My commentary last week titled Save Studio 60: Fans Need to Take Action, struck a responsive chord, generating more response than any previous Jack Myers Think Tank and more than any previous MediaPost TV Board blog, where this column also appears. More than 1,000 comments and votes have been registered at www.MediaVillage.com. (Several of the comments are shared below. To read other comments visit Have MediaVillage Send Your Message to NBC.) While 1,000 fans will not convince NBC and Warner Brothers to renew a show that even the most ardent supporters acknowledge is highly unlikely to be resurrected, the bigger issue is the commentary on intelligent, quality television.
As much as I would like to see Studio 60 renewed for another season, I'm more interested in sending a message to all the networks that there is an audience for intelligent drama that provides debate about the issues confronting the nation and the world. Intelligent dialogue that forces viewers to think, to hear opposing viewpoints, and to challenge their own perceptions has all but disappeared from the TV landscape. No other series on network television of the past several seasons has made as serious an effort to offer the public an honest and cogently written weekly commentary on the American political condition and none are on the TV horizon.
Whether you're a dedicated fan of Studio 60 or not, if you're a fan of intellectually and emotionally charged TV drama and politically relevant narrative story telling, you need to let network programmers know they should not ignore the genre. The failure of Studio 60 should not freeze out future programming that demands intelligent participation. Your voice should be heard. Add your message. Cast your vote.
Fans of Studio 60 SoundOff:
I was one of the many involved in the campaign to save Jericho, and I am so thrilled that CBS listened, for whatever reasons they may have had. I am also a fan of the West Wing (best show ever IMO) and Studio 60 and was upset when they pulled it mid-season and then announced its cancellation after these final airings. But I do not think a grass-roots, send stuff to NBC move will save it. As you touched on in your post, there are not enough people interested in "intellegencia" programming, especially when it is so obviously tilted to one side of the political spectrum. By making it obvious it is written from the leftist point of view, the right will not even tune in to see how it is. It's unfortunate because even though there were issues with the show, it was well-written and I enjoyed Sorkin's style of "snappy patter" and the walk and talks he used both in the WW and Studio 60. You mentioned that the script could tone down its preachiness, but I think that would remove what makes Sorkin's work so fascinating. As much as I hate to say it, Studio 60 is done, and the television line-ups are less exciting and less intelligent as a result.
Posted by: Dennis at June 15, 2007 10:30 AM
It would be bad business to cancel this show. It is one of the most well written and acted shows I've seen. My husband and I use TiVo and this is one of the only shows we watch live. You really don't want to lose us because it is one of the few shows we watch on NBC and we'd watch NBC more if you had more shows like Studio 60.
We are also a terrific demographic (married couple, high income, 40-45) and the ones who buy all the new gadgets, upgrade regularly, spend lots of money, & tell all our friends about cool shows & gadgets. Trust me, you will be losing a fine demographic given the intelligent offerings of this show and the audience that can appreciate it. If you really need to make more money to keep the show profitable, then follow your own story line and do more product placement. I don't usually like blatant advertising, but if it will keep this show then do it.
Posted by: Dawn at June 15, 2007 01:07 PM
Jack, you are absolutely right about both what is/was right and wrong with Studio 60. I've already sent your column on to others I now want to see the show succeed. But here's my concern. After creating multiple riveting and realistic relationships on Sports Night, has Sorkin become totally tone deaf to how two people speak to one another? While watching S60 this year, I often felt that Matthew Perry and Sarah Paulson were given scripts to different shows, taped separately and digitally composited together on the
screen. Their chemistry was that bad. Yes, as you point out, characters and actors can be shuffled. But I'm concerned that if Sorkin can't get this basic element correct, then all the rest, the razor sharp cultural and political commentary, is lost.
