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Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

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  • Title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
  • tv.com: link

“I don’t even know what the sides are in the culture war.”
“Well, your side hates my side because you think we think you’re stupid, and my side hates your side because we think you’re stupid.”

In many ways Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was Aaron Sorkin‘s most ambitious project to date.  Returning to the show within a show concept he used to craft Sports Night (read that review) Sorkin also brought in weighty issues to balance against the behind the scenes sketch comedy.  The merging of the two doesn’t always work in every scene, but every single episode contains some magic and something not just to enjoy but to savor and discuss as well.

Studio 60 takes place behind the scenes of a late night sketch comedy similar to SNL.  After the producer and creator of the show Wes Mendell (guest star Judd Hirsch) loses a final battle against Standards and Practices and interrupts a live feed to rant against the state of television (watch that clip).  The new head of programming for NBS (the National Broadcasting System) Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) brings in two of the show’s most popular alumns, Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford) and Matt Albe (Matthew Perry) to produce and write the show.

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The West Wing

/ / Home Video, Theme Week
  • Title: The West Wing
  • tv.com: link

“Shows about politics don’t work.”
—Aaron Sorkin (discussing the many concerns the network had with the show’s concept)

“The people I have met have been extraordinarily qualified.  Their intent is good.  Their commitment is true.  They are righteous, and they are patriots.”
—Ainsley Hayes (“In This White House”)

the-west-wing-castThe West Wing broke many of the rules of television.  Discussing politics, morality, foreign policy and the world, political wrangling, real life issues, legislation and the creation of law, and real world problems.  For seven years the staff of President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) raised debate and discussion in the country by presenting a view of government that was hard-working, knowledgeable, passionate, patriotic and smart.  And, somehow, it made it all interesting, entertaining, and must-see TV.

The show was praised by former White House staffers in presenting the pace and challenge of the job.  One of the trademarks of the show was the “walk-and-talks” which filmed the characters walking and talking through the halls of The West Wing  They were simply too busy to sit down.

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Sports Night

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  • Title: Sports Night – The Complete Series
  • tv.com: link

sports-night-dvdIf you blinked at the end of the last millennium you probably missed Sports Night.  The brainchild of Aaron Sorkin hit the ABC airwaves in the fall of 1998.  Although critically acclaimed, it won many awards including three Emmys, the show never really hit it big (especially compared to The West Wing). 

As his second show became a huge success, this first foray into television slowly faded into syndication.  The tagline for the show was:  It’s a show about a show about sports, that isn’t about sports at all.  I would be hard pressed to sum it up better.  An extremely well written high paced workplace comedy that is filled with kinetic energy, big laughs, snappy dialogue and one hell of a great cast.  I only wish it could have run for more than two seasons.

Continental Corp owns the Continental Sports Channel, or CSC, a third place network which airs a third place sports highlight show known as Sports Night. 

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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

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  • Title: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Seasons 1 & 2
  • tv.com: link

“You assholes are going to hell.”
“We’ve thought about it; we’re willing to roll the dice.”

Imagine the worst people you know.  Now imagine they own Paddy’s Irish Pub in Philadelphia, hang-out together, and get themselves in wacky situations every week.  That, in a nutshell, is the premise of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

>“The Gang” consists of Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Deandra “Dee” Reynolds (Kaitlin Olson), and their friends Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Charlie (Charlie Day).  Frank Reynolds (Danny Devito), Dee and Dennis’ father, joins the cast in Season Two.  Their misadventures are always properly titled (such as “The Gang Gets Racist,” “Charlie Wants an Abortion,” “”Charlie Got Molested,” “The Gang Goes Jihad,” “Mac Bangs Dennis’ Mom,” and “The Gang Exploits a Miracle”).

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Hidden Gem – Confidence

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  • Title: Confidence
  • IMDb: link

“Tommy Suits always said ‘a confidence game is like putting on a play where everyone knows their part: the inside man, the roper, the shills, everyone that is, except for the mark.'”

Every once in awhile you run across a film in the DVD aisle and say to yourself, “What is that?”  That’s how I came across Confidence.  Released in theaters in 2003 the film takes a look at a group of con artists whose latest con has gone south and their last ditch attempt to rectify the situation, get out from behind the thumb of a crime boss, and perform the biggest con of their lives. 

Jake Vig (Edward Burns) and his team of con men have just pulled off another successful con.  Everything should be gravy, but then the other shoe drops.  It turns out the money they’ve taken belongs to an unforgiving crime boss (Dustin Hoffman), and then, when one of the team ends up dead (Louis Lombardi), they realize they have stepped into a whole new league.

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