Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Guide, DVD

The DVD set of the complete series is due out October 16

Also see our Availability page on rebroadcasts & reruns and downloads of episodes,
our information on What the Media is Saying about the Show
and Ratings, Scheduling & Changes information.

Bradley Whitford as Danny Tripp, Matthew Perry as Matt Albie, Amanda Peet as Jordan McDeere — NBC Photo: Art Streiber

The LATEST NEWS: News on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

August 2, 2007 “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” has started airing in Great Britain on More4.

The Times Online has a story/review about it.

July 28, 2007 from “Sarah” at The Aaron Sorkin Yahoo Group posted “`Farnsworth Invention’ Takes Shape”:

“Dates, cast and theater have been set for Aaron Sorkin’s new play, ‘The Farnsworth Invention,’ about the legal battle over the invention of the television. Hank Azaria will play David Sarnoff, the head of
RCA, and Jimmi Simpson (’The Rainmaker’) will portray the inventor Philo T. Farnsworth. Des McAnuff will direct the production, opening on Broadway at the Music Box Theater on Nov. 14, with previews beginning on Oct. 15. CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
“(A little piece of trivia: A Few Good Men opened at the Music Box Theater on November 15, 1989).”

July 12, 2007 Variety: Sorkin on ‘Trial’ at DreamWorks… possible Spielberg project:

DreamWorks has made a deal with Aaron Sorkin to write three films, the first of which will be “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” a drama Steven Spielberg hopes to direct.
Other articles on this story:

• Spielberg, Sorkin and… Abbie Hoffman?
• Spielberg May Direct Sorkin’s Script About ‘68 Democratic Convention

June 30, 2007 Aaron Sorkin’s Farnsworth Invention to Open on Broadway in November:

“The posting lists Oct. 15 as the tentative date of the first preview performance with a Nov. 18 opening….

“The Farnsworth Invention concerns the battle for the patent for the invention of the television set. The race pitted a young genius, Philo T. Farnsworth, who came up with the idea as a high school student, against David Sarnoff, the head of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA)….

“New York native Sorkin previously penned the plays Removing All Doubt, Hidden in This Picture and Making Movies. A Few Good Men opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre Nov. 15, 1989….”

June 14, 2007:

May 17, 2007:

NBC has announced that the May 24 episode will be “The Disaster Show” with Allison Janney as the guest host.

May 6, 2007 - The Sunday London Times Online: In his latest series, The West Wing’s creator, Aaron Sorkin, taps into the cultural conflicts fought in Hollywood, says Stephen Armstrong includes the following:

“’Thinking I’m playing Aaron is a good jumping-off point,’ Perry says. ‘Albie’s a mixture of the ideal version of what Aaron wants to be and what I would want myself to be. There are elements of Tommy and Aaron’s relationship, too. Aaron lives with his heart on his sleeve a little bit more, causing problems in the business world that Tommy has to unravel.’
“…NBC… ordered a full 22-episode run. But nobody is expecting a second series, which is a shame. Studio 60 is one of the few attempts to portray TV on TV that plays its comedy self-deprecating and its romance authentic….
“Studio 60 should do good business for Channel 4. It feels like an HBO rather than an NBC production, and it has one of those likeable, buddy-buddy relationships at its heart, a thinly disguised version of Sorkin’s friendship with Schlamme. ‘I like those kinds of relationships,’ Sorkin shrugs. ‘Whether it’s the two anchors on Sports Night or the three guys on The West Wing, there need to be men who know each other better than anyone else, who are committed to each other and can tell each other to f*** off without causing offence. Basically, my whole career, I just keep trying to write Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is on Channel 4 this summer.”

April 26, 2007

Some details on the return of “Studio 60″ on Thursday, May 24, 2007.

April 26, 2007 - Debbie K. emailed us the following information from NBC.com

“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” will return May 24, 2007

April 22, 2007 - “freeview1″ posted on the Television Without Pity’s Studio 60 Forum yesterday:

“Studio 60 will definitely air its remaining episodes in June according to one of the cast.”

March 17, 2007

Amanda Peet picture as she returns to work on the Studio 60 set after giving birth on February 20, 2007.

