Fox News reports that the Aaron Sorkin dramedy “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” may be hovering near death. Although NBC ordered three additional episodes as recently as this past Friday, cast members are reportedly telling their friends that the show is as good as cancelled.
Aside from the inherent news value of the impending cancellation, two points in this story are worth noting:
A) Fox News “reporter” Roger Friedman appears barely capable of restraining his glee at the idea of watching the guillotine fall on another earnest, chatty, liberal Sorkin drama; and
B) If NBC does indeed cancel the program — as part of its recent schedule overhaul emphasizing inexpensive reality programming over quality dramas and sitcoms — the recent “Studio 60” episode dealing with fictitious parent network NBS’s efforts to eschew cheap reality stunts in favor of more expensive highbrow programming will be an ironic footnote indeed.
Since bastion of conservatism Fox News appears to be the first to report such a dire fate for “Studio 60” (and, given the show’s primarily left-leaning content, Fox’s motives in breaking this story are decidedly suspect) there may still be hope for the show…but it needs to find a larger audience very quickly, and tonight’s bump from the sweeps schedule in favor of “Friday Night Lights” does not bode well for Matt, Danny and the gang.