Posted by: Scott Woelfel at June 15, 2007 01:11 PM
I found this entry via the Google alerts. Many fans are resigned to the fact that for whatever reasons (too numerous to mention here without going into a major rant), the network *isn't* renewing one of the more intelligent programmes next season. We signed the petitions, we voted in the E!Online poll, but despite S60 having better overall ratings than several other shows that have been granted a second season, it's not coming back. It's a damn shame, but we have to realize that illiterate programming is the future and if that's what the networks think they need to bring in the ad revenues, we're just going to have to turn off our TVs and console ourselves with West Wing and Studio 60 DVDs. Yes, we could send nuts, or Mars Bars, or whatever, but that's been done. Instead, a group of us have decided that the answer is not to fight the cancellation, but to celebrate the show and thank the cast and crew. While we're doing it, we want a positive outcome. See http://community.livejournal.com/thanks2studio60/873.html for details of how we are doing this.
Posted by: Hooloovoo_42 at June 15, 2007 01:38 PM
I agree completely! For weeks I've been wondering why there hasn't been any fan furor over such a smart show. This is one of the few television programs to deal honestly with the issues that all of us face in this country. I would love to save this show!
Posted by: Carol at June 15, 2007 03:08 PM
Dude…reach into your savings account and buy a clue…the show is dead and never coming back
Posted by: Carl LaFong at June 15, 2007 02:40 PM
It is too late to save the show, but there is a community working on a project thanking WB, cast and crew and showing support of Tipitina's Foundation in Studio 60's honor. It's a shame the show is gone, it was amazing. The facts NBC (nothing but crap) try to hide, because they should be ashamed. Studio 60 - When it got labeled "poor ratings" you didn't know:
It would be in the top 30% for the season
The 2nd most dvr'd show of the season
Out number many of the shows being renewed
Blow AWAY the numbers of
anything else tried in its time slot
They would let Roger Friedman dictate programming.
Posted by: Segsig at June 15, 2007 05:13 PM
There is a group at Livejournal that is raising money for a "Thank You" ad for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The ad will feature a thank you to the cast and crew, as well as encourage fans to donate to Tipitina's Foundation (the charity featured in The Christmas Show, which is rebuilding the cultural traditions of New Orleans and also aiding musicians displaced by Hurricane Katrina). They are working with Tipitina's to develop a special "Studio 60 Donations" site. Please encourage fans to check out http://community.livejournal.com/thanks2studio60/873.html for more information on this campaign. Thank you for your time. Posted by: Kayla at June 15, 2007 05:19 PM
I agree with Jack in his appreciation of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It seems that broadcasters are so hungry for a show that targets the entire population that it overlooks shows that can attract a smaller, intelligent viewership. With that ideal it's no wonder that almost every show on is so watered down, politically correct and intent on being unoffending that they don't strongly appeal to anyone. I remember heated debates about Martin Sheen's Presidential decisions on West Wing as if he was really the President (I wish). I highly doubt that ,I>Deal or No Deal, America's Got Talent or 30 Rock inspire such thought. The fact that a show can attract an audience that rarely watches TV is amazing. Has NBC considered that they just tapped into a new revenue stream? Maybe they should take a lesson from their own show and load up on a few reality shows aimed at the masses to counter a couple of smart, contemporary dramas. I guess they could even play it safe and broadcast Law and Order: The TV Studio.
Posted by: Michael Durwin from FUSE/ideas at June 15, 2007 05:34 PM
We must save Studio 60! Nothing is like it out there, it would be horrible to let it die! It even had consistent DVR playback ratings too!
Come on NBC, bring it back!
Posted by: Amanda Dornish at June 15, 2007 05:21 PM
SAVE STUDIO 60!! Let's do whatever it takes to retain "SMART TV" wherever we can!!
Posted by: Randall McGuire from Advantage Media Services, Inc. at June 15, 2007 05:42 PM
After losing West Wing, I thought there would never be another series for intelligent people again. I mourned. I HATE "the age of love", Survivor, and so many of those non thought provoking, mental zone out series that seem to fill the network's schedules along with crimes and murders of all types ( I wonder where the criminals get their ideas?). I have turned to Netflix as a means to have some "down time" with my television. And then came Studio 60. I was tentatively optimistic that NBC had some one with some brains behind the decisions...and then it left and I realized all NBC had going for it was TODAY. Lost again.