February 16, 2007 - In a Story about Mark McKinney (writer and actor on ‘Studio 60′) the Philadelphia Daily News reports:

“‘Studio 60,’ [is] getting ready to go away for awhile after next week.
“NBC announced Friday that it was moving up the premiere of the Paul Haggis series ‘The Black Donnellys’ to Feb. 26, following ‘Heroes.’
“‘Studio 60,’ it said, ‘will return to the schedule later this season on a date to be determined.’
“A skeptical Variety, noting that this week’s ratings were the show’s lowest yet, suggested that pulling the show a week earlier than planned ‘will no doubt raise a new round of questions about the show’s long-term fate.’”

January 29, 2007 - Sorkin defends ‘Studio 60′ - Written January 22, 2007:

“Right now, the goal for the real “Studio 60″ is renewal. Tonight, the show begins a run of seven consecutive original episodes before yielding its timeslot to ‘The Black Donnellys,’ a drama from ‘Crash’ writer/director Paul Haggis.”

January 25, 2007

Hear Sorkin talk to journalists about the show.

January 24, 2007 - LA Times admits, “Some people do like Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Studio 60!’”

“I now present some of ‘Studio 60’s’ staunchest defenders.

“Dan Hindmarch is a 32-year-old TV writer who has written for ‘The Unit.’ On Dec. 5 Hindmarch posted a blog on his MySpace page titled ‘In Defense of Studio 60.’ In an e-mail interview Hindmarch said he routinely has to defend the show from his friends who work in television comedy. ‘Similarly ‘House’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ must be defended from people who work in medicine,’ he wrote. ‘It should be understood: ‘Studio 60′ does not represent television reality any more than ‘The West Wing’ represented political (reality).’

“TheSunsetStrip.blogspot.com posts that “…it has become trendy to hate ‘Studio 60′–that the cool kids rant about how it takes itself too seriously, or that it’s arrogant, or that the sketches aren’t as funny as they should be. He doesn’t necessarily disagree with all these points, but he still likes the show. ‘Sorkin’s never been short on ego, there’s no doubt about that … but this is an intelligent, well-written, well-acted show. And any moron can and should be able to see it,’ he wrote….

“And… entertainment reporter Paul Cullum said: ‘Aaron Sorkin is a really smart guy who writes really great features. His dialogue is syncopated and a pleasure to listen to and if this is the vehicle for it, so be it. And if it offends overpaid comedy writers my sympathy is with them.’”

January 19, 2007 - “CREATOR AARON SORKIN SAYS CRITICS FOCUS TOO HEAVILY ON SHOW’S DIP IN RATINGS By Charlie McCollum Mercury News“:

“Both critics and regular viewers… have been disappointed with a series that had a terrific opening episode and then struggled to find its rhythms and ways to draw people into its insider view of how television is made. Even Sorkin acknowledges that, albeit a bit indirectly.

“Critical reviews, he says, are ‘not fun to read. But I get it when people write that there’s a smugness to the show, that there’s an arrogance to the show. I get it when people say that the characters on the show take doing a television show too seriously. I don’t necessarily agree with it but . . .

“‘But you’ve got to be careful not to let too many voices into your head, or you’re not going to get anywhere. I try to stay focused and write the show I intended to write. It’s a mistake to do things creatively simply to attract a larger audience.

“What really bothers Sorkin is that ‘the lion’s share of the press about the show out of the gate was simply about the show’s ratings. It was very difficult to get anyone past that. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. If people read that a show is tanking, they are less likely to tune in.’

“…When it comes to show’s success, or lack thereof, Sorkin does like to point out that the show’s viewership has held steady for the most recent original episodes and that ‘Studio 60′ draws the most affluent and well-educated audience on TV.”

January 18, 2007 - “NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly says… STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP will stay the course creatively, although creator Aaron Sorkin will continue to experiment with its format and focus“:

“‘The show has certainly been polarizing,’ Reilly acknowledges in terms of the love-it or hate-it reaction from audiences. ‘I don’t really want to tip his hand on anything, but the one thing I would just say is he’s got great relationships and it was really meant to be somewhat at its core a romantic comedy. And Aaron likes social relevance, pop culture references, political references, being smart on the fly and I think that’s what really the true fans of the show love. That’s not going to end. I’m not saying the other part is going to go away. We have certainly not pressured him to do it and he’s made no proclamations about anything, but we have both agreed we’ve got great relationships. Maybe there’s a percentage of the audience that really had a bad taste in its mouth about some of those issues [being too inside], but I think there’s also a big chunk of the audience that maybe drifted a bit and would certainly be coming back again and thought ‘Oh, it lost me.’ I didn’t hear a lot of ‘Oh, man.’ I just heard people say, ‘Yeah, I like it. I just kind of drifted from it.’ So those are people you can get back.’”

