money talks

Go here and buy something. Then tell your friends. And buy something for people you know. There are two reasons:

1. If people suddenly start buying Studio 60 merchandise, it just proves that people do watch the show and do care whether or not it's canceled. It also shows that people are willing to spend money on the show.

2. If the show ultimately is canceled, you will have cool Studio 60 merch and when people ask you about it, you can say that you are a fan of one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking shows ever to be shown on television.

That's all there is to say about it, really.

"Monday"

Well, Mondays generally feel like that for me, too. I'm still thinking about this episode - I thought it was a great set up for the stories that are to come the rest of the season. I'm very interested to see where the Simon/Darius storyline is going. What is so great about this show is how well-written all of the characters are. I love the supporting characters - they're all fabulous. Other thoughts?

a bright spot

Check out this article - rumors of the show's death may not have been greatly exaggerated, but they are probably also not accurate.

"The Wrap Party"

Though I've only been able to watch it once (I know, I know, where are my priorities?), I was so impressed with this episode, in a different way than I've been impressed with any of the other episodes.

I had subconsciously been expecting every episode to follow the format Sorkin/Schlamme had set up in the past few weeks, which is not a bad format and lends itself well to drama (we all know the drama of deadlines). So I was pleasantly surprised to experience an episode that really had nothing to do with the production of the Studio 60 show itself and still had all of the drama.

I think the only part of this episode that had the same flavor as previous episodes was the beginning with Lauren Graham. The funny part about that scene is that I felt like it must be hard for actors to portray themselves - ostensibly she's hosting a comedy show as herself, but the reality is that she ends up acting as a character of herself. It's like a metaphorical Escher.

The major theme I came away with was that everyone has value, and we have a responsiblity to seek out the value of every person. Sometimes that delivers unexpected results - Cal discovering the life story of the seemingly crazy old man who turned out to be a part of history, both in the world and in Hollywood. (Sorkin/Schlamme did a fabulous job developing the already likable but minor character of Cal in this episode.) Matt demonstrated the value of his friendship with Simon by going to the Improv with him and not being a jerk when he ended up being right. And though I don't know how they possibly have room for another character in this show, the new writer shows a lot of promise.

The brilliance of the writing of this show is that this theme was even illustrated from the reverse. Jack's version of Hollywood is being challenged at every turn, and his power over other people is slipping out of his grasp. His control over his world and the people in it is being threatened by people who value other people over money or power.

That's all I have to say about the show. On the other hand, what on earth is NBC doing pulling Studio 60 for a week to show Friday Night Lights?!?

"There's nothing wrong with the medium..."

So here's my question. Presuming that Sorkin/Schlamme are skewering network TV quite intentionally (as it has moved beyond just skewering SNL), does NBC realize it? And if they do realize it (because one can assume they aren't idiots), is this whole show a sort of test balloon? As in, if people agree with what's going on at the fictional NBS by watching Studio 60 on the actual NBC, does that mean things will change at NBC as a result?

"The Long Lead Story" quotes

Matt: "Oh holy mother of God, I'm eating it. ... This would be a lot easier if you weren't staring at me."
Martha: "Huh?"
Matt: "I said this would be easier if you weren't staring at me."
Martha: "I bet it would. You drawing a blank?"
Matt: "Yeah."
Martha: "Isn't it the worst?"
Matt: "Yeah."
Martha: "What are you gonna do?"
Matt: "What do you mean?"
Martha: "To get going again?"
Matt: "Well, I'm gonna ask you to stop talking."
Martha: "Sure." (pause) "Didn't help, did it?"
Matt: "Yeah, I really need you to be someplace else."
Martha: "Total access or there's no story."
Matt: "I don't care if there's no story. I care if there's no show in 21 hours."
Martha: "20 hours, 38 minutes."

Tom: "Excuse me, Wardrobe wanted you to approve this."
Matt: "Yeah, it's good." (pause) "Hang on. It's supposed to be a lobster costume, right?"
Tom: "Yeah."
Matt: "Yeah, then it's fine."
Tom: "Great."

Martha: "I know what you meant. I was doing a dangling modifier joke."
Matt: "Yeah, I stopped doing that to people in high school after the fourth time I got stuffed in my locker."

Martha: "So here's my question. Is the fear of failure on such a massive scale a helpful motivation?"
Matt: "You really wouldn't rather be in Baghdad right now?"

Martha: "I like talking to you guys late at night. You get pretty dopey."

Danny: "I don't think his show is quite right for your network."
Jordan: "Why?"
Danny: "It's good."
Jordan: "You're right. I can't imagine why I think you don't respect me."

Harriet: "Well, everyone here is a big fan of yours, Martha."
Martha: "Really?"
Harriet: "Yeah."
Martha: "How would I be referred to in your parents' house?"
Harriet: "The devil's whore from Washington."
Martha: "Yeah. I'm actually the devil's whore from Bethesda."

