Shark Bytes

NEVER JUMPED. This show was exactly what we needed. All political and religous crap aside, it spoke the truth. The pilot with Judd Hirsh spilling his guts was a message. For the shows sake is was a lead into the introduction of Perry, or was it? Prior to Studio 60, NBC was a smart network...keeping their noses fairly clean by avoiding the TRASH we call reality TV. They make a bold move and put something worthwhile on the TV and it got shot down because it was too good, too intelligent, and too above the heads of our retarding society. NBC, then feeling the pressure, sunk to the bottom of the barrel and a new level to garbage was thrust upon the trash heap. I don't care how 'real' they try to make this garbage, those people on an island, in a loft, in a house, wherever they put them, are as close to being type casted as it gets. AND, it's all edited anyway. The only differnece between it and other tv shows is that nobody knows the people 'playing the roles' of: the feminist, the religous fanatic, the muscular jock, the nerd, the big chested girl, the male model, the sexist/racist, or the homosexual. Think about it...look at every (big network) reality show and you WILL find at least 4 of the 8 'types' of AVERAGE people picked to do whatever. It's sickening that we eat this 'cookie cutter' trash by the spoonful and sit on the edge of our chair waiting for more. Here's an idea...FILM THE WAR...That is reality tv. But I bet the public wouldn't watch more than 1-2 roadside bomb attacks before they found it to be too much. Meanwhile, well written, intelligent shows (like Studio 60) fall by the wayside because they speak too much truth and not enough drama. Let's face it, watching other peoples' dramas make us feel so much better about our lives, but it leaves us with a few less brain cells each time we watch. I am counting down the seconds until this reality fad fades away. Now don't get me wrong, there are good reality shows out there...but hte key word is REALITY, not a bunch of people playing games and winning prizes. I'm talking about Deadliest Catch, Cops or Dirty Jobs...shows where people are actaully working to earn their living and happen to have a camera there. I hope that we all come to our senses before "have you ever been on a reality show?" becomes a stardard question on a job application.

@iholcombe. Thanks for your thoughtful response, with which I disagree. To present Harriet and Albie as opposing characters that represent the nature of America is oversimplified. I don't buy into the Red/Blue state concept. I also take issue with your insertion of "intellectual" in front of "atheist." By comparison, a Christian cannot be an intellectual? I'm not calling you out, but we all too quickly label people who attend mass regularly as non-intellectual, but put a yarmulka or taqiyah on someone and we immediately assume they must have some special insight to the true nature of the universe.
There are a couple of issues here. First, the majority of Americans with faith are Christian, and comments like yours are simply a matter of familiarity breeding contempt. Second, in our desire to boil everything down to a common denominator, maps designated by colors are easy to grasp. Because the electoral college determined the President's election in 2000, and the majority of those states responsible for electing him are considered rural by east and west coast media, it stands to reason that they all think alike. Ask yourself this: if all red staters think alike, how did Bush lose the popular vote in 2000? The popular vote was mostly very close in most cases, both red and blue. To proudly proclaim your blue state status, when Bush probably lost your state by very low single digits, doesn't make you Albert Schweitzer. Nor does him winning your state by that same margin make you Larry the Cable Guy. The Red/Blue state is a myth, and to perpetuate it by siding with mindless popular entertainment is kind of sad.
A mass market show that precociously adds obscure cultural references to Commedia dell'arte to their dialogue does not make it smart. I know about Wikipedia, too.
At any rate, thanks.

As a blue stater and an Obama supporter, I would like to comment on the perception that this show failed because the quality was just too high for mass audiences. "Studio 60" was simply not a good series. It was a show about a late-night comedy program, but it was never funny. I was always left with the impression that Aaron Sorkin really wanted to keep doing "The West Wing," and had come to regret making this thing about an SNL-type show. The political commentary was mawkish and didactic, and the romantic interests seemed forced. Matthew Perry really showed his range as a dramatic actor, but that was about all the good that came from this over-hyped letdown. "30 Rock" is silly, but at least it provides a chuckle here and there.

I do think this show may have jumped the shark, right about the time of the "Nevada Day" episodes w/ John Goodman. Flagging ratings, and NBC's rearrangement to incorporate more reality programs diverted resources and support from the show, and Sorkin was writing out of his ass to stay on the air. Fortunately, the ensemble characters were lovable enough that the last 2/3 of the series were still watchable.

@jsrawlinson - as a "blue-stater', I have a few comments. First, the whole last episode was just that - a last episode. The sexual tension between Matt and Harriet had to be resolved, so it got resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible. If there were more seasons, they might have continued their attract/repel relationship.
Second, one of the over-arcing themes of the show was Matt and Harriet as faces on the culture wars. Matt, the East Coast intellectual atheist, Harriet, the Midwestern Christian. Red state vs blue state, if you will. But regardless of the fact that they were ideologically opposed to each other, they still loved each other. Similarly, it could be argued that the one and only belief common to all Americans is that there should probably be an America. Whether red or blue, everybody loves America, and since Harriet and Matt are 2 different aspects of America, they love each other - and metaphorically, themselves. Weird, eh? But then that leaves the main question that the show never got to answer - how do you take that one thing and turn it into a relationship? Maybe that's the unanswerable question - it's certainly not going to get answered this November, I guarantee it. Faced with the last epsiode of his show, Aaron Sorkin had to make up a junk answer, using the "all you need is love" cliche. Maybe that's the true shark-jumping moment - when we're told that the solution to the redstate/bluestate argument is to just say "whatever, we're all Americans".

