BuzzSugar

TV Tonight: "Studio 60"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 04:30:00 PDT

What a strange road it's been for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," the show that started as a buzzed-about pilot, became a critical disaster, and is finally slinking to a conclusion. In a year full of high-profile television flops ("The Black Donnellys," "The Nine," "Six Degrees"), this was certainly one of the biggest.

I wasn't a fan of "Studio 60"; the comedy bits weren't that funny, Aaron Sorkin's dialogue seemed to lack its usual snap, and Amanda Peet never convinced me she could pull off playing a tough-chick executive. Still, the show had its great elements - the reveal of Matthew Perry as a strong dramatic actor among them - and I'm still enough of a Sorkin fan to be excited to see what his next project will be.

In the meantime, "Studio 60" tonight will conclude the three-part "K&R" arc, which so far has featured pregnancy complications, a proposal, a kidnapping, and loads of flashbacks to Matt and Danny's original firing from the show. (The show officially concludes next week.) Fans: With two episodes to go, do you think the show can wrap things up in a satisfying way?

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"Studio 60" Returns Tonight

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 08:20:02 PDT

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" will be back on the air tonight at 10 p.m., but it's not exactly the victorious return to the schedule many fans were hoping for. NBC didn't pick up the show for a second season, but at least the final six episodes will be airing on TV rather than just online. Interestingly, the show was supposed to air on Thursdays in the first place - until ABC's plans to relocate a pesky little show we like to call "Grey's Anatomy" got in the way.

The set has been torn down, so there's really no hope for the show to return now - but the good news is that six episodes is plenty of time to tie up the characters' stories. The even better news (for me, anyway) is that tonight's return episode guest-stars Allison Janney - better known as Sorkin favorite C.J. Cregg - who I believe can make any show outstanding with her very presence. NBC has a video preview over here, so check it out and let me know if you'll stick with "Studio 60" to the end.

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"Studio 60" to Return at End of May

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:30:21 PDT

Good news for "Studio 60" fans: The show will return to the air May 24 at 10 p.m., according to the show's Web site.

May 24 is after the crucial sweeps period ends, so this could be another sign that NBC doesn't have a lot of confidence in the show going forward. It's also odd that NBC's only comment so far is that one tiny line on the Web site. But I'm glad that if the show is ending, it will at least get to go out on TV - unlike other canceled shows this year, which got shoved online. Six more episodes of "Studio 60" were produced, and I hope they all make it on the air.

I wonder if NBC now regrets its decision to pull "Studio 60" back in February after just 16 episodes. "The Black Donnellys" didn't do any better in "Studio 60"'s time slot and got canned itself, and the premiere of "The Real Wedding Crashers" this week was hardly a blockbuster. Do you think NBC should have stuck with "Studio 60" from the start?

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"Studio 60": Maybe Not Dead Yet

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:29:00 PDT

"Studio 60" fans, here's some potentially good news: According to Hollywood Reporter columnist Ray Richmond, the show is still in production, and the cast and crew are currently working on episode 20.

NBC still hasn't said when (or whether) it plans to air these additional episodes, but it's a good sign that fans might get to finish out the full season. Only 16 episodes have aired so far, and I can't imagine NBC spending the money to produce more if they weren't eventually going to make it to TV.

But when? Richmond speculates that the show won't be back this spring and could instead air its final episodes sometime over the summer. I could also see NBC getting frustrated with lackluster ratings for "The Black Donnellys" and putting "Studio 60" back in its original spot. It will be interesting to see what happens April 23, when "Heroes" is back and the stakes go up for the show that follows it.

Remember, if you feel strongly about "Studio 60," you can always give it your votes in E!'s Save One Show campaign.

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Help Save One Troubled TV Show

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:50:23 PDT

If you could help one - but only one - TV show get renewed for next season, which one would you pick? E!'s TV columnist Kristin Veitch has launched her sixth Save One Show campaign, encouraging readers to vote for the single show they'd most like to see back next year. She's got a pretty good track record: Five of six winning shows (including last season's "One Tree Hill") have actually made it back on the air.

Here's how it works: Vote in Kristin's poll as many times as you want before April 6, then check back April 13 to see which show won. You can also submit a video plea to save your favorite, with the top three videos appearing on Kristin's gossip show on E! online.

