It wasn't on long enough for me to be sure, but I understand, it didn't have the Sorkin magic. I refused to watch West Wing as it was just after Bush's stolen election. I didn't want to watch politics, it sickened me. We came upon Sports Night, which was sensational......years had gone by, so we went back and watched West Wing, wow, what a brilliant show......and Newsroom was as important a show as any we've seen in the last 25 years.....brilliant
While the ensemble was what made it work; Friends didn't have 2 stars with 3 supporting actors, there was something distinct about Matthew Perry, and hence, his character. Perry's bouts with substance abuse caused him to change physically from one season to another. As invested as we were in the character, and he WAS so sharp with those quips and the cadence, we were reminded on some level that this actor was having a hard time personally. (In fact, when they had the reunion, physically he was the most startling of the ensemble to view.) Loving Chandler Bing was also connecting with Matthew Perry, so unlike Schwimmer (so brilliant) and the others, I think we felt closer to Perry because we were not just rooting for Chandler, but rather, rooting for him to get his life together. (I'd be interested to know what you thought about the (unfortunately) aborted Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the Sorkin series, which had Perry in a superb cast...............we can discuss that show; I think its timing was unfortunate as it was competing with 30 Rock)................enjoy your writing, Saul.........................Barry
Thanks, Barry! I really wanted to like "Studio 60," as I loved "The West Wing" and thought it had a ridiculously talented cast. But it never came together, and I find that Sorkin's work is either brilliant or unwatchable. "Studio 60," alas, felt like the latter.
It wasn't on long enough for me to be sure, but I understand, it didn't have the Sorkin magic. I refused to watch West Wing as it was just after Bush's stolen election. I didn't want to watch politics, it sickened me. We came upon Sports Night, which was sensational......years had gone by, so we went back and watched West Wing, wow, what a brilliant show......and Newsroom was as important a show as any we've seen in the last 25 years.....brilliant
While the ensemble was what made it work; Friends didn't have 2 stars with 3 supporting actors, there was something distinct about Matthew Perry, and hence, his character. Perry's bouts with substance abuse caused him to change physically from one season to another. As invested as we were in the character, and he WAS so sharp with those quips and the cadence, we were reminded on some level that this actor was having a hard time personally. (In fact, when they had the reunion, physically he was the most startling of the ensemble to view.) Loving Chandler Bing was also connecting with Matthew Perry, so unlike Schwimmer (so brilliant) and the others, I think we felt closer to Perry because we were not just rooting for Chandler, but rather, rooting for him to get his life together. (I'd be interested to know what you thought about the (unfortunately) aborted Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the Sorkin series, which had Perry in a superb cast...............we can discuss that show; I think its timing was unfortunate as it was competing with 30 Rock)................enjoy your writing, Saul.........................Barry
Thanks, Barry! I really wanted to like "Studio 60," as I loved "The West Wing" and thought it had a ridiculously talented cast. But it never came together, and I find that Sorkin's work is either brilliant or unwatchable. "Studio 60," alas, felt like the latter.