Why I hate Aaron Sorkin
By fred | July 4, 2007
Now that the his latest show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, is (finally) over, let’s take one more look back at that show before we completely forget about it.
When I first heard the premises of what the show would be, I thought that it could indeed be an interesting show. Unlike others, I never expected the show to be an actual comedy, because I don’t believe it was ever sold as such.
But I was interested in that show, especially also because it was made by Aaron Sorkin, and you can say whatever you want but the guy knows how to write some great dialogs, and pretty great episodes when he wants to.
I remember the first time I saw The West Wing, and it was just brilliant. And not just for one or two episodes. Of course just because you did something great once, doesn’t mean you can do it again.
Event in the same kind of show (A look at what goes on behind the scenes of, the West Wing or, this time, a live comedy TV show).
But, unless you never could stand a show written by Sorkin, you had plenty of reasons to be excited about Studio 60.
And when the casting got known, it was also promising. If only, because Bradley Whitford is a great actor, that I personally like a lot (and that should be reason enough for every body, right?).
Possibly some had doubts about Matthew Perry, and how he would do in another show, after the success that Friends was and how much people see him as Chandler. But it didn’t take long to prove he was a great choice : on screen was Matt Albie, not Chandler or a guy who looks, act or sounds like him.
But rapidly there was something else that pretty much every one watching the show could tell, apart from Sorkin it seems : Harriet Hayes, Harriet Hayes is dragging the show down in what was quite an impressive way.
She was nothing like she’d been described, for starter I don’t think she’s been funny once on the show, ever, which kinda sucks when you’re supposed to be a comedic genius.
Described as “effortlessly sexy�, she was not, effortless or not, sexy. And “multi-talented� ? I don’t know, start with one.
Unless you count annoying as Hell a talent, or the ability to be a real pain in the ass about her religion crap one too.
I don’t.
But Sorkin really liked that character for some reason, maybe because he got inspired by an ex-girlfriend to write her, I don’t know, but instead of trying to fix this, which was the main problem of Studio 60 (at first), he kept pushing it and pushing it again…
Then they added some amazingly lame plots to their stories, not only with Harriet and her movie that I could already seen be the biggest flop of the year, or her never-ending on-again off-again relationship troubles with Matt (kill me, please!) but also as a general new move.
As perfectly illustrated on the infamous episode where, how could we forget, Danny and his soon-to-be fiancée got stuck. Stuck on the roof.