Kristin says "The Class," "Close to Home," "The Nine," "Studio 60," and "Veronica Mars" look the most doomed, but my vote's still gotta to to "Friday Night Lights." What about you? Check out Kristin's breakdown of the shows' chances of renewal, and to see a list of the shows in contention,

"30 Rock"
"Friday Night Lights"
"Scrubs"
"Crossing Jordan"
"Gilmore Girls"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"Jericho"
"Medium"
"One Tree Hill"
"Six Degrees"
"Supernatural"
"What About Brian"
"The Class"
"Close to Home"
"The Nine"
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"
"Veronica Mars"

The Buzz Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:20:20 PST

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, we've got a big handful of hilarious clips from shows we love - and some we don't - including "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "The OC," "Amazing Race," and much more. To watch this week's episode,

Yet Another Way to Watch "The Black Donnellys"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:10:48 PST

Turns out, NBC really, really wants you to watch "The Black Donnellys." First, the network made the first episode of the show - which is bumping "Studio 60" off the schedule - available on Netflix back in January. Now, they've put the whole pilot online - for free - over at Yahoo! TV.

I'm glad to have the chance to see the show ahead of time, but how does NBC actually expect anyone to watch the premiere on Monday? Even if I like the pilot when I watch it online, I'm not going to tune in a second time when it's on TV. That's exactly what happened with "The Agency" - I loved the first episode, but now I have no reason to watch tonight.

Then again, this kind of move can generate buzz if the people who watch the pilot early tell their friends it's good. I'll check out the episode this week and let you know what I think. Have any of you seen it yet?

TV Tonight: "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:12:34 PST

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," once one of the most anticipated new series on TV, airs what could be its final episode tonight. NBC announced last week that "The Black Donnellys," the new show from Oscar-winner Paul Haggis, will premiere next Monday in "Studio 60"'s place. And because no date has been set for the return of "Studio 60," tonight's episode could be the last chance fans have to see Matt, Danny, Harriet, and Jordan in action.

The San Francisco Chronicle's TV critic has an interesting column today on why "Studio 60" didn't work. Sadly, I have to agree with most of it - I really wanted to like "Studio 60," but it just never clicked for me. Still, it would be a shame for the show to just disappear from TV without a chance for a satisfying ending, so I hope NBC finds a way to let it finish out the season. In the meantime, you can see the promo for tonight's episode if you

Does "Black Donnellys" Spell the End for "Studio 60"?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:51:47 PST

Is this the end for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"? NBC has announced that "The Black Donnellys" will bump "Studio 60" out of its post-"Heroes" spot on Feb. 26 - a week earlier than originally planned.

A week wouldn't be a big deal - if it weren't a Sweeps Week. Not letting "Studio 60" finish out sweeps for itself certainly sounds like a sign that NBC is losing faith in the show. The network also still hasn't said when "Studio 60" will return: The press release claims it will be back "later this season on a date to be determined," which sounds less than committal to me.

The often-maligned "Studio 60" has had a bit of an identity crisis of late, focusing more on romance than on the goings-on of a late-night show. It's doing OK in the ratings - this week, for example, it got whupped by "CSI: Miami" but beat "What About Brian". However, it's also losing a ton of "Heroes" viewers, and that can't be making NBC happy.

Of course, NBC could just be giving "Donnellys" a boost by starting it post-"Heroes" before moving it somewhere else. But I think this sounds like a death knell for "Studio 60." You?

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Spot the Sorkinism: "Studio 69 on Van Nuys Boulevard"

BuzzSugar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 13:20:38 PST

Check out this sketch from the cast of "Mad TV" reinventing Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" as a behind-the-scenes porn drama.

The four-minute clip pretty effectively skewers everything the writer has come to be known for. Here are 10 Sorkinisms I spotted:

The "pedeconference," in which important discussions can only happen while walking.
The sweeping speech about The Show's Important Mission.
The eye-rolling religion reference.
The reminder of Aaron Sorkin's own dominance. ("There are 200 million people around the world waiting to see tonight's live Big Banana Bonanza.")
The small-town putdown
The quick, quotable quip. ("Can anyone here be a fluffer? Is a fluffer? Know a fluffer?")
The borderline-inappropriate Sept. 11 reference.
The to-the-second airtime countdown clock.
The montage set to sparkly music.
The actual show-within-a-show not being very good.