Now it is back and I hope those of us who want more than "mental garbage" will convince NBC and other stations we want more than murders, rapes, love rejections, and eating worms to entertain us. Don't we have enough of this in our lives already?
Posted by: MCD at June 24, 2007 12:48 PM
It's a sad state of affairs when a show like Studio 60 gets taken off of the air (especially now when it's in the time slot it should have been in all along.) The reason why the big networks are failing was stated on Studio 60. Catering to the lowest common denominator with reality based, super size me, fat for the masses TV is the reason why networks like HBO and FX are on top and the big three are not. And by the way, both FX and HBO would given Studio 60 a fighting chance before pulling the plug.
Posted by: MJ Shipley at June 25, 2007 12:58 PM
I give up STUDIO 60 is the only network television show I watch live. I CANNOT believe network executives cancelled this show. I’m 44, my daughter watched last week with me (she’s 21) and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t heard about the show. She loved it! Then I had to tell her it was being cancelled because it’s basically thought to be over the heads of television viewers. Let it catch on. It’s brilliant.
Posted by: DEBORAH MONAHAN from LAKE COMMUNICATIONS at June 25, 2007 03:34 PM
To whatever idiot at NBC who decided to cancel Studio 60 - What were you thinking???
There’s a reason why a certain demographic is turning off their tv’s and spending time on the internet or reading or whatever and it has nothing to do with piracy, illegal dvds or whatever other fantasy you can come up with for falling ratings. ….. It’s because there is nothing but crap on TV.
http://deancollinsblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/studio-60-cancelled.html
Posted by: Dean Collins from Cognation at June 25, 2007 03:35 PM
Studio 60 was interesting, funny sometimes, but really too much dialog. It actually caused me drift off, to think about how bad Saturday Night Live is these days, hardly ever funny, as if writers for these shows just don’t have a clue about what’s funny, or entertaining. A lot of the dialog on S60 was annoying, and just painful to watch, I’m not going to miss it. The constant conflict of the main characters just never hit very high on the plausibility meter. I’m not a writer for TV, just a viewer out there pent up for something really good, and it doesn’t look like anything good will be coming from any of the networks in the near future.
Writers need to get back to the basics, don’t try to be cute, try to be authentic. Take a clue from the shows that really worked, and the ones that are working. Remember the ones that really entertained, and didn’t insult your intelligence. West Wing was ok, but my god just what we need is another hospital or legal drama show. Let’s get back to reality, TV should be entertaining, and thoughtful, and at the very least it should be original. Writing a show about Saturday Night Live would be good if the comedy skits were good, and funny, but S60’s writers were totally bottom of the barrel, just like their current counterparts at SNL, hardly ever producing a good laugh, or something really thoughtful.
Today it’s about Pavlovian laughter, getting the audience to laugh or respond because they think they’re supposed to, not because it’s funny or entertaining or authentic. Stop by a local theater sometime and watch the audience view a mainstream comedy. Notice if they’re laughing because they’re supposed to or if it was really funny. Same for Saturday Night Live. Ask yourself if the best that writers can do is write mediocre comedy or entertainment because it’s easier to do it that way, they’ve got a trained audience of predictable monkeys.
Posted by: Tim Schaefer from Data/D at June 25, 2007 03:36 PM
I watch STUDIO 60. I was hooked since the first episode. A few other important facts, the show’s supposed audience “it attracted an audience that was older, more male, more affluent,” doesn’t describe me in the least. I’m part of that oh, so coveted demographic, 18-49 year olds. And I’m a single woman, that means I like to shop and have discretionary income aplenty. I enjoyed the intelligent banter, the no-holds barred topics and the honest look at race issues that DL Hughley’s character “Simon Stiles” spoke. I’m African American too.
