"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (2006) TV series 2006-2007

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Creator:

Aaron Sorkin

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A behind-the-scenes look at a fictional sketch-comedy TV show.

Plot Keywords:

Television Flop | Television | Television Studio | Homosexual Subtext | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Matthew Perry	...	Matt Albie (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Amanda Peet	...	Jordan McDeere (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Bradley Whitford	...	Danny Tripp (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Steven Weber	...	Jack Rudolph (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
D.L. Hughley	...	Simon Stiles (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Sarah Paulson	...	Harriet Hayes (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Nathan Corddry	...	Tom Jeter (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Timothy Busfield	...	Cal Shanley (22 episodes, 2006-2007)
Nate Torrence	...	Dylan Killington (19 episodes, 2006-2007)
Lucy Davis	...	Lucy Kenwright / ... (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Ayda Field	...	Jeannie Whatley / ... (15 episodes, 2006-2007)
Camille Chen	...	Samantha Li (15 episodes, 2006-2007)
Simon Helberg	...	Alex Dwyer (14 episodes, 2006-2007)
Merritt Wever	...	Suzanne (12 episodes, 2006-2007)
Mark McKinney	...	Andy Mackinaw (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Columbus Short	...	Darius Hawthorne (10 episodes, 2006-2007)
Joey Thurston III	...	Cue card tech (9 episodes, 2006-2007)

Also Known As:

Studio 60 (USA) (informal alternative title)
Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min (including commercials) | USA:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Dijon Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

The law firm of Gage Whitney Pace, which employed Kari Matchett's character, Mary Tate, was also the law firm that Rob Lowe's character on "The West Wing" (1999), Sam Seaborn, worked at before joining the Bartlet administration.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The street sign partly visible in the initial establishing shot of the theatre (seen at the start of "Pilot", et al) reads "6100 Sunset". This is nearly three miles east of the actual Sunset Strip, roughly 8200 to 9200 Sunset Boulevard.

Quotes:

Matt Albie: Look, I hate Los Angeles just like everybody else, but I have to work here because in any other part of the country I'm unemployable.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Dane Cook/The Killers (#32.1)" (2006)

Comedy Isn't All Funny Business

After having seen the pilot episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, I am left with a sudden sense of excitement for the series to begin. The show hits the gate hard as a veteran executive producer of a late night comedy show (Judd Hirsch) goes on a verbal assault on live television, a moment straight out of Network (which the news media quickly catches onto). The studio is in complete disarray only minutes after the show ends, especially since the network's new president (Amanda Peet) as only been on the job for one day. How can they repair the damage done? Why not call in the two men who made the show a hit (Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford), and have since been fired two years prior. But things aren't going to be so easy to fix since there are execs just waiting to shred all three of them to pieces.

The show is pure Aaron Sorkin: it's witty, intelligent, and heart-felt about issues. It's also a blast to watch as a cast of incredibly talented actors and actresses work together to make Sorkin's words shine. But one thing Studio 60 isn't is a retread of either Sports Night or The West Wing. It's a completely different monster. This time, Sorkin's looking to dive deep into the worlds of Hollywood, Mass Media, and Big Business. With Perry and Whitford, we have televisions new odd couple, both incredibly funny both alone and together. Peet brings her A-game with her as she takes on her most ambitious part yet. And let's not forget some great contributions by D.L. Hughley, Timothy Busfield and Steven Webber. And this is coming straight from the pilot. Who knows where the show will go from here. But I know where I'm going to be on Monday nights.