyon moment only lasted until one of those people who watch television dared to open her mouth. Granted, it’s a different character who went off about Revenge of the Hacks (and still another who came back with Bernadette’s five cats), but to an extent these are all the Voice of Sorkin – and given that I’ve already seen similar speeches coming out of Josh and Donna on the West Wing(Parliaments and muumuus), I think that extent is not negligible.
This is my biggest fear about this show, that Sorkin’s dismissive attitude towards active fandom is going to spoil it for me. It only turned up in TWW twice, but on Studio 60 it could quite legitimately become a running subplot. [Further rant deleted because it was no fun and most of y’all are in the choir. Clearly I’m just bitter because I quit smoking Parliaments and I’m four cats behind.]
On a much lighter note, why is S60 the show-within-a-show an hour and a half long? Or did I just misunderstand? I could have sworn they said 11:30-1. An hour would be standard, and if they’re changing that it would make more sense to me to make it half an hour, so that on a Very Special Episode we could see the whole show-within-a-show and still have time for some backstage action.
I’m skeptical about Bradley Whitford’s character getting caught doing drugs, not because it Sends the Wrong Message but because that happened to Sorkin. And there can be a fine line between Write What You Know and Marty Stu. I never felt that his handling of Leo’s alcoholism on the West Wing was anything less than uncompromising and brilliant, but now there are so many more points of correspondence between Sorkin’s bio and the character’s that I just worry. But we’ll see. He hasn’t put a foot wrong yet.
I also got to watch the first half of Heroes (then the DVR malfunctioned). I liked it. I’m not as totally sold as I was on Studio 60 – I found the Star Wars-esque text intro and all the Portentous Voice Over About Human Nature kind of eyeroll-y. But as soon as the actual humans started actually talking to each other, I warmed up fast. ‘Cause I liked them.
I have a special soft spot for the Indian professor, ’cause nothing warms my heart like intellectual enthusiasm. Plus, accent. And he’s really cute. But I kind of like *all* the cast of putative protagonists so far, despite being a little perplexed about what cheerleader girl is trying to do – kill herself or find the limits of her power or what. I hardly got to see Clockman, but anyone who references Spock can't be all bad. I like “I believe I can fly” co-dependant guy in spite of his tendency to say earnest things, especially his relationship with his mother, which is already more complicated and interesting than some shows get in years. Congresswannabe Brother I just want to smack, so far, and sigh for the Selfish Politician stereotype again, but hey, first episode. Maybe he’ll get layers later.
Speaking of which, is there only one normal girl in New York, that she’s dating one mutant and gets asked out by another? Manageable cast of characters good, but unless 1 in 10 people are gonna turn out to be heroes, and/or there’s some kind of non-random reason that they’re drawn to her, I’m still on ‘kay.
Also having a little trouble suspending disbelief when they start poking at the quasi-scientific causes of all this. Rapid healing, even regeneration, sure. Starfish do it, why not us. But what kind of genetic mutation could possibly cause your reflection to have a mind of its own? Unless, you know, it’s a fake out, she’s just a little mental and it’s her son who’s the superhero – or someone else is messing with her somehow. Not that my beloved Buffy was such a marvel of scientific plausibility, just saying its easier for me to swallow as “magic”, which by definition doesn’t make sense.
But again, first episode. First half of first episode. Possibly all this was resolved in the half hour I didn’t see.
Anyway, I’ll be watching Studio 60 for sure. Heroes, probably, especially since it fits nicely in the hour between when I get home and finish dinner on Mondays and when Studio 60 comes on.