Also, don’t really care for 30 Rock. I remember the hype and comparisions of the two Saturday Night Live modeld shows debuting in the Fall of 2006 and knowing I would really like Studio 60, despite never watching even one episode of The West Wing, and probably would pass on 30 Rock.
Do these network execs count the “ratings” or hits of the number of people watching the show online? I work and socialize and don’t do much live TV watching. But I do record and view online.
Save STUDIO 60. The real problem with network broadcasting is they contiune to broadcast instead of narrowcast like other forms of media, i.e. magazines, radio, Website and cable. The reason why my TV remote doesn’t get much of a workout and I watch Entourage (cable-hello) three times a week. There’s nothing else on when I’m home.
Posted by: Alexis Henry from Lebhar-Friedman Inc at June 25, 2007 03:37 PM
Is this going to be Jack’s permanent topic? How creative…
Posted by: Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston at June 25, 2007 03:37 PM
Where were you all when Arrested Development was canned? Do what we AD fans have already done… Get over it.
Posted by: Terence Henderson from The T Dog Blog at June 25, 2007 03:38 PM
Please don't cancel Studio 60
Give it a shot in a different time slot, just don't cancel it
Posted by: Jennifer Wilkerson at June 25, 2007 06:48 PM
It would be an absolute shame for NBC to take Studio 60 off the air. This is another instance where quality doesn't seem to matter to the "suits". It is extremely frustrating to finally find a show that is interesting, real and thought provoking and the network decides to take it off the air. Network execs need to realize that they are losing audiences because of the quality of shows that they have put on the air in the past. Viewers are losing faith. Allow them to regain their faith by keeping Studio 60 on the air!
Posted by: Monique Smith at June 25, 2007 06:49 PM
A few people on this thread have mentioned the "Thanks2studio60"community at LJ - and the ad being placed in the Hollywood Reporter today. The ad can be viewed online here - http://www.elysiumwebs.com/s60thankss.jpg - for those who aren't able to get hold of a copy.
Thanks to all those who contributed.
Posted by: Caz at June 28, 2007 11:08 AM
NBC - cancelling Studio 60 is insane! This is one of the best shows in years. You have got to rethink this decision. The writing is first-rate and the content is intelligent for a change. PLEASE SAVE THIS SHOW and give it another chance!!!
Posted by: Celia Bowser at June 28, 2007 01:55 PM
Fans say “Goodbye” to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
A full page “Thank You” advertisement, paid for by fans of the show, will run
in the Hollywood Reporter on June 28th, and will also encourage
donations to Tipitina’s Foundation in New Orleans
Frustrated by NBC’s unwillingness to renew Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, five loyal viewers from around the world, have looked for a way to express their thanks for the innovative work of its cast and crew. Supported by countless fans worldwide, their solution has been to organize an Internet campaign designed to raise funds to buy a full page “Thank You” ad in the Hollywood Reporter.
The successful effort has been organized around the LiveJournal website, and NBC’s Studio 60 message board.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is a cutting edge, satirical commentary on contemporary television entertainment, and its often damaging impact on popular culture. Funny, imaginative and well written, it is a standout in a medium short on quality product.
While the show developed a worldwide audience, achieved respectable ratings, and is one of this year’s most DVR’d and downloaded network shows, it was officially cancelled by NBC in May.
The ad, which features images of Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, and Bradley Whitford, will thank the show’s creative team for “providing us with an intelligent, inspiring and compelling drama.”
The final episode of Studio 60 will air on Thursday June 28th in the US, and the “Thank You” ad will appear on the same day. It has been paid for by the generosity of the show’s viewers.
All I Want for Christmas is My City Back
Along with the message from fans, the advertisement will also include information on Tipitina’s Foundation, the New Orleans based charity which was established in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Its mission is to restore the city’s unique jazz community, and preserve its irreplaceable music culture.
