# Sports Night **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976 "2002-08-21T19:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/1 "2002-08-21T19:51:00Z")
I have been watching reruns of **Sports Night** every morning on Comedy Central at 6:30am. How did I miss this show when it was first-run? What network was it on? What year/years? I love it and can’t imagine why it was cancelled. Also, I love the character of Jeremy (Joshua Malina). Any info about anything else he was/is in? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/2 "2002-08-21T20:32:36Z")
_[Sports Night](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0165961)_ is one of those little gems that are underappreciated when they’re on, so they’re cancelled relatively quickly. Here is Jeremy Malina’s [IMDB](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Malina,+Joshua) listing. Robin, who gets cranky if she doesn’t watch _Sports Night_ daily. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/3 "2002-08-21T21:46:03Z")
_Now_ you find it… It was on ABC, tuesday nights with Dharma & Greg. You missed it the same reason everyone missed it - ABC had no clue how to advertise it - and nearly no one watched it. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/4 "2002-08-21T21:55:18Z")
I should note that the entire series will be released as a package on DVD on November 5th. And will Max buy it? Awww yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/5 "2002-08-21T22:01:51Z")
I should note that the entire series will be released as a package on DVD on November 5th. And will Max buy it? Awww yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/6 "2002-08-21T23:32:45Z")
I really liked it when it was first on, and tried to get others to watch it too. I was sad when they cancelled it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/7 "2002-08-21T23:42:36Z")
Created by Aaron Sorkin, who went on to bring us West Wing. Pay attention, and you’ll notice the similarities. ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/8 "2002-08-22T00:23:11Z")
We **loved** Sports Night. Another nail in its casket was that sometimes it was on at 9:00, sometimes 9:30, sometimes 8:30 on Wednesday…well, you get the idea. They couldn’t figure out where in the schedule to put it to reach its fans, and its fans couldn’t figure out when the heck it was on. There was even a Yahoo group aimed at saving it from cancellation. Obviously, they failed. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/9 "2002-08-22T00:26:00Z")
I agree. It’s a great show and I try to tape it every night. h.sapiens, I’ve always known it was written by Sorkin, but I was a bit shocked to see Janel Maloney the other day as one of the wardrobe women. ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/10 "2002-08-22T00:36:28Z")
We **loved** Sports Night. Another nail in its casket was that sometimes it was on at 9:00, sometimes 9:30, sometimes 8:30 on Wednesday…well, you get the idea. They couldn’t figure out where in the schedule to put it to reach its fans, and its fans couldn’t figure out when the heck it was on. There was even a Yahoo group aimed at saving it from cancellation. Obviously, they failed. ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/11 "2002-08-22T00:40:48Z")
Now the last time I posted and it timed out, my post was eaten. So this time, I hit back, then subject and end up double posting. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/12 "2002-08-22T00:53:04Z")
Eli’s coming… ---
**Author:** ![Sapphire\_Bullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Sapphire\_Bullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapphire_Bullet)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/13 "2002-08-22T04:17:34Z")
GREAT episode, **Gadarene**. I thought the writing for Jeremy’s character got a little weird for a while in the second season (“I can’t give blood! It isn’t the needle…blah blah blah”), but the show was pretty consistently hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/14 "2002-08-22T15:08:29Z")
I thought the giving blood bit in particular was hilarious – Jeremy was the mouthpiece – he was always right about everything all the time, and that part was the writers making fun of their own earnestness. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/15 "2002-08-22T21:29:46Z")
The ending to that episode gave me chills every time I saw it, **Sapphire Bullet**. “What’re you, nuts? Huh? Are you some kind of…nutty nut-girl who’s nuts? There’s a difference between divorced and separated. One is divorced and the other is separated. That’s why they have those names.” ---
**Author:** ![Melon\_Farmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Melon\_Farmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melon_Farmer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/16 "2002-08-22T23:02:49Z")
The big difference for me between the first season and the second season was that they got rid of the laugh track in the second season. Made it a much better show imo. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/17 "2002-08-22T23:25:56Z")
I thought the scripts and storylines for the second season were noticeably poorer, however. Apparently it was tough for Sorkin to divide his attention between Sports Night and West Wing, and Sports Night suffered for it. ---
**Author:** ![CMC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CMC)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-night/124976/18 "2002-08-23T11:15:41Z")
I too was a huge fan of Sports Night when it was on. I think the problems with the last season resulted from trying to go overdramatic to save the show. Probably had something to do with being named “The Best Show You Are Not Watching.” William H. Macy even came on as an effort to save the sinking ship. And while I loved him and his character I don’t think the show needed outside blood, but just more of what made it so good in the first place.