Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Returns to NBC
Show Will Air Episodes in Late May
Studio 60 originally aired Monday nights at 10PM EST on NBC, though it will now air on Thursday nights at 10PM starting May 24th. The 24th is a day after the May Sweeps period ends. Sweeps is when advertisers look at network ratings for the purposes of haggling over ad rates. Thursday was initially when NBC planned to air the series, but ABC's counter-programming move of Grey's Anatomy caused a last minute schedule change this fall.
Studio 60 stars Matthew Perry (Friends) and West Wing alum Bradley Whitford as a writer and producer, Matt and Danny, respectively, of a late night Saturday Night Live type show airing on a fictional major network. The characters were called back to duty when the show's storied producer, a Lorne Michaels type (played for one episode by Judd Hirsch) flaked out over media standards being so low. Waiting for the pair when they returned were the Harriet Hayes, the ex-girlfriend of Perry's character (Sarah Paulson). She's a comedienne and star of the program and also an evangelical Christian. The men were also joined by Jordan McDeere new entertainment programming chief (played by Amanda Peet) who was already getting flack from higher ups when she tried to raise those aforementioned low standards. Steven Weber also starred on the show was Peet's boss. And Ed Anser is on the show occasionally as Weber's boss. The sketch show cast was rounded out by D.L. Hughley and Nathan Corrdry. Timothy Busfield, also formerly of The West Wing, appeared as a soft spoken director.
Studio 60 was initially a critic's darling, but soon lost favor with fans and critics alike for its heavy-handed, serious look at civil liberties and media responsibility through the prism of the sketch show. The intensity that helped make The West Wing a hit seemed to be a bad mix with a show about making a TV show. The "life and death" element wasn't there. As the show changed focus from politics/social commentary to the love lives of it's cast (Jordan and Danny hooked up, Matt and Harriet debated their on again off again relationship) it didn't help ratings. When the show went off in February, it was averaging just 7 million viewers. The show held on, it was noted, because many of those viewers were the same affluent audience that watched The West Wing.
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip was temporarily replaced by another heavy hitter's series- Oscar-winner Paul Haggis' Black Donnellys. This series was even less of a ratings hit.
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- source: www.zap2it.com
- Studio 60 will air on Thursdays at 10PM starting May 24th
- The show has 6 episodes yet to air
- Matt Perry, Amanda Peet, Sarah Paulson, and Bradley Whitford star
8 Comments
Post a Commentstudio 60 is a brilliant,clever&,most importantly,well acted show.i'll be the 1st 2 admit i didnt think perry could be anything other than "chandler" but he's proved me wrong.the banter between him & bradley whitford is outstanding!it has 2 come back!
I am so happy the Donnelly's didn't do well becuase I really wanted Studio to come back. It's a smart show and it's just so nauseating that these stupid reality shows make it but a show that makes a real commentary about life and society is forced off the air by the dumb blonds of society!!
I think Studio 60 deserves some better time slots from NBC. I hate that the execs are afraid of pitting it against other shows. ER isn't a comedy and yet it stays on Thursday, surrounded by commedy shows. I think S60 deserves a Thursday night slot and it will be the only show I watch/record on Thursday.
Thank you so much for this article! My husband and I were just talking about this show and how we loved it and thought it was off the air (again). Thanks for the update!
I love Studio 60 and knew it was coming back. Last I heard, if the ratings can go up a little for these last episodes, it may come back for a second round.
I am afraid quality shows no longer matter to the networks, not that they ever did. They will cancel shows like Sports Night and Studio 60, both created by Sorkin, and now are considring cancelling Law & Order, and we get trash like Wedding Crashers, and insipid game shows in their place...THANK GOD for HBO!
I knew The Donnelly's wouldn't do well either. Unfortunately, I have to admit I thought Studio 60 would do well. The first episode was pretty good and seemed to foreshadow good things to come but...I guess not. I almost don't want it to go away because I know it'll be replaced by some idiotic reality game show.
This is great news! Studio 60 was brilliant in my opinion. I hope they renew it for the fall season. I had a feeling the Donnelly's wouldn't do too well.