In December of 2006, the Studio 60 episode “The Christmas Show” featured the stories of a group of homeless New Orleans musicians, working pick-up jobs in Los Angeles so as to be able to send money home to stricken families and friends. Playing on the darkened and empty Studio 60 stage, against a backdrop of photographs of the devastated city, a small group of jazz musicians from New Orleans performed an emotional blues version of the carol “O Holy Night.”
The performance exemplified the thoughtful, and often unexpected, directions the show would take -- combining humor with drama to provide meaningful insights into modern culture.
A clip of that performance is available for viewing online at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI2LdpW7g5U
The Studio 60 “Thank You” ad campaign raised a total of $3,061.64 in only six days. In all, 138 people donated, 98 from the United States and 40 from abroad, including: the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Canada and Australia. After contribution processing fees and ad costs, the effort had $420.45 remaining. That balance was donated to the foundation, and all fundraising links were changed to redirect contributors to the Tipitina’s donation web page.
The ad campaign was organized by a small group of American and British fans.
Ironically, the show has yet to air in Great Britain.
Posted by: joe at June 28, 2007 03:05 PM
the entire NBC network are complete morons if they do not change their minds and bring Studio 60. Studio 60 is one, if not, the best new comedy, and we as its fans must do any thing to bring it back. All Studio 60 fans must unite to get Studio 60 back and renewed for another season. NBC PLEASE BRING BACK STUDIO 60!!!
Posted by: David Lew at June 29, 2007 04:21 AM
the entire NBC network are complete morons if they do not change their minds and bring Studio 60. Studio 60 is one, if not, the best new comedy, and we as its fans must do any thing to bring it back. All Studio 60 fans must unite to get Studio 60 back and renewed for another season. NBC PLEASE BRING BACK STUDIO 60!!!
Posted by: David Lew at June 29, 2007 04:22 AM
Ok, I know the world has worse things to worry about, but taking one of the best shows off of TV....Studio 60/best writing, clever, great characters and story lines; and then leave on well you know, "other stuff!" Come on NBC, save it and give it a fighting chance....stop moving it around and remember all of those shows that were scheduled for going off of the air, only to turn out to be emmy winners.......WEST WING!!! PLEASE
Posted by: nancy lintvedt at June 29, 2007 12:11 PM
it's a pity that its all over, it was truely one of the better programs on tv...
Posted by: Daniel J at June 29, 2007 01:54 PM
Jack -
I just read your article online and I couldn’t agree with you more. It boggles the mind that NBC and viewers would have such a problem with the show after such a short period of time. And for what, so people can tune in to yet another reality show?
I found your article because I’m hosting Brad Beyer, from Jericho, in our Los Angeles studio to talk about just that – the hype that was created by fans which in turn brought the show back for a second season. So I thought, ‘Please let there be a similar rallying for Studio 60’.
I realize it’s a long shot, but I sent out your article for a plethora of people that I hope, too, will pass it on.
I’m glad that you not only put your opinion out there, but in doing so made a good argument that network executives and audiences alike should consider.
Posted by: Eric Biermann from Current TV at June 29, 2007 07:29 PM
please get the word out to KEEP studio 60. this show is dynamic and wonderfully writen and acted, i CARE about the characters and that says a lot for the television today (meaning all the ridiclour reality shows) Please lets start a campaign in favor of this intelligent show!
Posted by: elizabeth knake at June 30, 2007 09:33 AM
I'm with you. Studio 60 needs to be saved, or resurected at this point. What can we do?
Posted by: Gayle Bryan at July 2, 2007 12:10 PM
I'm so pissed that NBC pulled the plug on Studio 60. It's such a break from the "reality show/ripped-from-the-headlines/medical and/or criminal drama" that seems to have taken over television. This is why I have almost entirely stopped watching network television, because they just pander to the morons of America who like to watch multiple itterations of the same show with different casts such as CSI or Law and Order.
