The article is about the negative reaction comedy writers have had to the show.
Oh and my sketch comedy troupe’s recent “Studio 60” themed show gets several paragraphs. Woot.
They want registration. It’s free, but I hate registering.
The main gist of the article is that comedy writers don’t like it. As the author points out, doctors hate doctor shows, lawyers hate lawyer shows. The reason is that tv sensationalizes everything.
Oh, and CSIs hate CSI. I have a friend who refuses to watch the show with her hubby because he’s a CSI and nitpicks it.
– IG
… exactly why I refuse to watch any shows with pompous windbags…
I know a CSI who drives a Ford Tempo, hates the shows, mainly for their funding.
I’m hoping that that sketch featuring Santa Claus being grilled on To Catch A Predator was a sign of good things to come.
I haven’t read the article referenced in the OP (won’t register) but this is likely the heart of it. There was a show that lasted about 3 episodes on NBC that was set in an infertility clinic. And as someone who works with infertility docs, let’s just say that they continued the trend noted above - they hated the show…
I suppose it would be ironic if a show about a group of cynics was critically hailed on the boards?
Don’t be cynical…
– IG
Why shouldn’t people who write comedy hate Studio 60?
On this board at least, people who watch comedy hate Studio 60.
Once again, I am amazed that people think that Studio 60 needs to have funny sketches in the episodes. Its not a late-night comedy-variety show, its about the people who write, perform and produce a late-night comedy-variety show.
It’s never good when a character’s attributes are described, but never backed up by what the audience sees. If we’re told that a charactef is considered a genius, but every time we see him do anything, he acts utterly moronic, it harms our ability to buy in to the show’s basic premise. We need to occasionally see some funny sketches, just to substantiate the in-character claims that Studio 60 is a funny show.
Of course, this is trickier in Studio 60 than in other workplace dramas. To show that JD in Scrubs is a good doctor, it simply has to be scripted that the patient gets better. Even if everything he does is medically wrong, most of us aren’t MDs and don’t know that, and can only judge by the written outcome. In contrast, anyone is qualified to judge comedy. We all know if something is funny or not. If we’re repeatedly shown stuff that the characters laugh at, but we don’t, it hurts our suspension of disbelief.
Is Studio 60 even supposed to be about a good late night sketch comedy show? It seems that in the pilot it was shown to be a tired show with lame skits that even the producer was embarrassed about. I wouldn’t expect to see hilarious stuff most of the time. The show is about the struggle to make something worthy.
The problem is, the show presents stuff that, according to the show, is supposed to be funny–but its not.
-FrL-
The idea is that it was a tired old sketch comedy show before our heroes showed up and transformed. Suddenly, they’re doing “Modern Major General” parodies, which we all know equals=hilarious.
Sure, but if they’re going to show sketches (and they choose to show bits and pieces), they should be funny, right? Or at least entertaining? Because, even outside the suspension of disbelief issue that others have mentioned, what’s the point of having segments on the show that don’t do anything? If they’re not funny and they’re not dramatic, then they’re just dead air.
But on the show it’s based, Saturday Night Live has varying degrees of funny, not-so-funny, and dead air sketches. Just makes it a little more realistic in my view. Because it’s about the people backstage, not the show within the show.
But I’ve got no blade left on this axe from all the grinding I’ve done, here and in other places.
It seems to me that Studio 60, after Matt and Danny step in, is supposed to be a cut above current SNL, which is closer to the creative desert we saw in the pilot.
I figured Studio 60:SNL::Bartlett Administration:Clinton Administration
In West Wing, the political rhetoric was a sort of commentary on the behind-the-scenes drama, in addition to being the end product of all the work the characters were doing.
I think perhaps I might do Aaron Sorkin a favor and forget that there ever was a show called The West Wing.
I’m not going to read the article, because I won’t register on their site. So tell me - do comedy writers hate the show because they think the comedy isn’t funny? Or do they hate it because they think it inaccurately portrays the process of writing comedy.
I can’t help but notice the contrast between this show and “30 Rock”. The comedy writers on 30 Rock act like I think comedy writers would act. On Studio 60, they seem like the most pretentious, unfunny people I’ve ever seen. It’s all heavy drama and tension in the writer’s room.
I tend to believe that ‘30 Rock’ is closer to the truth, at least because the show is full of actual comedy writers and ex-SNL people.