WELCOME BACK, AARON SORKIN;
"STUDIO 60" SOARS

October 6, 2006

In my mind, there are no better television writers on Earth than Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly," and Aaron Sorkin, creator of "The West Wing" and "Sports Night." Each has a voice powerful enough to transcend the medium and elevate scripted TV into the realm of fine art through sharp characters, brainy dialogue, and thoughtful dramatic arcs that crackle with a sense of importance. When these guys pen an hour's worth of television, it's because they've got something to say -- not because 60 minutes of airtime need filled.

However, for a while there, it looked like we would never get a new series from either man again. Whedon took the cancellations of "Firefly" and "Angel" hard and went off to make movies. Sorkin has repeatedly battled a drug problem and was fired from "Wing" -- a show he wrote nearly every episode of -- for missing his deadlines. Their absences left a gaping void in the television landscape. Thankfully, that void has again been filled. It's Sorkin who's back with a new show, NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which is everything you could ever want from a writer this talented. Oh, there are still some early issues to work out, but they're minor kinks at worst. This is the best new series of the fall and in three episodes has proved just as entertaining as Sorkin's past efforts.

"Studio 60" meticulously details the behind-the-scenes workings of a fictional TV show of the same name that's nearly identical to "Saturday Night Live." Matthew Perry (playing a darker version of perpetual wiseacre Chandler Bing) and Bradley Whitford (playing "West Wing"'s Josh Lyman if he had pursued a career in entertainment rather than politics) star as a hot writer/producer team who take over running the show when its original creator is fired for trashing his own network on live TV. The two bring a bad-boy reputation with them to the set. Perry's Matt Albie is first seen popping Vicodin at an alarming pace and has slept with not one, but two members of the "Studio 60" show-within-the-show cast. Whitford's Danny Tripp was all ready to make his feature-film debut directing one of Matt's scripts, but the movie studio wouldn't insure him when a drug test came back positive for cocaine. Lucky for them they have the full support of Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet), the fearless new network president who hates focus groups, wants to destroy the status quo, and has no problem airing a controversial sketch entitled "Crazy Christians" during Matt and Danny's first episode. (She's a TV critic's dream - and almost qualifies as a science-fiction character because of it.)

At first, an inside look at showbiz appears too lightweight for Sorkin, who was never afraid to tackle more weighty matters on "The West Wing." But the best thing about "Studio 60" is that Sorkin imbues it with the same sort of passionate idealism that was so prevalent on his White House drama. This time, Sorkin is taking on the nation's culture wars, and early episodes repeatedly slam network TV for going out of their way to not offend the religious right. In one episode, Jordan announces that the network will charge a "coward fee" of 20 percent to any advertiser who pulls out of a show because of controversial content but then wants back in thanks to high ratings. Matt and Danny, like Sorkin, know that safe TV rarely translates to inspired TV, so with "Studio 60," Sorkin hopes to break the stagnancy of network television by telling the story of two guys who hope to break the stagnancy of network television. It's all really quite clever.

The large supporting cast is mostly up to the task of delivering Sorkin's considerable verbiage with gusto. "Wing" vet Timothy Busfield plays a rebellious TV director, Steven Weber is appropriately slimy as the all-business network chairman at odds with Jordan, and D.L. Hughley amuses as one of the stars of the fictional "Studio 60." The one weak link is Sarah Paulson, who plays Harriet Hayes, the show-within-the-show's brightest talent and Matt's ex-girlfriend. The character is critical because Harriet is a devout Christian who isn't afraid to challenge Matt and Danny's "anything goes" attitude. Her good nature and level-headedness provide balance to Sorkin's ultra liberal leanings, which permeate many of the other characters. However, Paulson seems miscast. It's hard to believe she's the second coming of Gilda Radner, and even when Sorkin gives her character a strong viewpoint to defend, Paulson can't deliver the argument with enough oomph. If the character was meeting her potential, the viewer would want Matt and Harriet to get back together despite their different beliefs. As it stands now, it would be better for Matt and his show if Harriet moved to New York.

An early complaint about "Studio 60" is that the snippets shown of the fictional "Studio 60" aren't as funny or inspired as the characters believe they are. But the tangible worth of those brief looks at Matt and Danny's creation is totally beside the point. If you just accept the fact that the fake "Studio 60" is the most cutting satire that television has to offer -- maybe more "The Daily Show" than current-day "SNL" -- everything else clicks perfectly. Actually, the less we see of the show within the show the better. So far, the "Crazy Christians" sketch has been talked about but never shown. Sorkin is smart enough to know the actual sketch isn't important. What is important is the chain of dramatic events set into motion when word leaks out that such a sketch will air.

Ultimately, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" presents the way many of us wish network TV would be run much the same way "The West Wing" imagined a better White House than reality could offer. For people intrigued about what goes on behind the camera, it's fascinating stuff. (And most of it is reportedly culled from Sorkin's own experiences working in the business.) For those not interested in that kind of thing, "Studio 60" remains worth watching for the wonderful characters and the amazing things they say to each other.

Welcome back, Aaron Sorkin. You were truly missed.