Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on NBC

Since last years The Office and Earl

This is the new Tina Fey (creator of all that has been lame recently on SNL) series...

No thanks!

The Tina Fey show is 30 Rock, this is the other behind the scenes show.

The critics generally love it.

Here are a few of the reviews I've been posting in the Hot Off The Press thread.

The backstage-at-a-sketch-comedy show that isn't "30 Rock" from Aaron Sorkin, the man who brought you "Sports Night" and "The West Wing" and from whose house style this departs not at all. Big sets, fast talk and a fascination with the life of a workplace are again at the heart of things. Bradley Whitford, making the leap from "West Wing," is paired with Matthew Perry as a producer-writer team hired to adrenalize a moribund "SNL"-lookalike. Timothy Busfield, Amanda Peet and D.L. Hughley are here too, making themselves fun to watch.
By Robert Lloyd Los Angeles Times

Nutshell: New network boss (Amanda Peet) wants to revive venerable but unfunny late-night variety show, hires two troubled ex-writers (Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford) and promises them creative freedom.
Aaron's take: Talented ensemble (D.L. Hughley, Evan Handler, Sarah Paulson) should feast on whatever comes out of writer-producer Aaron Sorkin's (The West Wing) computer. But America switched off Sorkin's last TV-show-within-a-show, Sports Night, and if he's serious about weighing in on the culture wars, as he promised critics this summer, he could drive a lot of potential viewers over to ESPN or CSI: Miami.
Verdict: Appointment TV.
By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star

The most buzzed-about pilot for fall actually, in this writer's opinion, lives up to the hype. Set behind the scenes at a show very much like Saturday Night Live, the latest drama from the pen of Aaron Sorkin is not just a showcase for the scribe's natural TV-writing gifts, but it provides Matthew Perry with the opportunity to give an absolutely stellar performance. Even if the rest of the season is only 80 percent as good as the pilot, I'll be glued to this show each week.
By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune


Aaron Sorkin satirizes broadcast television, a milieu he is intimately acquainted with as the creator of "The West Wing" and "SportsNight." This time, late-night TV is the conduit for Sorkin's social commentary. Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry play writing partners brought in to save a ratings-challenged "Saturday Night Live"-type show. Amanda Peet, Timothy Busfield, Steve Weber, D.L. Hughley and Sarah Paulson co-star.
By Marisa Guthrie The New York Daily News

It has an all star cast and has Sorkin at its lead....but we've seen this story before with Sorkin (West Wing). We will see if history repeats itself again - the only difference being this time NBC is desperate.

I saw the pilot on an NBC preview DVD a few weeks ago -- I thought it was GREAT. Best thing I've seen in some time. I work in TV though, so the whole thing was right up my alley -- it'll be interesting to see if the average viewer will warm up to it.

Saw it last night up here in Canada as well. Great show. Very intense and fast paced!

From the critical praise I've been reading, I get the sinking feeling this show could be too smart for its own good (like Sports Night).

And Deal or No Deal after those.

there's only Supernanny and CSI miami up against it, are you seriously gonna tell me there are more people who would enjoy Supernanny than this show? I know there's a lot of people watch that fantasy crime show CSI and think its great entertainment, but there's not a lot of competition for Sorkin on monday night at that timeslot. What would really amaze me if this wins the timeslot over CSI miami... i hate that show so much.

The show's not a hit until the ratings come in. I'd like to see Sorkin have another hit, but generally speaking inside-Hollywood movies and TV shows tend not to play well in the heartland.

Do NBC series look as awful as NBC Sports on HDTV? I haven't watched an NBC series for several years now...since "Seinfeld," I guess. But having tuned in NBC for their football games the past two Sundays, I'm shocked at how horrible NBC-HD looks. I have to assume their series don't look as bad...

They are nowhere near as crisp as their 1080i breathren on CBS.

I think The Office looks great. I have also watched Earl and ER some and they look good. Certainly not the motion issues that NBC football is having. When I read Fredfa's response I realized I have never seen a CBS HD show other than sports.

Depends on the show. Although, yes, the quality is generally less than CBS, the quality on NBC can be very good. The Office and SVU are some of their best in my opinion, whereas Will & Grace looked like WS 480p.

Watch Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien tonight, and then call me in the morning!

lol so this show is basically about snl...

WNBC-DT NYC Cablevision.

The video looks soft and very grainy.

It's being shown windowboxed SD here in Birmingham. Great start local NBC.

csi miami is pretty cheesy but it has a huge built-in audience who isn't going anywhere...i don't think Studio 60 stands a chance at beating CSI Miami, though i hope it does well. haven't seen the pilot yet but i plan to watch it in the morning.

is this a drama or more of a comedy-drama?

I recorded it for later viewing, but watched for a few minutes, and wanted to thank NBC for putting a big "NBC.com" logo in the bottom left corner (at least it looked big on my 58" screen) just for us HD viewers, while the SD program didn't have it.

Thank you for taking up valuable real estate in my picture because I choose to watch the HD broadcast...

Same thing happened on WNBC-DT the video was SD till around 10:02pm.

great, great show. i really loved it. I hope i am not alone. I disliked the nbc.com bug, thats my only gripe. i thought the writing was brilliant but i expected nothing less.

I dredded this show. I give it next week and after that's done I will decide

Well, if your watching the bug you're not watching the show. Initially I was aware of it's presence, but got involved with this great show and totally forgot it was there.

Just watched the pilot (DVRed it as I was watching MNF). Awesome. I hope this show does well for NBC in the ratings, as I am already hooked. Smart writing, great cast, killer show.

Finally a show which exceeds its hype.