I think Studio 60 is a great show! I love the dialogue and believe it is very well written! I wouldn't say that the dialogue is for a "smart audience" (insinuating that only smart people with above average intellect could understand it) but I do have to say the dialogue comes at you so fast and is so well and cleverly put together that it requires your full attention and I like that. I'm tired of goof-ball comedy with slap-stick humor. It's refreshing to see a show that is so well put together. I like that they show the sketches too- I got a kick out of the Deal or No Deal skit and I enjoyed the Christmas episode with the New Orleans band as well. As others have mentioned, laughter is not a requirement for this show because it is a drama and Dan (comment #17) hit the nail on the head!

Attempting to compare S60 to other tv genre is fairly moot. About the only reasonable comparisons to be drawn stem from Mr. Sorkin's earlier projects and references to productions such as Network. The latter are presented more as paying homage rather than exploiting the past to benefit S60's present.

Personally, I don't recall the bulk of S60's initial hype as being comedy-heavy. It is what it is: a show-within-a-show. Perhaps the internal sketches should start revolving around lampooning the increasing popularity of "redneck culture" (oops- unintentinal oxymoron!)? And if their writers ever decide to go that route, I've got slews of material for them.

In a rational world Studio 60 would stand or fail based strictly upon its own merits, dumbing down of viewing audiences aside. I trust that both regular viewers and industry critics alike become Gestalt-minded enough to appreciate this diamond in the rough.

Official site: http://www.nbc.com/Studio_60_on_the_Sunset_Strip/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_60_on_the_Sunset_Strip

StumbleUpon review: http://fugitive247.stumbleupon.com/review/7257937/

"17. Of course the S60 sketches aren't funny. How many years has it been since Saturday Night Live had a sketch that made you laugh? I like the show (and agree other aspects of it need a lot of work) but the grimacing un-funny is disturbingly spot on to SNL."

Posted at 6:21PM on Dec 29th 2006 by Dan

I would say it's been about 1/26th of a year since SNL made me laugh, in fact I laughted so hard I cried when I saw Dick in A Box 2 weeks ago on SNL. I believe Lazy Sunday had a similar effect, as did Natalie Portman's rap.

I don't know or care about either show being realistic; I just want them to be good. 30 Rock doesn't always hit its marks, but on the whole it's actually funny--and since they almost never show the sketches, they don't have to prove that the show-within-the-show is broadcast-worthy. Alex Baldwin MAKES that show.

But I agree with Todd Jackson and Sam, above. Studio 60 keeps showing sketches based on the premise that Matt Albie is a comedy genius who has brought the show-within-a-show back from the dead, yet not a single sketch has even sparked a smile from me, much less a laugh. They're simply dreadful! And the events and people they satirize aren't even current--it's like Albie is stuck in the 1990s or something.

Sam is absolutely right about the notion that mentioning Commedia dell'Arte is like a codeword for "these people are smart," but it was undercut severely by no one ever pronouncing it correctly.

As for Jeff Smith's comment about Bob Sassone--now THAT made me laugh out loud. To quote Homer Simpson, "It's funny, because it's true."

To me, 30 Rock has gotten consistently better each week. The episode that alluded to Baldwin's character dating Conde Rice was a scream. It has more wickedly funny "throw-away" lines than any other show.

For those who say it's a drama and the show doesn't have to be funny, you're missing that the show within the show is, supposedly, the freshest, most dynamic comedy to air in quite some time. And almost every sketch they have shown has failed to deliver not only laughs, but sometimes not even a reasonable premise.

Even if one accepts the dialogue is intelligently written, the show itself loses all brain cells when you have characters that insist that they are doing something incredibly, outrageously funny when it's clearly anything but. Smart character who fail to notice that they are doing something very bad and taking pride in it makes a show that's dumb, dumb, dumb.

When the characters of Studio 60 take delight in sketches that fail to even have a workable premise, much less punchlines it strain the credibility of the entire show. The characters come off stupid, pretentious and smug as a result. How can any of these people actually annoy the right wing? The sketches are as shrill as any sermon, the point to be made leadening down any jokes.

Sorkin may have been best served by leaving the sketches out. But now that he dug this hole, the sketches have to work. The credibility of the characters is at stake.

The only funny thing about Studio 60 is that it continues to put on the air week after week. I gave up on the show a long time ago. NBC was foolish to give a full season commitment, despite the pedigree. Perhaps they have nothing better to put on the schedule.

Then again, this is the same network that allowed Joey to air beyond a first season.

Of course the S60 sketches aren't funny. How many years has it been since Saturday Night Live had a sketch that made you laugh? I like the show (and agree other aspects of it need a lot of work) but the grimacing un-funny is disturbingly spot on to SNL.

"I work at an animated nuclear power plant. The Simpsons is completely unrealistic, but I manage to enjoy it."

Tee hee.

UGLY BETTY SHOULD BE CANCELED THAT SHOW IS SHIT!!!

Most of us have something to say without ALWAYS USING CAPS!