Obsequious Conundrum
February 23rd 2007 | 02:24 | TV
I’m catching up on the most recent episodes of the OC (as you do at 2 in the morning on a school night) and I’m so perplexed as to how these kids get so regularly into trouble? Taylor has decided to woo Ryan by becoming his (wait for it) sleep therapist, and Summer has gotten into trouble at University by, you guessed it, stealing an overweight bunny rabbit. And they wonder why it got cancelled.
It’s also not hard to see why Aaron Sorkin’s amazing new show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is in trouble.
Not only is it far too intelligent for mainstream television, but it is 40 minutes every week of brilliantly scripted and delivered deconstruction of the bizarre workings of the American television industry, but a scathing attack on the ridiculousness of the religious right’s dominance of popular culture. And Matthew Perry is brilliantly deadpan in a role that finally sheds Chandler. Not that any of this matters when it cannot possibly be allowed to survive. It was fine for Sorkin to point his arrows at Washington, but it seems that Hollywood is unable to take the joke when they are the target. It may be poor ratings that sunk it, but it was almost certainly a lack of support that sent it staggering down the street with a knife in its back.
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8 Comments
Duncan
February 25th 2007 | 19:29
Is it being aired in the UK? Maybe it’ll be a bit better received..
Ah well, as long as there’s still illegal downloading who gives a heck. (wait a minute… are the feds reading this?)
D-Rail
(Ps. Put Jennie on your Blogroll, fool)
Jonic
February 26th 2007 | 04:59
Don’t worry about it Paul, I added the link instead
Really though… The OC? I was on the bus home one day after work when two girls got on, sat directly behind me and began discussing, at great length, the climactic final episode of season two of the OC.
I got off the bus three stops early.
Duncan
February 26th 2007 | 19:51
Jonic had to use valuable energy because of people like you Paul….. Look what you’re becoming!
Kerri
February 26th 2007 | 20:22
Ahh….we love Studio 60. For some reason, we thought it was supposed to be canceled long ago, so it’s always a treat when we still see it come on Monday nights. We stopped watching the WW about 3 episodes after Sorkin was no longer with it. Just wasn’t the same. Hard to find intelligent shows here in the US. Reality show or nothing seems to be the game.
Paul
February 26th 2007 | 22:59
Duncan, I believe More4 will be getting it shortly, Jonic, this is why headphones were invented, and Kerry, unfortunately from what I gather you wont be watching it tonight, I believe it’s been replaced even though the last six episodes of the season have been made. Hopefully they’ll see the light of day soon. I actually think that after a short blip WW recovered pretty well, season six and what I saw of seven were extremely good. Ooh I feel dead popular now!
Kerri
February 26th 2007 | 23:58
You’re right. They’re showing the premiere of The Black Donnellys instead. Bummer. I doubt they’ll see the light; they never did with Sports Night. Ever see that one? I think it only lasted one or two seasons, but it was fantastic. Another Sorkin down the drain.
Paul
February 27th 2007 | 00:01
I saw few of them, it was good. Apparently he’s going to be free to go to the likes of HBO after this, which means getting the room to breathe and do something excellent. The unaired ones will probably be shown over here, in which case they’ll be downloadable from your side of the pond, but you may have to wait a few months. I love Sorkin though.
Kerri
February 27th 2007 | 00:47
I hate it when they do that. Though if Sorkin does move over to HBO, we may have to go ahead and get cable. I think my sis has all the WW on DVD. Might have to steal that from her for a bit and retry the end.
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