The joy of Netflix: Sports Night appreciation thread

I recently got Netlfix and tonight I started watching Sports Night from the beginning. Just finished the pilot and aside from the stupid laugh track, it really was far too good to go away that soon.

I didn't realize that The Apology was the second episode of the series. Can't wait to watch that again tomorrow.

Anybody else re-watch this recently?

 

Enjoyed the premiere, but "The Apology" clued me in that the show was going to be different.

Through the magic of YouTube, I catch scene snippets every now and then when I'm feeling nostalgic.

Christmas is coming. Perhaps I'll request "Sports Night" and "The West Wing" DVD sets and celebrate with Sorkin.

 

I think I've seen one episode of that in my life. I really need to go back and watch it all.

 

If all Netflix had was Sports Night and The League, I'd still subscribe.

 

Brought this up earlier this year when I was plowing through all 45 episodes in about a two-week span:

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/3358965/

 

I did this exact same thing this summer, but I was watching it all for the first time. I barely knew anything about the show, and I don't like The West Wing very much (though I respect it; politics aren't my thing).

That said, I really enjoyed Sports Night. Dan Rydell ranks among my favorite characters in TV history, and Natalie Hurley might be my dream girl.

It wasn't a perfect show. The Casey McCall-Dana Whitaker plots were hit or miss, and some of the Big Moments fell short, namely Natalie and the football player. But the biggest failing to me was the unwillingness to make the place seem bigger in character. Kim, Elliot, Dave, Will and Chris were in nearly every episode but never had any character development.

Anyway, there's a whole lot of really great stuff, particularly in the less-memorable episodes. Every scene involving Dan is worthwhile. And the laugh track gets progressively more subtle then dies after the first season.

 

In addition to "The Apology," the episode in which Isaac returns after having a stroke (in real life, too) is fantastic -- especially when Dana turns around and sees him standing there.

 

My favorite is "Eli's Coming," in which Isaac has his stroke and Rebecca meets with her ex-husband and Bobbi explains why she's such a bitch to Dan. Again, Dan is my favorite character, and that episode was his finest moment.

I preferred Season 1 to 2. Not sure if that's a common opinion, but I didn't care for the Dana-Casey dating plan.

 

Yeah, Dan Rydell was my favorite, too.
I saw a bit of early Kenny Mayne in him.

 

At the time, I most definitely thought Natalie was my dream girl.

I agree about the stuff with Casey and Dana. It just got annoying.

 

I'm pretty sure Natalie Hurley is still in my top 3 all-time imaginary character crushes.

 

She was a real character.