The bastards cancelled my TV show....

[MikeSmoke]

I know there were only 50 of us in America watching it, but I loved Studio 60 and NBC has now officially put it on hiatus, with six episodes still left

[sandman!]

i liked thay show also

[themonk]

yeah me too

[fallenmuffin]

I know Studio 60 was great. It had an all star cast and great writing.. it could of gone the distance. Loved it.

[SPACE GLIDER]

I liked it. Think it deserved more of a chance. I remember when the same thing was done to Freaks and Geeks

[Jace]

they announced that they would be pulling that after the 3rd episode

it SUCKS too, cause I love it

[Jace]

Originally Posted by SPACE GLIDER

I liked it. Think it deserved more of a chance. I remember when the same thing was done to Freaks and Geeks

don't forget Undeclared also

now freeks and geeks AND undeclared are top rentals at Blockbuster

[Jace]

This guy hit the nail on the head....basically, as America gets dumber we can expect more smart humor shows to get the axe while Wife Swap holds high rankings

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/20/221309.php

The Death of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Network television programming executives must loathe smart, engaged viewers like me.

It’s cool. I despise them, too. Believe me, I’m no player hater. I’m just an irritable, college-educated guy who understands TV execs have a thankless job – one where demographics and tea leaf readings portend what shows will be picked up for every new season, where they will go in the schedule, and how best to gratify both audiences and advertisers alike.

For all involved, it’s a recipe for acid reflux meds at best and antidepressants at worst.

Yet knowing all of these factors, one can’t help but think that lowest common denominator results are aimed at the people who need help deciding which laundry detergent will get their shirts white enough… not at people who truly love to suspend their disbelief to be entertained, as they say.

So what’s got a viewer like me so hot? A bastard stepchild ensemble dramedy called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which, it appears, has finally gotten the axe at NBC that’s been threatened it for months now. I’m sure the "networkies" have got some old Fear Factor reruns to plug in there somewh… er, well, it seems it’s already been replaced by a midseason toss-off called The Black Donnellys. Sorry? The what who?

Everyone from Entertainment Weekly to Salon and Entertainment Tonight has been sounding the Studio 60 death knell recently. A bigger question raised from this rabble should be, "What happened to the gutsy network that took a chance on Sorkin’s rapid-fire political drama The West Wing and oddball comedies like Seinfeld and even the vapid Night Court?" Teams in last place aren’t known for guts, I suppose. Getting by, maybe... but you almost never see the 40-yard pass out of them.

Described as too “inside” and “self-important,” this great Aaron Sorkin vehicle never really had a chance, mainly because it was too smart for its time slot. The perpetually fourth-place-and-panicky NBC wussed out of anchoring their “Must See TV” Thursday revival with it. Instead, the show withered on the Monday night vine… home to football, 24 and Deal Or No Deal. Everyone knows that Monday night is a place where hard-working Joes and Janes get a reprieve from the return to the work week. They don't want clever. They just want their cold MGD or Miller Lite, chips, and idiot box to mentally check out with.

NBC so obviously feared Studio 60 would get destroyed by CBS's CSI and ABC's Grey's Anatomy, that execs there decided a reactionary move to Monday nights at 10 PM might just save the show... before they had really tried it elsewhere. Instead of focusing on the show’s star power – Sorkin and the all-star lineup of Bradley Whitford, ten-year Friend Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Timothy Busfield, Steven Weber – they quivered in fear and settled on a “prevent defense.” How else does this show not sell?

A note to NBC execs: you’re not playing for a first round draft pick.

Like Sorkin’s Sports Night before it, Studio 60 had a great ensemble cast. It was smart, insightful, funny, sophisticated — with great dialogue and complex character development that takes time to absorb. And, perhaps most importantly, it focused on the friendships, inner workings, ethics, and intuitions that television entertainment folk face every day, even as they attempt to produce first-rate programming under steady network bombardment and criticism.

Okay, I digress. Maybe that does make the context and storyline a bit too “inside.” But, like Sports Night, it made for fairly compelling viewing. No wonder it stiffed.

Truth be told, I thought Studio 60 had a better chance than Sports Night when actress and Golden Globe nominee Sarah Paulson was nominated for her role as Harriet Hayes. The air of legitimacy from a Globes win would have carried the show at least another year, giving the Studio 60 writing crew a chance for all of these great stories and subplots they've started in the show to develop. But she was passed over.

Seeing former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson winning a Globe was a far better read on network television’s (and, more importantly, Hollywood's) barometric pressure these days.

Outside of the success of Heroes and the one-trick pony known as The Office, NBC has decided to commit to the same mindless self-indulgent entertainment – with occasional, pseudo-intellectual decoupages – that the other networks have.

It's called "Throw 'em a bone," which is better than "Let them eat cake." But not much.

This same plague killed NBC’s smart, small town romantic dramedy Ed, starring perpetual comedic bridesmaid and Love Monkey star Tom Cavanaugh. First, NBC hastily messed with the story to jump start ratings, then moved the show to another time slot, and finally wrapped up the show with more reckless abandon than a Britney Spears binge weekend in LA.