December 3, 2006 New York Times interview with Kristin Chenoweth

“Ms. Chenoweth€s well-publicized love affairs have been with creative types, including the television auteur Aaron Sorkin…. after they broke up, asked if he could create a character based on her for ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.’ ‘I said O.K.,’ she recalled. ‘I was happy to give him that gift. And I watch every week because I€m supportive of Aaron; whether we€re together or not, I love him always. I think it€s a genius show. But …’ She paused. Harriet Hayes, played by Sarah Paulson, is a multitalented star, a sexy born-again Christian and something of an intolerant pill. ‘It is weird,’ Ms. Chenoweth continued, ‘when I see her behaving in ways that are different from me. I€m really not that judgmental girl. But you have to let artists go where they go.’”

December 2, 2006 (2^nd) - Variety reports:

‘Studio 60′ has “‘reached a level (in the ratings) that’s acceptable,’ NBC scheduling chief Mitch Metcalf said. ‘We looked at a number of things, but nothing really made sense in terms of a more complex move. We decided let’s hold steady on this night.’

“…In early March, Peacock will replace ‘Studio 60′ with ‘The Black Donnellys,’ the Paul Haggis skein NBC originally intended to spell ‘ER’ in the winter. Metcalf said ‘Donnellys’ is a ‘young-skewing drama’ that should be helped by the broad demo base of Heroes.’”

“…Four unaired episodes of ‘Studio 60′ will remain when the show ankles Monday after February sweeps. No word yet on when or where those segs will air.”

Editor’s note: See the planned schedule on our Ratings, Scheduling & Changes page.

December 2, 2006 (1^st) - After announcing its official schedule the day before (see below) The Hollywood Reporter said that “Studio 60″ will be sharing its timeslot with the new “Black Donnellys” so there will not be any reruns of “Studio 60″.

“NBC’s Monday lineup of ‘Deal or No Deal,’ the hit new drama ‘Heroes’ and ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ will stay intact despite speculation about a possible move of the critically praised ‘Studio 60,’ which regularly loses a large chunk of the ‘Heroes’ audience. To stay primarily in originals, ‘Studio 60′ will share its 10 p.m. slot with midseason drama ‘Black Donnellys.’”

December 1, 2006 - NBC has announced its upcoming Mid-Season schedule

And “Studio 60″ stays in its same time slot for the time being.

November 9, 2006 - NBC has announced that it has renewed Studio 60 for the rest of the season

There will be a full 22 episode season!

October 31, 2006 - Interview with Mark McKinney, ex of Kids in the Hall, Saturday Night Live and now of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”

“Several months ago, McKinney was at a theatre in New York City to see a friend’s play when he bumped into the Studio 60 casting director, who suggested he try out for the show. McKinney auditioned for the role of Tom Jeter, one of the actors in the sketch show around which Studio 60 revolves. The part ended up going to Nathan Corddry, but series-creator Aaron Sorkin asked him to join the writing team; his contributions first show up around the sixth episode, which ran this week. Though it has been written that McKinney is responsible for writing parts that call for a sketch from the show within the show, he said his role is more general: one of several writers. ‘This isn’t like Kids in the Hall,’ he said. ‘This all goes through the room.’

Although ratings have slipped, McKinney said viewers should stick around before changing channels. ‘The strongest episodes — there’s a whole series of them coming up,’ he says.”

October 30 2006 - “Studio 60″ is not going to air tonight but is scheduled to air new episodes for the next weeks.

October 16 2006 - TV Guide’s Ausiello Report:

“Sources confirm that NBC is handing Studio 60’s Monday/10 pm time-slot over to FNL on Oct. 30 for what I’m told is a one-night experiment. But, let’s face it, if FNL performs better than Studio 60 € and that bar has been set pretty darn low € we may be looking at the birth of a Monday night football franchise on NBC.”

September 30, 2006 ‘SNL’ may be nearing its end By BILL BRIOUX — Toronto Sun

“Tonight marks the 32nd season premiere of Saturday Night Live….

