(S01E01) OK, I'm going to make a bold statement here, so I hope you're sitting down. I assume you are because you're in front of a computer, but if you're standing for some reason, please, sit down.

All set? OK, here goes: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the best new show of the fall.

And I say that even though I haven't yet seen the other show being touted as the best new show, ABC's The Nine. The tape is sitting to the left of me as I type this, so I'll be watching it soon (thanks ABC for sending me a tape instead of a DVD. What, is this 1999?). But I can't imagine that the show has the combination that Studio 60 has after two episodes. One is the obvious quality right out of the gate (creator, writer, director, cast, etc), and the other is this incredible, palpable feeling you get watching it that, even though everything doesn't work across the board, you know it could get even better. That the strong moments far, far outweigh the bad moments.

And it's straight out entertaining as hell.

The quick premise: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is a long-running Friday night musical/variety show on the NBS network (*cough* SNL *cough*). Creator and producer Wes Mendell (Judd Hirsch) knows that the show has become a stale, unfunny shadow of its former self (*cough* SNL *cough*), and during a live broadcast, he interrupts the opening sketch about President Bush and goes off on a rant, criticizing the network and their shows about eating bugs and becoming Donald Trump (*cough* NBC *cough*). This pretty much guarantees his firing from boss Jack (Steven Weber), who orders new NBS president Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) to come up with a solution to fix the show.

Her idea? Hire back the show's original head writer and producer Matt Albie and Danny Tripp (Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford). Both were let go four years earlier. Now, they have become famous in the movie biz (Matt has just won the Writer's Guild award), but McDeere knows that she can get Danny to come back to the show because she knows his secret (it involves cocaine). Will Matt and Danny want to come back to the show that kicked them out?

I'm not giving away any spoilers to tell you that, duh, of course they come back to the show. But it's how Sorkin gets them back and how the cast plays off of each other that's so much fun. Perry and Whitford are a marvel together (you really believe they're best friends), but anyone who saw them together in a few West Wing episodes know that. And the supporting cast? In any other show, people like Steven Weber, Sarah Paulson, and D.L. Hughley would easily be the leads. That's how strong this ensemble is. Add to those names Nate Corrdry and Timothy Busfield. That's impressive.

I'm also impressed at how Aaron Sorkin sets all of this up. Is there anyone else working in TV today that can immediately drop you into a world and make it seem believable, instantly? He did it with The West Wing, making politics entertaining and understandable, and he does it here too.

I sense two problems with the show, but they are more viewer-oriented than show-oriented. One, will people want to invest their time in a quality drama that you actually have to pay attention to every single moment and be able to keep track of a dozen characters with interconnected storylines (Danny has a cocaine problem, Jack is the one that fired Matt and Danny four years ago, Harriet is a Christian who once dated Matt, etc)? I'd like to say "yes" because of Lost, but this show isn't going to have mysterious hatches and action and smoke monsters and clues to follow. It's intelligent comedy, sparkling dialogue, and wit.

The second problem is, will viewers want to watch a TV show about a TV show? One that is really insider-ish about the industry and its history? I would say that people shouldn't be worried about that. It's not like you need a TV encyclopedia next to you to understand what's going on, though it helps to be a fan of television and some of its classic moments. Ultimately, thought, this show is about the characters, the relationships. And even though it's in the "drama" category to the right, this is as much as workplace comedy (The Office, NewsRadio, Dick Van Dyke Show) as it is heavy drama. It's a great mix.

I still find it amazing that everyone from TV bloggers to The Washington Post's Tom Shales is still pushing the idea that a show like this might not work because unlike The West Wing they can't deal with big, important issues. One, they are (censorship, religion, drugs, the media), and two, Sports Night was set at a sports network of all things, and they dealt with important issues all the time, and very well.

And why is everyone shaking their heads that NBC has two shows (this show and 30 Rock) on the air about the behind the scenes goings on at an SNL-like show? So what? CBS can have 12 CSI shows and NBC can have 35 Law and Orders, but two shows about the same thing is too much!

This show is typical Sorkin: smart, fast-paced, idealistic, and, ultimately, romantic (and more than a little autobiographical). By the end of the first episode, when Matt and Danny have a heart to heart in the back of fake cab on the set and Jordan tells them they can do a controversial sketch on next week's show, you'll be rooting for Matt and Danny to come back and take SNL Studio 60 to the top. And, at the same time, rooting for Aaron Sorkin to do the same with Studio 60. It's TV for adults, and there isn't much on TV for adults these days.