Fall Lineup Frenzy 2006 Part I: NBC - Page 4

My Thoughts: Talk about counter-programming. NBC decides to put both of its new fall comedies up against ABC's Lost. It seems like a pretty big gamble, even if both shows are airing before Law & Order. I'm actually kind of surprised that NBC didn't put these two shows on Thursdays to complement My Name Is Earl and The Office.

Nonetheless, these new shows have some promise. The combination of Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow sounds like comedy gold. Both of these men are capable of being very funny. I sincerely hope that 20 Good Years will at least be half as good as it could be. Tina Fey proved that she could do non-SNL stuff by writing Mean Girls. However, 30 Rock will be a real test of her talent. It's good that she's surrounded by people like Alec Baldwin and SNL alums Tracy Morgan and Rachel Dratch but at the same time, this show seems a lot like the comedic twin of Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. On a side note, am I the only one who thinks it's a little strange that both comedies have a number in their name?

Thursday

8-8:30 p.m.: My Name Is Earl
8:30-9 p.m.: The Office
9-10 p.m.: STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP
10-11 p.m.: ER

From NBC's Press Release:

"STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP" — Emmy Award-winning executive producer-writer Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winning executive producer-director Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") return to television with this crackling take on the drama behind the humor of producing a popular, late-night comedy sketch show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Sorkin lays bare the backstage politics, romances and delicate balance between creative talent, on-air personalities and network executives in an instant text-messaging world. Prominent are Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet, "Syriana"), a savvy new network entertainment chief who inherits a massive public relations disaster on the series — even before she starts her first day — and Matt Albie (Matthew Perry, "Friends") and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford, "The West Wing"), a brilliant creative team that she wants to resurrect the program. Also playing crucial roles are the sketch comedy series stars Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson, "Down with Love"), Simon Stiles (D.L. Hughley, "The Hughleys") and Tom Jeter (Nathan Corddry, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), their normally cool-headed director, Cal Shanley (Timothy Busfield, "thirtysomething") as well as supreme network honcho Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber, "Wings"). Evan Handler ("Sex and the City") and Carlos Jacott ("Being John Malkovich") also star. The series is a production of Warner Bros. Television.

My Thoughts: It was a no-brainer that My Name Is Earl and The Office would stay on Thursdays but the biggest change on this night is that NBC is abandoning the idea of two hours of comedy. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, the highly anticipated return of The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, looks to be more drama than comedy. Everything about this show screams "critically acclaimed hit." However, this show is also airing in the most competitive timeslot in all of network TV. CSI, Grey's Anatomy, The OC, and Supernatural are all airing at the same time. Will Aaron Sorkin and a great cast be enough to draw people to a show that shares a very similar premise with a new comedy that airs on the same network the night before?

Article Author: Sterfish

From music to manga and television to comics, Sterfish enjoys it all. He's older than you think and younger than you expect.

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