“As somebody cracked last week, Studio 60 is too much like Saturday Night Live — not funny enough and over after an hour.

“No show received more pre-release publicity this fall than Studio 60. Yet, despite generally good reviews, the ratings for the first two episodes have been just so-so. Could the lukewarm response to Studio 60 be linked to a ‘who cares anymore’ about SNL?

“…Another mistake is that Sorkin, who idealized the White House on The West Wing, seems bent on crafting the ideal SNL. That’s a bad idea — SNL was never an ideal anything. At its best it was a rock ‘n’ roll comedy show with ‘Not Ready For Prime Time Players’ running the asylum. Now that SNL is ready for prime time, it is so over.”

September 28, 2006

Although it was not on Comcast’s schedule until the last minute, Bravo did rebroadcat this week’s episode on Wednesday night. So, they may do a rerun of Monday night’s episode every Wednesday. But we have no confirmation of that at this time. At the moment Bravo’s schedule is not listing a rebroadcast of Studio 60 on Sunday night but maybe…

September 27, 2006

Amanda Peet on Letterman tonight said she was four months pregnant.

September 25, 2006

If the lyrics of the Pirates of Penzance opening sketch (last song of the second episode) went by a little fast for you, check out our page on “The Show Within a Show” where we also have most of the rant that opened the pilot episode.

September 20, 2006

Ratings information on Monday night’s episode.

September 18, 2006

Bradley Whitford is scheduled on Bill Maher’s show next Friday, Sept 22^nd.

September 16, 2006

We apologize to anyone who previously tried to use the search function and only got references on the home page. We think we have solved that problem and it should now give you every page on the site where that term has been used. Site now has over 30 pages and new pages are being added constantly - the SiteMap should also help people find topics in this guide. Let us know if anything in the site doesn’t work as you think it should.

September 14, 2006 The Futon Critic

“NBC Universal Television Group and Warner Bros. Television Group announce digital distribution agreement on new drama ’studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’” (show is going to be released for official downloads.

September 10, 2006 (2^nd)

There are several appearances coming up that will probably promote the show and may offer information. The following were posted on the Television Without Pity Studio 60 Forum:

• Matthew Perry will be on “The Tonight Show” on 9/13
• Matthew Perry will be on “The Today Show” on 9/15
• Matthew Perry will be on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” on 9/16 (Friday night/Saturday morning).
• Matthew Perry may be on Headline News’ “Showbiz Tonight” promoting the show on 9/18.
• Brad Whitford is scheduled to be on “Ellen” on 9/18
• Matthew Perry is scheduled to be on “Ellen” on 9/25

September 10, 2006 (1^st)

BRAVO will rebroadcast the pilot Sep 20 at 09:00pm ET.

September 9, 2006 - TV Squad is reporting:

“Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham is going to guest star on two episodes of the new NBC show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. And here’s the cool twist: she’s going to play herself! She’s going to be the ‘host’ on an episode of the fictional variety show depicted on the show, and the two episodes will feature Graham dealing with the staff, going through rehearsals, and hosting the ’show’.”

September 3, 2006

We have some Flash promos right here, scenes from the first episode that NBC has released and iFilm has made available to give us a taste of what the pilot will be like.

August 21, 2006 - “Ozzyols” posted on the Television Without Pity’s Studio 60 Forum yesterday:

“…the Sound Stage for S60 is the old WW stage.”

August 17, 2006 - “samsnee” posted on the Television Without Pity’s Studio 60 Forum yesterday:

“For anyone in NYC, the Museum of TV & Radio is showing the pilot along with other NBC pilots on Sep 13th for free. It’s a first come, first serve basis.”

August 16, 2006 - From the Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip: The Pilot Episode

This page has spoilers with a review of the first episode but it also gives the following information:
“Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip is a new TV show currently in production set to air on NBC for its 2006-2007 season. It was created by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and Thomas Schlamme and according to Wikipedia, it has a thirteen episodes order with a cost of around $2.5 to $3 million per episode to produce.”

August 12, 2006 - From the Studio 60 Blog

“…it has been reported that Amanda Peet is pregnant…. if these reports are legitimate there is more than likely some scurrying going on behind the scenes of S60.”