At least in death, Studio 60 can say it predicted its own demise both inside and outside of the script. It will be able to keep its dignity and integrity in that regard. NBC, however, has truly lost the plot. Or, to finalize the football metaphor, fumbled again.

As for Sorkin and his work? Both are too smart to waste on a network that thinks more highly of Identity, 1 Vs. 100, The Apprentice, My Name is Earl, and one more insufferable Dateline NBC episode – where pervert predators are caught on tape attempting to solicit Internet chatroom decoys. Note to Sorkin: start shopping Studio 60 to Showtime or HBO. It’s got a better chance on cable anyway.

Just like me.

[fallenmuffin]

Fox killed Keen Eddie and it never went to DVD.. Bravo (NBC) bought it and aired the unaired 5 eps. But still I had to steal it to see it again. DVD you assholes not to mention "Do Over" ... why do they always have to kill shows I like and yet 7th Heaven has been the air for 25 years

Arg.. Jace, why'd you have to bring up cancelled shows ya ass lol

[MikeSmoke]

damn, it seems that half the people in america who watched the show were pornographers....

i haven't been this pissed off since Showtime cancelled "Dead Like Me" because it was a show from the previous regime, and the new regime wanted to clean house and take credit for "revitalizing" the network...

[Jace]

Originally Posted by MikeSmoke

damn, it seems that half the people in america who watched the show were pornographers....

i haven't been this pissed off since Showtime cancelled "Dead Like Me" because it was a show from the previous regime, and the new regime wanted to clean house and take credit for "revitalizing" the network...

DEAD LIKE ME!

another fucking good one down the drain

[jayeff]

I guess it's all personal taste. I consider myself a "thoughtful" viewer in that I enjoy shows which, although sometimes successful, are certainly not aimed at the lowest common denominator. Yet Studio 60 didn't work for me. I'm not sure why: on the face of it, it had all the right ingredients. But after three or four episodes, I still wasn't interested enough in any of the characters or storylines to really care what was going to happen next.

Maybe I'm just going through a down-on-TV phase at the moment, because this season even the shows I have enjoyed - House, Ugly Betty, Boston Legal - apart from brief moments, seem to have become very formulaic. That is certainly true of the less insulting action shows such as CSI and Law & Order. They have become very just-going-through-the-motions.

[nico-t]

Originally Posted by jayeff

Maybe I'm just going through a down-on-TV phase at the moment, because this season even the shows I have enjoyed - House, Ugly Betty, Boston Legal - apart from brief moments, seem to have become very formulaic. That is certainly true of the less insulting action shows such as CSI and Law & Order. They have become very just-going-through-the-motions.

Ive never liked CSI and Law & Order, the problem i have with these shows is the characters are all the same. They have absolutely no personality, it's always work they talk about and those flashy "witty" lines they sometimes say with a serious 'work' face, i fucking hate it. Absolutely no real character development.

[Chr0makey]

That just sucks. I was really enjoying that show

[Tom_PM]

Must be there was not enough firearms, dead bodies, surgery, or lawyers in it.

[MikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by nico-t

Ive never liked CSI and Law & Order, the problem i have with these shows is the characters are all the same. They have absolutely no personality, it's always work they talk about and those flashy "witty" lines they sometimes say with a serious 'work' face, i fucking hate it. Absolutely no real character development.

I've never been able to make it through an entire episode of CSI: Anything.....I think the one exception to your comment is L&O: CI --- in my opinion, Bobby Gorin is the most underrated fascinating character on TV.

[Gerco]

I was a little pissed when one of my favorite shows was pulled years ago... "Moonlighting" http://www.davidandmaddie.com/

Funny as hell.

[Gerco]

Holy crap! I just realized that aired 22 YEARS ago... shit Im old...

[E$_manager]

Originally Posted by Gerco

I was a little pissed when one of my favorite shows was pulled years ago... "Moonlighting" http://www.davidandmaddie.com/

Funny as hell.

That was because they didn't want to work together anymore as i heard.
When i was watching it, i was also dissapointed with its' quick ending.

[MikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by Gerco

Holy crap! I just realized that aired 22 YEARS ago... shit Im old...

No, if you're mourning the cancellation of "My Mother the Car" or "Your Show of Shows".....THEN you're old

(Just for the record, I'm not old enought to have watched Your Show of Shows")

[RedShoe]

1 word... Chandler.

[D]

Studio 60 was a great show. I'm hoping NBC will smarten up - at least to the level of that of some of their viewers.

[tranza]

I've never heard about that show before...

[JayDeeZee]

I still can't believe they got rid of Smith....That was the best new show of all this year

[notabook]

I liked Joan of Arcadia...

[Halcyon]

oh, man! I really like Studio 60. Maybe if they changed the name to "Studio 60: Criminal Intent Special Rape Scene Victim: Miami"

[fallenmuffin]

Originally Posted by notabook

I liked Joan of Arcadia...