I'm not going to deny that it was too intelligent for a mass audience, but the fact that its style and social commentary were so mismatched with the setting and scenario didn't help.

The reason that Studio 60 didn't stand a chance is because it was too smart for mass audiences. God forbid we have to think while we watch television! What good is a show that discusses current political issues when the vast majority of those watching are busy looking at Britney's crotch? (This is why Matthew Perry's former Friend Courtney Arquette's Dirt would be the top show on today if it aired on a mainstream network.)

When the novelty of shows such as the overly soapy Grey's Anatomy and the painfully un-entertaining 30 Rock wears off, We're all going to wish we still had a quality show like this one. That cast was lightning in a bottle, and it's a shame NBC let the show die.

The problem was they took the mood of the West Wing and directly transplanted it to this show. But when you're dealing with a late night comedy show and still act like the world hangs in the balance, the drama and urgency seems a bit unearned.

I'm saying up front that I posted one response already, but the JTS censors decided that gay-baiting is more appropriate than an articulate defense of my earlier comment and would not post my response.
I assume that your comment juxtaposed behind mine was a response and not unsolicited.
I'll only say here that I do not claim to speak for "Christians," nor am I complaining about the quality of the show. I only said that I lost respect for a show that once had the guts to take a character that so many people would leap to criticizing without understanding her and then undermine her without a real explanation. Sorry if you misunderstood.

It's funny how Christians are complaining about the series, when they have an atheist praying at a time of need - hmm, when have we heard that before? Too wishywashy for me, and not irreligious enough. When that guy got on his knees - I want to make a joke here - I got out.

I loved this show until the last few episodes. I--a born and bred Red State denizen-by-God--can usually watch political entertainment and divorce my personal views from the characters in the show. The suspension of disbelief comes from my realization that the producers have complete, total control over its content and can ensure that no opposing points of view be introduced that would have a chance to undermine their views. It would be stupid to advance an agenda and make a 100-percent effort to subvert it. I get it.
I respected this show primarily for one character: the Christian. Harriet Hayes, the Christian, was devout, articulate and intelligent by the producers' objective standards, as demonstrated by her frequent Holly Hunter and Nancy Grace impressions. She represented Christian POVs with legitimate sincerity and without devolving into a cartoonish stereotype. It was all very refreshing.
However, in one episode, "What Kind of Day Has it Been," that all changed. Danny Tripp, in chastising Harriet Hayes for not being with Albie, said words to the effect that no one should give a damn about whether their life partner and soul mate should respect one another's religious beliefs...and she said nothing.
A true, devout Cristian ideally should make Christ the central focus of her life. That's very hard to do. I don't claim that I know many people who have achieved that. It is much easier to say, "You know, I really dig this guy and he thinks my beliefs are wrong and irresponsible, but he's cute, so I'll just keep my mouth shut to keep him."
A general summary of my distaste for this scene is that I think the producer is saying this character doesn't really believe what she claims to believe, or at least as strongly as she claims to. Under duress, she cynically caves in to the alternate POV because it...just makes more sense or she doesn't want to argue. Thus, the alternate POV is crushed as always. Also, I realizethe context of the scene and why it came up, but it is still hard to swallow.
I still enjoy the show and wish it were still on the air, but my respect for it is significantly diminished.
I eagerly anticipate angry responses.

I loved this show. The writing was absolutely brilliant. Some of the camera work as it followed the actors was amazing, too. Never understood why some people hated it so much. Never have seen Aaron Sorkin's "West Wing" so I have nothing to compare it to or rate it against, but this was a great show. Of course, I thought "North Shore" was a great show too, so what do I know.

The show jumped as soon as Amanda Peet got pregnant. The need to explain it meant that it turned into a soap rather than a show within a show.

Alan Sorkin managed to make a show about comedy not funny.

Amanda Peet and Sarah Pulson were mis-cast. Peet was way too snarky to be believable as a corporate VP, and Pulson was too serious to be a sketch tv personality. I think if the actresses had switched roles, the whole dynamic would have worked better. Besides, Peet and Matthew Perry has a past chemistry from working on the movie "The Whole Nine Yards".

In the past, Courtney Cox was supposed to play Rachel in Friends, and Betty White was supposed to play Blanche in Golden Girls. Along with too many weak characters in the "Studio 60" show-within-the-show, that's why it never had a chance.

Too bad, because I really liked what they were "trying" to do, and watched every episode. It just wasn't there on the screen.

I loved this show from beginning to end! It was better than most television shows out there. I mean come on how many seasons can One Tree Hill have? The characters were great, and I loved the mix of Comedy and Drama. Matthew Perry is one of my favorite actors which is why I originally watched the show, but I was ecstatic to learn that the entire ensemble was absolutely amazing.

If NBC had done their job properly this could have been a very successful show for them.