matthewperry

(S01E09) OK, now this is getting a little strange. This is the fourth episode of an NBC show (the others were two episodes of 30 Rock and an episode of The Office) where product placement was mentioned. In this, because of a blow the company is going to take on the Macau deal, Jordan says that 15 people are going to have to be let go from the show. Jokingly, Matt and Danny bring up product placement, but Jordan thinks it's something they should seriously consider.

The hell? Is NBC trying to convince us that product placement is here, it's good, and we should get used to it?

Ray Richmond over at The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip creator and head writer Aaron Sorkin today and found out that not only have the ratings for the show the past few weeks made the execs at NBC happier than they were, but that a full season order for the show might be coming any hour or day now. Another source at the network said they would be very surprised if the show wasn't picked up this week.

Here's a quote from Sorkin that is interesting, especially since it addresses something that is often talked about here in our comments section:

Tonight is an interesting night on NBC. With two of their most hyped shows struggling, they've decided to throw a little time slot voodoo at us and see what happens. Tonight's Studio 60 was scheduled to be a repeat, but instead the kids from Friday Night Lights are going to get a go in the post Heroes spot. I think that's a good idea. A repeat would almost guarantee a drop in viewers, and the last thing Studio 60 needs is another round of stories that say "ratings drop for the Xth week in a row."

The situation with Friday Night Lights is a little different. Where Studio 60 has lost viewers every week, Friday Night Lights just never found them in the first place. The numbers have been fairly consistent, but when you premiere below expectations, consistent isn't exactly what you are looking for. And the fact that I use the word consistent is evidence that I really like the show. A more objective person might call the numbers stagnant.

I thought it was just me.

I've tried to get into Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip like I did with Aaron Sorkin's two other network creations . . . The West Wing and Sports Night. I wanted to like Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford in their roles as the saviors of a long-running, comedy sketch show. I really did. But, there's just something missing; a last piece of the puzzle that would make this show very enjoyable. However, I thought I was the only one who felt that way.

Fortunately, I'm not. Not only do many of you feel the same way, but we also have Robert Bianco, USA Today's television critic, in our court as well.

The numbers are in, and for the fourth week in a row ratings are down for Studio 60. How's that old saying go? "Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern." Four times is a big freaking problem. I don't think anyone really expected Matt and Danny to topple C.S.I. Miami. That tilted head lingering gaze from Horatio is a powerful thing. But now they are coming in third after What About Brian? I'm sure NBC will spin their win in some key demographics, but at some point they are going to have to start making changes.

As to why the ratings are dropping, it's hard to say. The complaint I hear most about the show, both here and in other venues, is that the show within the show just isn't funny. We're reminded again and again that Matt is a brilliant writer, and Harriet is a comedic genius, but really haven't been shown that yet. The Holly Hunter impression was the only Harriet moment that I found really funny. The rest has varied from just OK to forgettable.

Yup, yup, you read that right. Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham is going to guest star on two episodes of the new NBC show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. And here's the cool twist: she's going to play herself! She's going to be the "host" on an episode of the fictional variety show depicted on the show, and the two episodes will feature Graham dealing with the staff, going through rehearsals, and hosting the "show."

Hmmm...maybe that's why Grahm and Matthew Perry were seen together at a party before the Emmys?

By the time this post goes out the pilot episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip may have already been removed from the YouTube. However, you can't blame me for trying to inform the public, can you?

Before NBC previews Studio 60 to Netflix subscribers starting on August 5th you can view the pilot on YouTube for free. Of course, due to certain restrictions on the site, the pilot is split up into five parts. It looks like the widescreen version of the episode, but it seems to be smushed together to fit in the 4:3 box of the site.

I took a quick look at some of the scenes and it looks like it picks up steam about halfway through the show. Matthew Perry's character seems to have a bit of Chandler left over from his days on Friends. And, it seems to have all of the frantic energy that is trademark of an Aaron Sorkin production.

I'm only linking to the first part of the pilot here, boys and girls. You'll need to click under the 'Explore More Videos' section of the page to see all five parts.

[Thanks to Eugene for the tip]

At the end of Sunday night's series finale of The West Wing, NBC premiered a 30-second preview of the new Aaron Sorkin series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (which I am calling Studio 60 from now on whenever I mention it.). The trailer can now be seen on YouTube in all its glory (or here, after the jump below).

Matthew Perry appears in a scene at the beginning of the trailer, and Bradley Whitford appears in a scene at the end. In between, a list of the show's stars is rattled off. If you notice, there are a number of people who have worked together before. Whitford, Perry and Timothy Busfield all appeared on Sorkin's The West Wing. Perry and Amanda Peet worked together on the film The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel.

Take a gander at the trailer. I think it will get you pumped up for the premier this fall.

What's it like to play the same character on television for 10 years? When the show ends, what kind of offers do you get? Can you move on and do something different without people thinking of (or wanting to see) the old character?

Matthew Perry will find out when he takes the role of Matt Albie on Aaron Sorkin's new show Studio 60, which will debut on NBC this fall. He was actually offered several roles in TV and movies, but they were all Chandleresque (or is that Bingian?)

"It's much more of a drama. It's a pretty real story. My character is kind of this tortured genius who's kind of a mess. And we'll get to deal with some real issues ... it's kind of a television show about how bad television has become. And it takes shots at NBC and I think it's a rather significant show for NBC and for television."

The Hollywood Reporter states that it took a lot of convincing, but Matthew Perry has signed on as the lead in an untitled Aaron Sorkin/Thomas Schlamme drama for NBC. The project was originally called Studio 7, but that title has been scrapped. Also on board are D.L. Hughley and Steven Weber. The show is set behind the scenes of a long-running comedy sketch show (think: SNL). Matthew Perry will play the lead role of Matt Albie, a brilliant comedic writer who gets pushed around by the network. Sorkin reportedly wrote the part specifically for Perry, who did a stint on The West Wing not too long ago.

Whenever Aaron Sorkin is attached to a project, I'm automatically interested. The addition of Matthew Perry is just icing on the cake.