30 Rock (esteemed winner of the 30 Rock vs. Studio 60 deathmatch)

Started by ono, September 18, 2006, 08:00:42 PM

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killafilm

wow.  seems like this is getting a lot of hate from xixax.

I for one love it.  I think each episode has gotten better.  It's like ER but for tv production.  I guess maybe that doesn't sound to good, but, I still like it.  I'll let them slip a bit in not being that funny in the show within the show, as long as everything else is pretty funny.  Which so far it is.  The dynamic between Matt and Danny is really good.  And Peet is actually decent in this. 

MacGuffin

"Studio 60" on the Blink

A late-night sketch comedy show is sinking--and, this time, Horatio Sanz, Chris Parnell and Finesse Mitchell can't take the fall.

On Monday night, the Saturday Night Live-inspired Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip fell to a series-low 8.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

CBS' CSI: Miami dominated the 10 p.m. slot with 17.9 million; NBC's Studio 60 made do with topping the final hour of the season premiere of ABC's The Bachelor: Rome (7.9 million). (Overall, the not-as-smooth-as-it-used-to-be Bachelor averaged 7.5 million from 9-11 p.m.)

Studio 60, NBC's most hyped fall show without football pads, had a decent enough Sept. 19 premiere, when the Aaron Sorkin-hatched, Matthew Perry-led series was sampled by 13.4 million. But the show has been down every week since then, shedding 4.5 million viewers along the way.

NBC's struggles with its fake SNL come as its real SNL is dealing with its own troubles. Last month, veteran SNL performers Sanz, Parnell and Mitchell were sacked amid network-mandated budget cuts. The downsized SNL began its 32nd season last weekend.

Far from giving up on the SNL concept, NBC will roll out yet another SNL-inspired series, the sitcom 30 Rock, on Oct. 11
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Raikus

How 30 Rock will save Studio 60

30 Rock will suck so hard that, by contrast, Studio 60 will seem that much better.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tomorrow.

ProgWRX

Anyone watch "West Coast Delay" last night? I highly enjoyed it. Were finally seeing some behind the scenes drama and they are showing less and less of the actual sketches.

-Carlos

polkablues

Quote from: ProgWRX on October 10, 2006, 03:31:25 PM
Were finally seeing some behind the scenes drama and they are showing less and less of the actual sketches.

Although, "Meet the Press with Juliette Lewis" looked like it would have been funny.
My house, my rules, my coffee

MacGuffin

I was with it up until they had to keep breaking in live to update the source of the joke. I would have liked to have seen how they deal with plagerism entirely played out.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

pete

I actually went out of my way to catch a re-run, just so I could have something to talk about on the board I guess.  the romance thing just was not working, nobody actually feels the heartbreak.  the joke was pretty bad too, I guess it was just a macgunffin though.  the racing against the clock thing was fun though.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

grand theft sparrow

So is it confirmed yet that Rob Lowe is going to play Amanda Peet's ex-husband?

ProgWRX

as much as part of me would like that, it would IMO feel too much like a west wing reunion, unless he has ZERO scenes with Brad Whitford.

and yes IMO they need to keep showing more of the tv-making aspects and keep the sanctimonious stuff, the relationship stuff and the christian right bashing to a minimum (IMO it gets old, as much as i may dislike 'em)

-Carlos

picolas

the fact that the show within the show is never funny makes me have to suspend my disbelief so much i don't think i'm going to watch any more. and i agree with pete about the no romance.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: picolas on October 12, 2006, 02:30:06 AM
the fact that the show within the show is never funny makes me have to suspend my disbelief so much i don't think i'm going to watch any more.

That's the rule, though. In a column a few years back, Ebert said it was standard play for movies about movies to have their subject movie be stale. The producers did not want the audience to wish another film was made instead. Watch Truffaut's Day For Night. My feelings aside, the movie is as textbook to Hollywood logistics as any movie gets. It still stands up today against The Player and others films about Hollywood.

I've watched a little bit of the show (during commerical breaks of football). My thoughts so far is that it is boring. The plot is more insightful to television production than character insight. The actors ramble on with such intelligence and poise that I wonder if the writers knew the difference between character writing and good technical writing. Its all just stale to me.

But, I have argued for precision writing before. Gilmore Girls has not one ounce of realism but its fabulous stuff when rolling. The reason is that the characters dance with verbal slang the way old Hollywood use to at its best moments. Every character is able to be charming and the moments really do ring true. The problem is most people don't care to look at the show in a context of old comedic Hollywood. They want realism only.

picolas

Quote from: The Gold Trumpet on October 12, 2006, 02:42:49 AM
Quote from: picolas on October 12, 2006, 02:30:06 AM
the fact that the show within the show is never funny makes me have to suspend my disbelief so much i don't think i'm going to watch any more.

That's the rule, though. In a column a few years back, Ebert said it was standard play for movies about movies to have their subject movie be stale. The producers did not want the audience to wish another film was made instead.
i don't think it has to be a rule. and i don't think it's intentional because the show outside the show isn't funny and perry is supposed to be a renowned comic genius.

grand theft sparrow

Quote from: picolas on October 12, 2006, 03:01:50 AM
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet on October 12, 2006, 02:42:49 AM
Quote from: picolas on October 12, 2006, 02:30:06 AM
the fact that the show within the show is never funny makes me have to suspend my disbelief so much i don't think i'm going to watch any more.

That's the rule, though. In a column a few years back, Ebert said it was standard play for movies about movies to have their subject movie be stale. The producers did not want the audience to wish another film was made instead.
i don't think it has to be a rule. and i don't think it's intentional because the show outside the show isn't funny and perry is supposed to be a renowned comic genius.
It's definitely intentional and most likely for the reasons GT/Ebert said.  But I don't really care that the show itself isn't funny.  I'm not watching because I'm looking for good comedy.  That's what actual comedies are for.  So the quality of the snippets of material that we see is inconsequential.  I'm still with the show, which is sad because I know it's getting cancelled during or right after this season.  It's the curse of the inside-the-entertainment-industry show, Entourage being the only successful example.

pete

if it's not funny, then at least that has to be acknowledged, like Max's play in Rushmore.  in the show's premiere it opened with a skit that wasn't funny and the creator to make a brouhaha about it.  if that skit wasn't funny, then what was?  you can't just have the fake audience laughing and the fake rating soaring to prove the comedy.
wayne's world was an excellent show within a movie, and also a show within a show.  itchty and scratchy too.  the king is alive showed excellent acting within excellent acting (as well as excellent bad acting). 
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

picolas

Quote from: othersparrow on October 12, 2006, 06:38:29 AM
It's definitely intentional and most likely for the reasons GT/Ebert said.
i bet you $1 billion it's unintentional.