Last night NBC aired what may very well be the last episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I have mixed feelings about this.
On the one hand, this show clearly suffered in the shadow of it's spiritual predecessor, The West Wing. People expected this tremendous show that captured the imagination the way Wing did when it premiered in 1999. NBC certainly expected a hit, something that would drive ratings and haul in advertising dollars, particularly among the key 18 to 49 year old demographic.
There was just one problem with this scenario: Studio 60 isn't (wasn't?) as good as The West Wing. It was good, but not good enough given the inevitable comparisons. The cast of the new show didn't measure up to that of the old show, but the larger problem is this: when you go from the White House to a late night comedy show, inevitably you lower the stakes. What's the worst thing that can happen to the characters on Studio 60? Their show gets canceled, which ironically is the worst case scenario for its real life creator. That scenario is about to play out, and the reasons why are clear.
Having said that, the seemingly inevitable cancellation of Studio 60 says something about our taste, does it not? Don't judge Studio 60 against the West Wing, judge it against what's on television now. Intelligent shows like Studio 60 don't belong on television anymore, not opposite shows where contestants eat live cockroaches. Maybe the American viewing public is happier watching the formulaic sitcom where the mom is hot, the dad is a slovenly idiot, and the kids are snarky observers of the family chaos. Why don't we just combine all those sitcoms into one and call it The King of Everyone Who Loves Two Guys Til Death and make room for ONE show that entertains and makes people think at the same time? Because it would just make room for yet another night of American Idol, that's why.