Harriet: "I'm sorry, Pat Robertson has taken to predicting the weather and boasting of being able to leg lift a Lincoln Navigator. That's not attacking religion. That's attacking preposterousness."
Martha: "Would you have a problem doing a sketch about premarital sex?"
Harriet: "I don't have a problem having premarital sex. It might be the only sex I ever have, and I just gave you your pull quote so can I go home?"

Martha: "You became a Christian and a comedian at the same time."
Harriet: "Roughly."

Harriet: "It's a beautiful instrument."
Martha: "Sting or the lute?"

Danny: "We have got to rebuild this theater."
Matt: "Well, we're on TV in an hour and five minutes so I don't think now's the best time."

Danny: "Trust me. Trust my face."
Matt: "You are..."
Danny: "Twice divorced."
Matt: "And you have..."
Danny: "No one in my life at the moment."
Matt: "And you haven't for..."
Danny: "Quite some time."
Matt: "Okay."

Danny: "We really are gonna rebuild this theater."
Matt: "'Kay, well, I'm gonna rewrite three sketches, then I'll grab my toolbelt and get on that."

Martha: "Simon, you got a minute?"
Simon: "For a rectal probe?"
Martha: (laughs) "Yeah."

Jordan: "Who said that?"
Jack: "Who said what?"
Jordan: "'If you want me to cook the meal, you've gotta let me shop for the groceries.'"
Jack: "Bill Parcells."
Jordan: "Who's that?"
Jack: "Football coach who hasn't won a playoff game in nine years."

Martha: "Is that the bat?"
Matt: "What bat?"
Martha: (laughs) "I'll say this for you guys - you look out for each other. You're not very good at doing it, but it's nice to see the effort."

Martha: "I know that half this country hates the other half, and I know that for 90 minutes a week, you and Harriet come together."

Jordan: "There's nothing wrong with the medium, just some of the content. And there's only one way to change that."

"The Cold Open" quotes

Danny: "I made the decision for you. You'll find I'll be making a lot of them."

Matt: "Wait a second. The caller from Toluca Lake with the 'Barbra Streisand-loving' - was she calling us Hollywood liberals or was she calling us gay?"
Danny: "It's a pretty fine distinction."
Matt: "Yeah."

Matt: "By the way, this latest career move of ours?"
Danny: "Pretty stupid?"
Matt: "Yeah."

Danny: "Stick around, okay? When we're done, I need to choke you to death."
Jordan: "You bet."

Jeannie: "Hayes."
Harriet: "Jeannie with the light brown hair."
Jeannie: "You ready for this?"
Harriet: "The new executive producers, the media frenzy, the pressure on this week's show, or working for my ex-boyfriend?"
Jeannie: "Talk to me. Or do we just let Jesus be our co-pilot?"
Harriet: "No. My mom used to say, 'If Jesus is your co-pilot, you should trade seats.'"

Veronica (reporter): "Jordan, did you know about this when you hired him?"
Jordan: "I can't remember. I was high at the time."
(silence)
"You all thought I was funnier at the beginning of the press conference."

Danny: "I know what we talked about. But I told the truth, right then, instead of having it come out in drips, which is what was gonna happen, Jack. Plus, I'm a recovering drug addict. Honesty's a good idea for me."
Jack: "Well, I' m sure I speak for all the shareholders when I say your self-esteem is our highest priority."

Jack: "The rapture's what I think it is, right? When the world comes to an end, believers go up in a spaceship?"
Jordan: "It's not a spaceship, it's Jesus Christ."
Matt: "What happens to nonbelievers?"
Jordan: "You get thrown down into a fiery pit."
Matt: "Can we just do that now?"
Jack: "Incredibly, he's the only one who held it together. Now, if anyone can think of any ways to screw up that we haven't tried already, I'll be in my office."

Danny: "You raised the bar a little high, don't you think?"
Jordan: "Did I?"
Matt: "You did."
Jordan: "I raised the bar high."
Danny: "Yes."
Jordan: "Oh, sorry. Clear it."

Matt: "How did it know?"
Danny: "How'd it know what?"
Matt: "Exactly how much time was left in the week?"
Danny: "Yeah, it's a miracle of technology that we've invented an electronic device that can count backwards from seven."
Matt: "But it was off."
Danny: "It has a battery."
Matt: "So it always knows."
Danny: "I doubt the thing has special powers, Matt. It's a clock."

Jack: "The world has to come to an end?"
Shelley: "For the rapture?"
Jack: "Yes."
Shelley: "Yes."
Jack: "So there's a percentage of the population hoping that the world will come to an end?"
Shelley: "Yes."
Jack: "You'd think they'd be rooting us on."

Matt: "Look at that."
Danny: "Yeah."
Matt: "You know, in an hour and a half, it'll be empty again."
Danny: "Would you, you know, would you just enjoy the moment? Would you please just live in what's happening right now and not time travel to the next...man, could you be just a little more Jewish?"

Matt: "The audience was standing out in the heat for a pretty long time. People don't laugh as much when they're hot because they're sticky and uncomfortable."
Danny: "Alright, good pep talk."