Christmas Gift Idea: Sports Night
By fred | November 29, 2008
As everyone knows it’s that time of year again, Christmas is coming and maybe you’re looking for a gift idea, to please the TVoholic in you, or one of your friends. To help you in your quest, or just to droll over those sets without having the chance to actually get them, as some of them can be quite pricey, I’ll give you a few ideas of complete series packs that any TVoholic should have…
Sports Night: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition
Of course when someone mentions the name of Aaron Sorkin, you instantly think of The West Wing, and for good reasons. But that is not the only show Sorkin created, he once brought us the behind-the-scenes of a TV show, but I’m not talking about Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip which, in all fairness, had great potential but failed to deliver.
No, before all that Sorkin made its debut by creating Sports Night, a show that was already everything The West Wing would be. Introducing the now famous Sorkin style which any fan of The West Wing will instantly recognize, this critically acclaimed show was classified a sitcom (hence the horrible laugh-track during its first season), but it wasn’t your usual sitcom and silly characters and predictable situations.
Instead, it was about the individuals, a group of funny, likable, passionately obsessed people too smart for their own good, who loved to talk with great levels of erudition about everything and anything while walking from room to room, had immense knowledge of many things inside and outside their domain of expertise : television, and sports. Every night they would put on a daily live sports cable show, but you don’t need to know (or care) about either television or sports to enjoy Sports Night.
Because Sports Night isn’t about sports or the show, but the individuals behind it, those who made it happen, how they work together and interact with everyone, how they do what they do, and have to deal with the pressure and obligations from the networks, and try to squeeze in a love life in the middle of it. And Sorkin’s brilliant writing was served by another excellent cast of talented people, from Felicity Huffman to Peter Krause to Josh Malina, Sabrina Lloyd or Robert Guilamme.
Another must for anyone who loves TV, and a guaranteed hit among all West Wing fans. And for this 10th Anniversary Special 8-disc set you’ll enjoy, along the 45 episodes of the show, an in-depth look back at Sports Night with creator/writer Aaron Sorkin, directors Thomas Schlamme and Robert Berlinger, cast members Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause, Josh Charles, Joshua Malina, and Robert Guillaume, but also never-seen-before behind-the-scenes movies, a conversation with Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, gag reels, episode commentaries, documentaries about the show and its innovations (many of which later seen on The West Wing), a face off with ESPN’s SportsCenter, and a 36-page booklet including an introduction by creator Aaron Sorkin.
Be sure to let us know what you think of this gift idea in the comment below, and check back soon for more ideas…
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Shows: Sports Night