August 11, 2006 - “LADreamr” posted on the Television Without Pity’s Studio 60 Forum yesterday:

“In S60 news, there is a beautiful 2-page ad for the show in the Sept. issue of Vanity Fair, pages 208-209.”

July 26, 2006 - the 2006 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour for
the NBC Network photos (go to page 5 and the images for Studio 60 are interspersed on that page)

At the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel on July 21, 2006
in Pasadena, California. There is a large image of everybody (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

July 25, 2006 - The logo shows up on the new DVD of the pilot that will be available from NetFlix in a week or so:

Images from NBC Pilot Available from NetFlix

July 22, 2006 - FutonCritic on an NBC Press Release:

“NBC will take the field with its new Fall 2006-07 primetime season as Premiere Week kicks off on Monday, September 18 with a special two-hour ‘Deal or No Deal’ followed by the new drama series ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.’”

July 21, 2006 - SFGate.com: Tim Goodman - Studio 60 Live Blog

“Sorkin says he’s changed the way he’s writing this show as compared to ‘The West Wing’ - which should please NBC since his inability to delegate and need to write every word was one of the main reasons he was removed from ‘The West Wing,’ since the delays in the writing ended up costing lots and lots of money….

“‘There’s nothing you can do to make it easy that also won’t make it bad.’ Sorkin on the difficult, grueling nature of making a TV series every week. As Whitford says, it’s the equivalent of making 11 feature films in 9 months….

“By the way, this won’t translate at all, but the session is great because all the actors are being both flippant and interesting and funny, and each one is trying to one up the other while also being self deprecating. It’s kind of like the series itself.”

July 2, 2006 Extra TV quoting Matthew Perry on his character on Studio 60

“It’s exciting and different enough that it really has my brain working,” Perry admitted. “He is a rather messy, screwed-up, brilliant, genius writer.”

July 1, 2006 - “LawsandSausages” posted on the Television Without Pity’s Studio 60 Forum) that there are new video choices at NBC:

“If you go back to the Studio 60 page on NBC.com, the trailer link now takes you to the following:”

1. NEW: A three-minute behind-the-scenes piece with Sorkin and the cast
2. The six-minute upfront promo
3. NEW: A 30-second Matt/Danny feature promo
4. NEW: A 30-second Jordan/Jack feature promo

June 22, 2006 - Another “Studio 60″ video

Video for “Studio 60″ on Yahoo (go down to the list of dramas below the chart).

June 15, 2006 - Guardian Newspaper in the UK has reported that the series will definitely be shown in Britain:

“Channel 4 has also bought Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin’s new NBC show, which stars Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford as part of the production team on a fictional US network comedy show”

June 13, 2006 - “Studio 60″ video on NBC First Look

Video for “Studio 60″ - Mouse over the Monday at 10 pm picture then go around the other links to click on the video link above - requires Flash 8

June 6, 2006 - “Studio 50″ in Canada

CTV has announced that it will run the show in Canada on Sunday nights at 10 pm.

June 5, 2006 - A long review in The Futon Critic with lots of detail. Below is just a couple of comments as a sample of what is discussed:

“…Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme know how to keep a half-dozen plates spinning and it’s a genuine pleasure to watch things unfold. But the real draw here is the awesomeness that is Perry and Whitford. While they don’t appear until nearly halfway in, the show really comes alive once they’re introduced…. Plain and simple: if you were a fan of “Sports Night” and/or “The West Wing” - this show is for you. It’s filled to the brim with all of Sorkin’s trademarks: characters “banter” instead of talk, emotional gut punches appear out of nowhere and most all, how special a thing friendship is and how honorable working toward something greater can be….”

May 27, 2006 - Discovered today a New York Times blog on the “upfronts”:
Virginia Heffernan at the Television Upfronts

NBC | 05.15 4:24 P.M. Satire, Sorkin-Style
“It appears to take an almost morbidly serious, self-important approach — say, a “West Wing” approach — to the making of a comedy show…. “Studio 60″ dramatizes something that looks more like the old “SNL,” the one that allegedly heroically did hard-hitting political satire…. So that’s how Sorkin gets to stay serious: his show’s about free speech, and bracing satire, and moral high ground….”

May 25, 2006

NBC announced today it was moving “Studio 60″ to Mondays at 10/9.

May 21, 2006

The same Nate Corddry interview says, “Snuffy Walden [i]’s composing the music for Studio 60, too.”