SEE NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUTComplications Ensue
Complications Ensue:
The Crafty Screenwriting, TV and Game Writing Blog




Archives

April 2004

May 2004

June 2004

July 2004

August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

November 2004

December 2004

January 2005

February 2005

March 2005

April 2005

May 2005

June 2005

July 2005

August 2005

September 2005

October 2005

November 2005

December 2005

January 2006

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July 2006

August 2006

September 2006

October 2006

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008

March 2008

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012

June 2012

July 2012

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012

December 2012

January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

April 2013

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013

September 2013

October 2013

November 2013

December 2013

January 2014

February 2014

March 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

June 2015

August 2015

September 2015

October 2015

November 2015

December 2015

January 2016

February 2016

March 2016

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

July 2016

August 2016

September 2016

October 2016

November 2016

December 2016

January 2017

February 2017

March 2017

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

August 2017

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

January 2018

March 2018

April 2018

June 2018

July 2018

October 2018

November 2018

December 2018

January 2019

February 2019

November 2019

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020

May 2020

August 2020

September 2020

October 2020

December 2020

January 2021

February 2021

March 2021

May 2021

June 2021

November 2021

December 2021

January 2022

February 2022

August 2022

September 2022

November 2022

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

July 2023

September 2023

November 2023

January 2024

February 2024

 

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Watched the third ep of Studio 60, and I'm feeling a lot better. The jokes were funny. I loved "Science, Schmience" -- and the guy's Tom Cruise bit was great. The character moments had bite, and were often funnier than the jokes.There was a neat revelation at the end.

I did think the last act had an odd valedictory feel to it, as if it were a season-ender. The story felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere sometimes -- the fourth act montage went on a bit long while we waited for the plot to kick in again. Still waiting for Sarah Paulson to show her comedic brilliance. And the act outs were a bit soft. (The act two out was: Matt decides to look at the focus group report?) But at least I have a TV show to watch where no one is in regular danger of dying.

(Boy, Pat Kingsley must be in hog heaven. She was Tom Cruise's publicist for years until he fired her. Her pitch these days must be: "See what happens when you don't have Pat Kingsley?" I'm sure he was just as nuts in the '90's, but no one was mocking him on fake sketch comedy shows.)

Tonight I'm definitely going to tape Friday Night Lights. It's had superb reviews, and it was a damn fine movie too. It's one of the few football movies I've seen where I really cared deeply who won, because it's not about money ball, it's about small town high school football teams in the kind of small town where football's the only thing going on besides Jesus.

Labels:

8 Comments:

"where football's the only thing going on besides Jesus" -- pretty much sums up a lot of the Texas football mentality and even though I'm very relieved that Friday Night Lights is filming around Austin instead of the out of state locations they were threatening us with, that will most likely not be a progam I watch. You see, it airs on the night my 7th grader plays -- ahem -- Texas football.

By Blogger MaryAn Batchellor, at 11:10 AM  

>>> it's about small town high school football teams in the kind of small town where football's the only thing going on besides Jesus.

And I should care about this because....? ;-)

No offense. It might be a fine show, but as a non-football fan who also thinks our current US President is the result of people who embrace the attitudes of small towns where people can't grapple with anything beyond right-wing Christianity and football... well, let's say I don't plan to watch.

By Blogger the third coast, at 11:14 AM  

I want to punch Harriet. Not Sarah Paulson - she's likely a lovely person - but Harriet has begun to annoy me just by showing up.

I'll likely watch/tape Friday Night Lights - I'm not a football fan in the least, but I know what it's like to have what feels like everything riding on a game.

(I cried into a pillow when the Petes lost the Memorial Cup back in the day...)

By Blogger TV Minion, at 11:21 AM  

See, and I'm a sucker for the Holly Hunter impression.

I'm a sucker for a show that would *bother* to have a character do a Holly Hunter impression.

But I'm with you-- the show is just a refreshing place to be, and it's finding its groove.

The previews for 30 Rock during Studio 60 made me laugh too...

By Blogger Jennica, at 11:51 AM  

I liked last night's Studio 60 the best so far... but it still seems like a mediocre show to me.
I think I figured out the problem - Matthew Perry is trying his hand at playing the straight man.
He looks at the focus group report - which we already know the contents of, they've been explicitly mentioned at least twice - with furrowed brow.
Previously, his (non)character sat at the writer's table and said, "Ok. Lets go around the room". He did his best "let's get down to brass tacks" impersonation there.
Boring.
Amanda Peet doesn't quite fit, her scenes are flat. A much better "out" for her scene, where she sees her mug shot, then explains at length how she actually does not have a record, would be for her to mutter "At least they didn't find out about..." cut to next scene.
Give her some kind of interest at least!

By Blogger Milehimama @ Mama Says, at 11:59 AM  

I hate football, but I love Friday Night Lights.

The small town in FNL will make for a great microcosm of America.

Great characters and great character moments. Great shooting style.

It's intelligently made, and they use the fine music of Montreal's Godspeed You Black Emperor! during the climax.

Can't wait to see it again.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:01 PM  

This episode didn't do it for me. I may have to switch to 30 ROCK...

STUDIO 60'S funny wasn't funny. Why set up a "Rowwr" bear joke and not show it finally being funny? And if they say someone is on the show - THEY NEED TO BE ON THE SHOW - where the hell was Gwen Stefani?

I have come to the mind that every show should end with the announcer starting the show and the opening sketch.

And there was a perfect opportunity for them to do a weekend update joke on Jordan's DUI. Something quick and to the point that would skewer Steven Webber's character right between the eyes.

People have told me I'm being hard on S60, but I have every right to be - I'm the audience. This show has missed many opportunities to be funny and poignant.

I'll stick around til ep. 5, but if this doesn't suss out soon - I'm out.

By Blogger Cunningham, at 12:18 PM  

interesting. Third Coast's comments about why he hates football, small town attitudes, and why that's going to keep him watching Friday Night Lights -- well, frankly, that's the kind of attitude that keeps progressives from winning elections in the USA. Someone needs to go read John Rogers' "Learn to say aint" post.

Funnily enough, I thought this third Studio 60 was the weakest of the three. though I do love a good Holly Hunter, and I do love a show that will GO for a good Holly Hunter.

I like the intro of the Ricky/Ron dynamic and the foreshadowing at the end. And because I wasn't immediately engaged by this one, I allowed my mind to wander a bit and found myself musing about just what a weird show Studio 60 really is. I think some of the blowback is about how they sold the show as a smart hip comedy. And it's not. It's actually a drama about making a smart comedy.

And that's just fucked. In a good way, but really...?

I've decided I like Studio 60, but I had to let go of the sloppy love I had for the early West Wing. Like first kisses when you're a teenager, I guess that feeling's not coming back.

But nice to see Aaron Sorkin's still getting away with soft Act Outs. (He always did.)

I just hope he gets to get to the end of his first season so he can call the season finale "what kind of day has it been."

By Blogger DMc, at 12:20 PM  

Post a Comment

Back to Complications Ensue main blog page.



This page is powered by Blogger.