Back in March I wrote about Sports Night, a show on ABC that ran from 1998 to 2000. At the time, the boxed set of the complete series had just been released. Last night I was able to rent it for the first time from That’s Entertainment (our gem of an independent video rental store here in Charlottetown).
And last night, in an irrational display of stayupitude, I watched 9 episodes in a row, starting from the Pilot.
I was as compelled — maybe even more so — by the second viewing as the first. This is truly great television.
Am I deluded? Am I the only one that thinks the Sports Night raised the bar for situation comedies, and that nothing else since has come close?
Today, as Catherine is off in Orwell eating lunch with her weaving and spinning friends, Oliver and I have worked out a strict regimen of “one episode of Caillou, one episode of Sports Night,” interspersed with house cleaning.
Nope, you are right on. It was a great show. No laugh track (though I understand that wasn't the case for the entire run of the show?).
POSTED DEC 6, 2003 AT 14:35 AST BY Steven Garrity (steven@actsofvolition.com)
It was smart. Learned a lot from Larry Sandler as perhaps the audience had. I dissuaded the kids from Caillou, however. Became "the bad example kid" for all that whining he does. Now George Shrinks is a show. Music, science and it's ok to be a weirdo.
Once when sitting around with guys over beers talked turned to good looking TV mom's and one guy says George Shrink's mom. We say "it's a cartoon". He says "I know...but you gotta admit..."
POSTED DEC 6, 2003 AT 17:28 AST BY Alan
Sports Night did, in the end, bear a laugh track. The New Yorker article was partially concerned with the debates between Aaron Sorkin, the creator, who didn't want a laugh track, and the network, which did. The network won. I've now watch 23 episodes in less than 24 hours. It's still great.
POSTED DEC 7, 2003 AT 01:20 AST BY Peter Rukavina
I think you're right. I've only ever seen one a half episode of the show, but you and CBC Montreal municpial affairs reporter Shawn Apel, who is sort of a genius, both say it's the best show ever. I'll look for that DVD.
POSTED DEC 7, 2003 AT 10:45 AST BY steve (steverocker2000@yahoo.com)
The show rocked. Now hurry up and get it back to That's Entertainment so I can rent it.
POSTED DEC 7, 2003 AT 16:24 AST BY Matt (rainnie@eastlink.ca)
When I first saw you posted about Sports Night, I was hoping you had bought the DVD and that it would somehow end up in my vestibule.
POSTED DEC 7, 2003 AT 16:26 AST BY Steven Garrity (steven@actsofvolition.com)
As the others suggested, you're right on Peter. An intelligently written, well-cast television show. It was sad to see it cancelled.
POSTED DEC 7, 2003 AT 19:16 AST BY Daniel Burka (daniel@silverorange.com)
I'm up to 29 episodes now. Catherine is re-hooked. If nothing else, I will come out of this with an intimate understanding of the sitcom form.
POSTED DEC 8, 2003 AT 01:25 AST BY Peter Rukavina
Count another Sports Night fan here.
I actually think Sorkin won the fight for the second season - and its laugh track free. Since you're busy watching them, is this right Peter?
POSTED DEC 8, 2003 AT 11:19 AST BY Isaac (isaac@silverorange.com)
I will listen for the laughing on the second season. By the way, Sports Night is one of the rare sitcoms where Season 2 is markedly better than Season 1. Season 1 was great, mind you: it's just that Season 2 is even greater.
POSTED DEC 8, 2003 AT 15:15 AST BY Peter Rukavina
Great show! No question. If it was still on tv I might still watch it (tv that is).
Sadly, I've only got a few days at home for Christmas - any way that you (Peter) or Matt could have it back at That's Entertainment so I could have a boxing-day marathon?
POSTED DEC 9, 2003 AT 02:23 AST BY Melda (me@meldagibson.com)
I have now completed my viewing of the entire two seasons of Sports Night, the home stretch having been completed between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. this morning (I awoke, with a start, at 6:00 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, what with all those "beep beep beep" sounds coming from the snow plows).
Turns out the Second Season is spotty: it starts off with a bang, sputters, rebounds, sputters, and ends fairly well. Most of this can be explained, if memory serves, by the fact that the show was under constant threat of cancellation throughout most of its this season. Hard to program when every episode might be your last.
As a result, there were about a dozen plot threads left hanging: does Dan get sane? do Dan and Rebecca get back together? do Jeremy and Natalie get back together? what about William H. Macy (who was brilliant, but flittered in and out of the show way, way too much to have any real development as a character)?
That all said, they have the grace of having left at close to the top of their game, and were saved from fizzling out over 4 or 5 more seasons. The show was mostly always fresh.
If you have 49 times 22 minutes to spend watching TV, I heartily suggest you rent the boxes set.
POSTED DEC 9, 2003 AT 13:10 AST BY Peter Rukavina
