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Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Sorkin all the way
You can't mistake an Aaron Sorkin drama. And this time he went from DC to LA. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, "the drama behind the humor of producing a popular, late-night comedy sketch show," is out of control good. Within a few minutes into the show, the low droned dramatic sub-woofer music kicked in while Wes Mendell, played by NUMB3RS' Jude Hirsh, crashed the live filming of the opening skit and presented an irate soliloquy to its national audience.
At that moment, with our hearts pumping, we were hooked (and how can we not love some good writing taking place in this town?)
Last night's pilot visually felt nothing like LA (the way LA scenes in LOST never feel like LA). The graffiti in the "alley" scene was a bit misleading: graffiti in this city doesn't look like that. Where were the TV rip-offs of Project Rabbit and Buffmonster? That was just a bit lazy on the art department's part. And the extras were dressed like it was the Midwest, or maybe it was DC? Yeah...no.
Maybe that's the point, though. It wasn't lavishly overdone. We all know LA has palm trees, beaches and women ridiculously clad. Stereotypes of LA nightlife and celeb lifestyle were absent here and that was a breather. Is this a truer look at LA or is this a too conservative and clean take on our city? We'll see what is to come this Fall.
Studio 60 stars Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet and Bradley Whitford. It appears on NBC and will replay on Bravo at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
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