Aaron Sorkin To the Los Angeles Times: Bite Me! (or words to that effect)

1. Aaron Sorkin, exec producer of NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," has a beef with the Los Angeles Times as big as a herd of Texas longhorns.

He didn't bring it up when TV critics gathered for the semiannual press tour surrounded him during a trip to the "Studio 60" set on Tuesday, but he didn't hold back, either, when one critic asked him about a Times story that ran Christmas Day by Deborah Netburn. The story said "many comedic writers appear to hate Sorkin's 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.'"

"I'm taking a moment to think whether I should answer that question honestly or diplomatically," Sorkin said. "Honestly," the critics shouted. "It's the best policy," said one. So Sorkin let loose.

"You get a lot of negative press when you do a show," he said. "It's the cost of doing business. It's not fun but you get used to it. The piece in the Los Angeles Times was different. First of all, it was the third piece the Los Angeles Times did in four months about how people on the internet don't like 'Studio 60.'...As if there aren't people on the internet who do like 'Studio 60' and as if there are people who don't like other shows.

"But that wasn't the most aggravating part of the story. The most aggravating part of the story was that the comedy writers which she was referring to, first of all, her headline was 'Writers Don't Like Studio 60.' She was smart to ignore the fact that the show had been nominated a week earlier for two Writers Guild Awards. That would have undercut her thesis."

Next, Sorkin lit into the comedy writers mentioned in the story. Based on the headline, he expected to be attacked by the likes of Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey or Seth Meyers, "real comedy writers." Instead, he said, those that attacked him were unemployed and disgruntled. "It's not at all difficult to go on the internet and find the opinions of disgruntled people."

(For the record, the headline on the Times piece, not written by the writer, was "Comedy Writers Aren't Laughing About '60.'" The subhead, below the headline, said, "Some in the biz openly disdain the series set at a late-night sketch show.")

"So that L.A. Times piece was a piece of nonsense," Sorkin concluded. "There have been negative pieces written about the show which, like I said, I did not want to read but I get it...I don't necessarily agree with them but it seems to me that it's a well-considered piece of journalism. This is not that. The L.A. Times should be ashamed of themselves. That an Arts section in a paper in a town like Los Angeles should run with a piece like that, that was just God-awful."

"Studio 60" returns to the air Monday with seven consecutive new episodes. Lovers of good drama can only hope more people tune in. For his part, Sorkin says he is optimistic the show will be renewed. "I'm not thinking about the back nine episodes. I'm thinking about the next season," he said.

--Barry Garron

Comments

[OldOldLady Of The Hills]

Well, I am with Sorkin, all the way. I LOVE this show and I hope that these next seven are not pre-empted for any reason whatsoever! I think it is a wonderful funny, touching show whose characters interest me tremendously...Long May They Wave! And the L.A. Times sucks!

[Good Dog]

Sorkin gets my vote too. I mean, why people assumed the DRAMA was going to be a COMEDY is anyone’s guess.

After the pilot episode's teaser - where Judd Hirsch really goes off on one - it seemed obvious that, after discussing politics in The West Wing, Sorkin was going to turn his attention to television.

If that’s the case, and he's going to take the audience behind the curtain and expose the working of a television show, as well as discuss the medium in general, what short of show would it be?

The perfect choice would be a comedy/variety/light entertainment show. And one that is transmitted live – so it can include gallery action – would be an event bigger bonus.
Here, rather than on a genre-specific drama which has a narrower focus, Sorkin can take on far wider-ranging subject matter to address and discuss.

Of course the really funny thing was seeing how quickly the comedy writers who had been downright hostile about Studio 60 on their blogs quickly put their tail between their legs and backtracked like crazy once they had been named in the Christmas day article.

That’s my two cents worth, and I can’t wait for the show to come back after the holiday break.

[cadavra]

It should be noted that the following Saturday, the Times did print three letters protesting the article, one of them by me. I admire Sorkin's optimism about renewal, but like so many shows I love, STUDIO 60 has its head on the chopping block; the fact that NBC constantly promos and reruns FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and HEROES (the latter of which surely doesn't need it by now) while ignoring STUDIO 60 screams volumes.

[Captain Obvious]

Which comedy writers put their tail between their legs when the article was published? Last I saw, Ken Levine, the main writer quoted in the article, posted about the article in his blog and affirmed his dislike of the show.

As for the show itself, nobody was expecting the drama to be comedy. People like myself just expected the comedy skits to be remotely funny, which they aren't. If your characters mention every five seconds how much of a GENIUS Matt Albie is, you have to actually make his skits funny. Sorkin should be listening to these comedy writers instead of choosing the path of ignorance and arrogance.

[N. Holmes]

Let's assume these writers have a point. The majority of the skits on Studio 60 aren't laugh out loud funny (though I thought the Chris Hanson ambush of Santa was very funny). But the skits on SNL (or at least the last time I could stomach watching SNL years ago) are not funny, either - unless you enjoy body humor.

I look forward to Studio 60 every Tuesday (watching on-line). Bravo to Mr. Sorkin for trying to bring something a little more intellectual to television, while still appealing to the 3rd grade mentality (spit-take theater).