Sports Night

[Cosmo]

Yes, I'm 14 years too late to the party on this one ... but this was always one of those shows I can't believe I didn't watch when it was on the air. Through the beauty of Netflix instant, I was able to watch all 45 episodes in the last month or so. Pretty tremendous show and an obvious seed for everything Sorkin did afterward.

Interesting that the Onion's AV Club has chosen to start a retrospective recap review of the show, starting with the first four episodes:

Episodes 1-2: http://www.avclub.com/articles/pilotthe-apology,75770/

Episodes 3-4: http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hungry-and-the-huntedintellectual-property,75786/

Seems as if they'll be doing two episodes a week.

I wonder how much longer the show could have lasted had it moved to a HBO or another network after ABC canceled it and Sorkin chose to begin work on the West Wing. There was potential for probably another season or two, I think, before it totally jumped the shark. If anyone remembers, were the writers aware the show was going to be canceled before writing the final episode? I would think not since there were so many storylines that ended up not getting tied up.

Anyway, great show. Love the fact that every highlight on the monitor in the background is from the same Miami of Ohio basketball game.

 

[Riptide]

Great show. Great cast. I miss it, but I have the boxed set.

 

[Matt Stephens]

Also available on Netflix for those who want to check it out.

 

[imjustagirl]

I have the box set as well. There are those who will say it wasn't as great as I remember it ... but it is. I've seen it again and again. It's still great.

I'll have to check out the AV Club links.

 

[SellOut]

Anybody who can't make money off SportsNight should get out of the money-making business.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Good show, people. Good show.

I did the same thing Cosmo. Bombed through it in a couple of weeks and loved every minute of it.

 

[spikechiquet]

Bought the DVD boxset the second it came out practically. Love that show. Wish it would have lasted longer. Great writing! Great dialogue. Great flow.

 

[John]

I liked the show initially but grew to like the characters less and less. Except Natalie, who was tremendously cute.

 

[Cosmo]

Natalie got sort of over the top annoying by the end of season 2, but she's so damn cute I didn't really care.

 

[Sea Bass]

Favorite line of the show was from Robert Gillaume when he was told he was about to sued by the two guys who wrote Happy Birthday.

"It took two people to write that song?"

 

[imjustagirl]

Two girls. Mildred and Patty Hill.

I just finished that ep and Mary Pat Shelby. On to episode 6 now.

 

[Cosmo]

I didn't realize that Robert Guillame actually had a stroke and they wrote it into the show. It was really well done, and I got pretty choked up when Dana said, "Please, just let one good thing happen today," and he walked into the room.

 

[Matt Stephens]

I didn't realize that Robert Guillame actually had a stroke and they wrote it into the show. It was really well done, and I got pretty choked up when Dana said, "Please, just let one good thing happen today," and he walked into the room.

Woah. Didn't know that, either. They wrote it in very well.

 

[Riptide]

I didn't realize that Robert Guillame actually had a stroke and they wrote it into the show. It was really well done, and I got pretty choked up when Dana said, "Please, just let one good thing happen today," and he walked into the room.

Woah. Didn't know that, either. They wrote it in very well.

That was a great moment in TV history.

 

[imjustagirl]

Episode 8, Dan starts asking Casey what happened on Nov. 23. Casey lists oodles of things. He left out Brook Jacoby's birthday.

Fail.

 

[spikechiquet]

The episode they dropped the laugh track was when it got REALLY good. It was good before that...but the laugh track needed to go quicker than it did.

 

[imjustagirl]

The episode they dropped the laugh track was when it got REALLY good. It was good before that...but the laugh track needed to go quicker than it did.

Truth.

 

[Cosmo]

Yeah. It was really jarring when I first started watching it.

 

[imjustagirl]

Side note, and not a judgment at all: I'm STUNNED anyone didn't know Guillaume had a stroke. It was all I heard about when it happened.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I have to say this, and I don't mind the rips I'll get. When this show was on the air, I admired it and didn't like it, all at the same time. It's like all Sorkin's shows -- snappy banter about a topic without showing why people care about said topic. He's like Simmons for me, an undeniable talent whose talent leave me personally cold.