Yeah, right as she meets with the devil or whoever he was. They killed it and CBS never kills anything.

[TroubleTonya]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

oh, man! I really like Studio 60. Maybe if they changed the name to "Studio 60: Criminal Intent Special Rape Scene Victim: Miami"

I think they need to put Hal on the show. That should increase the ratings a bit. I've been watching the show since its debut but was unaware of it being cancelled.

Anyone out there hooked on Heros? That show is like crack to me. My friends/family know not to bother me on monday nights between 8-9pm MST.

RIP Studio 60

[Redmanthatcould]

I have avoided all the let-downs of TV by not owning one for five years.

[NaughtyRob]

I knew that shit would get cancelled.

[Michael O]

[CyberHustler]

I quit watching these shows... I just stick to Animation Domination and Adult Swim now!

[Semi-Retired-Dave]

I thought that show was doing good. Damn, after Friends nobody has anything going on. I guess DIRT is suppose to be ok so far.

Then of course there is Jen.

[BitAudioVideo]

its getting to the point i wait till i have the entire season on tivo before i start watching.

[CynthiaB]

I loved that show and yes, I think it's too intelligent for the general audience. I was so moved (to tears even) by a few of the early eps including the one where they find the old man wandering about the studio and he's a former writer from the blacklisting era. ANd the New Orleans band - great stuff.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by TopBucksTonya

I think they need to put Hal on the show. That should increase the ratings a bit. I've been watching the show since its debut but was unaware of it being cancelled.

Anyone out there hooked on Heros? That show is like crack to me. My friends/family know not to bother me on monday nights between 8-9pm MST.

RIP Studio 60

ohmygod...I am HOOKED on heroes.

[TroubleTonya]

HA HA HA Hal, I thought that said something about hookers being heros.


Heros just keeps getting better and better every week. I'm going to be sad if/when its over. I hope that they have a large enough audience to have more than 1 season.

[SPACE GLIDER]

Originally Posted by nico-t

Ive never liked CSI and Law & Order, the problem i have with these shows is the characters are all the same. They have absolutely no personality, it's always work they talk about and those flashy "witty" lines they sometimes say with a serious 'work' face, i fucking hate it. Absolutely no real character development.

You're absolutely right. I've grown to really loathe the little quips and supposedly profound statements these characters make.

[Klen]

I would like to see new episodes of savages.

[Madame0120]

Originally Posted by MikeSmoke

I know there were only 50 of us in America watching it, but I loved Studio 60 and NBC has now officially put it on hiatus, with six episodes still left

Noooooo! The best written show on TV today!

SHOOT!

[Zebra]

Well, they have 6 other episodes they paid for. If The Black Donnelys doesn't do great we may see the last 6 episodes this year. Can't see if coming back though unless every other show up against it suddenly becomes horrible. Shame, I was really enjoying watching it after Heroes and then watching 24 on the DVR after that. Made for a good Monday night.

[MikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by Zebra

Well, they have 6 other episodes they paid for. If The Black Donnelys doesn't do great we may see the last 6 episodes this year. Can't see if coming back though unless every other show up against it suddenly becomes horrible.

I would guess that if they don't burn off the episodes in the spring or summer, they'll post them online.

[Sly]

I haven't seen this show so I don't know all of the details. But one thing I have noticed is a lot of shows with complex characters don't do real well, and here's why... it takes time to get involved. On most of my favorite shows it took a while before I started to like them. I thought Lost was pretty lame at first, then I really started getting into it.

Not many people watch a show week after week if they don't really like it. If it takes 6-8 episodes for you to understand all of the characters, that just isn't going to happen. It takes way too long to take in attention.

I also think this is why season DVDs do so well. I've heard Prison Break is good, so instead of watching it week after week to see if I like the characters, I get the DVD and bang out 4 episodes in one or two nights and instantly know if its a show I want to further invest my time in.

Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development, Lost, Scrubs (kind of), Curb Your Enthusiasm are just a few show examples that I didn't like at first but after being forced to watch 5-6 episodes I started to love.

We have so many distractions these days, so many options and "things to do", its very hard to keep peoples attention unless you have something that goes "bang!".

[Cyrano]

I wasn't too fond of Studio 60 to begin with, 30 Rock on the other hand is quite amusing.

[Peaches]

Originally Posted by MikeSmoke

I know there were only 50 of us in America watching it, but I loved Studio 60 and NBC has now officially put it on hiatus, with six episodes still left

I LOVE that show!! Very quick witted writing. Damn.

[uno]

Damn, I thought they renewed it for the whole season a few months ago despite the low ratings.

[Peaches]

I'm still waiting for Arrested Development to be on cable like they promised!!

[Red Ezra]

I like Studio 60 - it was on my TiVo list - oh well fuck!

[Lars S]

what is TV?

[notabook]

Originally Posted by fallenmuffin

Yeah, right as she meets with the devil or whoever he was. They killed it and CBS never kills anything.

Season 01 did really well ratings wise. Then season 02 they blew it... lost so many viewers. I liked the show, as retarded as it was lol.