those blasted expectations

I am a slave to my expectations, a dangerous thing when I so easily buy into the hype. Ask me one day if I liked Jerry Maguire.

Anyway, Studio 60 was certainly THE most hyped show of the fall 2006 season. And while it is flawed, it's still a good show. It's just not THE show. Had it just showed up on the schedule, had it not been thought to be NBC's saving grace, then perhaps it wouldn't have been so disparaged and so disappointing.

I've been enjoying the "summer burn off" episodes. The scenes between Tom and Mark's commanding officer last night on "K&R, pt 2" were as good as any we ever saw in the West Wing.


Did you know that last week S60 was the third most tivo'd show. During its initial run in the fall it averaged significantly more viewers than did that other primetime show about sketch comedy and pulled in greater numbers of the coveted male 18-49 demographic. Yet... yet... 30 Rock got the pick up. (I know for all sorts of good reasons-- it's a comedy, it's cheaper to produce, it's sans Sorkin, blah blah blah) but for all S60s faults (namely its romantic couplings, it's underutilizing of its guest stars, and its serious lack of funny) it has moments that are still some of the best moments on network television. I'll miss it, and I wish we had all tempered our expectations just a bit.

As a side note: Over at things thrown they're compiling a list of the most compelling TV Episodes. "Love's Labour Lost" from ER's glory days would be a no brainer for me as would "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" (pt1 and 2) from Season 2 of West Wing but I'd also have to think about tossing S60's "West Coast Delay" into the mix. It might end up in the 15-way tie for 9th place, if you know what I mean. Not an obvious winner, but still, a great hour of television.