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May 25, 2012

Behind the scenes of Studio 60

by Bob Sassone, posted Sep 11th 2006 3:00PM

Studio 60Interesting piece over at The New York Times about the highly-anticipated new NBC show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. There's been a lot of talk about how this is creator/writer Aaron Sorkin's most personal work yet, because it features a writer who had a relapse into cocaine use (Bradley Whitford), a former flame of Perry's character who is a devout Christian (Sorkin dated The West Wing's Kristin Chenoweth), and even features a powerful female network exec played by Amanda Peet (Jamie Tarses was an exec at both ABC and NBC at one point).

And Sorkin says...it's true! But he goes on to say that the truth is only in the basic setup of the show and some of the characters, not the actual episodes that follow. Hmmm...

The article also explains how Sorkin and his staff write each show, what the set is like (it's bigger than the West Wing set), how the fictional show-within-a-show comedy sketches will be incorporated into the plots, and what Sorkin is working on next.

(By the way, AOL has the exclusive premiere of Studio 60 and other NBC shows on its web site this week, and we'll have full coverage of the show, including an early review, coming soon. The show premieres Monday, September 18 at 10pm.)

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Sonya

I just watched the AOL premiere. I wasn't planning on watching this because I thought the hype was over the top but I'm a believer now! This is really, really good. Now I can't wait to see the rest of the season.

September 12 2006 at 12:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gig

How can they say AOL has the exclusive premiere when the thing was out on Netflix weeks ago?

September 11 2006 at 5:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
xfan

In press pieces, Bradley Whitford has stated that Sorkin gave "Tommy" [aka Thomas Schlamme, which is Whitford's character on the show] the drug problem.

September 11 2006 at 4:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bob Sassone

Yeah, I misread the NYT story and also probably mixed up Perry's real-life battle with pain meds. I'll change it to Whitford's character.

September 11 2006 at 4:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David

Bob, there's not enough information for you to come to that conclusion.

They explicitly state in the pilot that Whitford's character has a cocaine relapse and that Perry's character is on medication from a surgery.

Why state something as fact when its really just your opinion?

September 11 2006 at 4:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kate

I just posted my thoughts on the blurring of Sorkin's realities:

http://www.marketmymonkey.com/2006/09/11/is-studio-60-on-the-sunset-strip-really-the-west-wing-on-the-warner-brothers-lot/

As for the characters' drug problems, Matthew Perry's character is only on prescription drugs in the pilot because of back surgery.

September 11 2006 at 4:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bob Sassone

Yeah, he is, but I think it's clear that Perry's character has some drug issues too.

September 11 2006 at 3:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RLJ

I'm about 5 paragraphs in and the inaccuracy is getting to me. Amanda Peet's first televsion role? I realize that Jack & Jill is barely a blip on anyone's radar, but I think it still is on Ms. Peet's resume.

September 11 2006 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Michael

Bradley Whitford's character is the cocaine user in the show!

September 11 2006 at 3:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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