Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: B-12

Okay, I think it's starting to happen. Aaron Sorkin, creator/head writer of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, has finally figured out the right balance for his show. Less preaching, less air time for the sketches on the show-within-the-show, and more over-arching story lines moving from episode to episode. Viewers, however, have been all over Studio 60 lately, and the backlash, I suppose, could be expected.

Anytime a show brings up big social issues, a faction of the population is going to take offense to how those ideas are brought up. I've stated all along that Sorkin knows what he's doing and will listen to the criticism and learn. TV shows, dramas especially, don't come you out of the gates as well-oiled machines. It takes awhile. We all just have to be patient.Last night's episode was entitled B-12, a reference to the shot given to the cast and crew of Studio 60 after a virus infiltrates the studio. We begin the episode during the live taping of Studio 60 on a Friday (with host Howie Mandel) and intermittently flash back to earlier in the week. A lot went on, so I'll just iterate the major developments.

• Jordan, in response to Jack's insistence that she take charge in the cleaning up of her image, schedules an interview with Time Magazine. She blows the interview. Why? It turns out she's hormonal because she's pregnant.
• With the writing staff down to Matt, Lucy and Darius, Danny and Matt decide to bring in an old colleague. Played by "Kids in the Hall" vet Mark McKinney, he helps bring along Lucy and Darius, neither of whom have ever had a sketch on the air.
• Danny has to deal with another story written by Martha O'Dell. He takes offense to her use of citing Tom Jeter's failure of a movie and, mostly, hates that she quotes an anonymous web site talkbacker.
• Harriett can't tell jokes. I thought this was funny.

As you can see, a lot is going on. We've gotten away from the issues and mostly focused on the characters, who are dynamic and interesting. Couple this with the skill of Aaron Sorkin at the helm, and we could be in for a very good second half of the season on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer

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