Teeth on the Dial: Finally, an NBC show that will actually be Must See TV this fall

Even though the Fall TV launch is 8 months off, I am already looking forward to the new show from Aaron Sorkin called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It's an hourlong comedy-drama set behind the scenes of a fictional Saturday Night Live type show. The show has a 13-episode inital commitment (standard for a new show) and will likely be a centrepiece show for the fall launch. This is just what NBC needs because, aside from My Name Is Earl, Scrubs and The Office, the network's offerings have been underwhelming, awash in shows that have gotten a touch stale and stuck around past their prime (Will & Grace, Crossing Jordan, ER).

Aaron Sorkin is best known for being the driving creative force behing the first 4 (the watchable ones) seasons of The West Wing, the show Sports Night and the screenwriter of The American President and A Few Good Men. He writes terrific dialogue, creates well-devloped characters who tend to do a lot of walking and talking, and does some smart work with building relationships amongst the characters. Studio 60 sounds more like the much missed Sports Night, a comedy that was set at a Sports Center type show that was terrificly smart, unconventional, and entertaining - hence its cancellation by ABC after 2 seasons. It did feature some great actors who went on to bigger and better things, notably Peter Krause (Nate on Six Feet Under and Oscar nominee Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives and the film Transamerica).

The cast for this new show is exceptional, full of performers I like and think are generally underrated. The main character is played by Matthew Perry (Friends), whose Emmy nominated guest appearance on The West Wing made me want to see him added to the show and made me realize he can play character's other than "Chandler Bing". (He was also great in a Scrubs episode last year, which he directed). He plays a genius writer who was fired and is brought back to run the show. This is a much more suitable vehicle for his hsot at post-Friends success, as opposed to recycling the same character in another generic sitcom (hello cast of Seinfeld).

Other notable actors include Amanda Peet (The Whole Nine Yards) as the network president who brings the writer in; D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) as one of the star performers on the sketch show, Steven Weber (Wings), Evan Handler (Charlotte's husband on Sex and the City), and Nathan Corddry (The Daily Show - that show just breeds funny).

Of course, me loving this show combined with the "sure thing" nature of it is a sure sign that I have doomed the whole thing. Maybe I should just clear the space on the "DVD sets of TV shows I loved and got cancelled", between Firefly and Arrested Development.


Variety.com - Sorkin finds a friend

Amanda Peet joining Matthew Perry in 'Studio 60' - Yahoo! News