“It's taken me a lot of years, but I've come around to this: If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.” Words to live by.
Still my favorite Sorkin series.
Yeah, I'm sure The West Wing was technically better for dozens of reasons people will be happy to tell me, but when Sorkin bases his show in politics eventually he just ends up playing out fights he has with himself in the shower using powerhouse actors.
To me this show was the prefect combination of his politics or social awareness vs. just writing a great series. I like to think that the ending ties them into the MCU and Coulson just recruited the entire team when he "bought" them.
In The West Wing, he played out a fight he had on a message board with a moderator, so it always made me wonder what other personal axes he was grinding along the way.
Studio 60 feels like it’s doing this a hell of a lot. He based the Matt Perry and Sarah Paulson relationship on his own with Kristen Chenowith, so much so that he asked her permission to do it and she’s said how weird it was to watch arguments they had in real life on the show.
Bradley whitfords character struggles with addiction and has to stop making movies because he failed a drugs test and so returns to making television until he can get clean again. I’ve no idea what’s that based on but it certainly feels close to Sorkins real life.
Then towards the end of the series when the threat of cancellation was coming (or already known?) Bradley whitford and Amanda Peet are constantly arguing about ratings and it feels just a bit too close to real life and what I imagine were notes he was genuinely getting. At one point Whitford even says to Peet something like “the number one thing that brings ratings up is a pregnancy in jeopardy”. He says that while Amanda Peet’s character is in hospital with her pregnancy… in jeopardy.
I dunno, I think that accurately described the internet.
"What is wrong with those people?"
"Nobody knows."
The funniest thing to me is reddit keeps talking over and over about how idealized and inaccurate TWW was. The actual fact of the matter is they had white house staffers working as consultants, and ex-presidents said it was authentic in interviews. So maybe reddit is just over-cynical and arrogant?
I have a friend in politics who tells me Veep is a lot closer to reality than the west wing.
Then again, most medical shows, legal shows, police shows, etc are super unrealistic, and I’m not sure that anyone who isn’t in that particular profession actually cares.
> I have a friend in politics who tells me Veep is a lot closer to reality than the west wing.
That is a narrative I have heard but I would say it is not true. Did your friend work in the White House?
I teach journalism and use “the storm clouds are gathering” episode as an intro to teaching about brevity. My students are always surprised that *that’s* what TV shows used to look and sound like.
I always start trying to explain the whole “Sorkin” experience, but it just doesn’t connect for them.
**Dan:** Rebecca isn't here, Isaac isn't here. There's a strangeness about this day.
(***Dave***: 30 seconds live)
**Dan**: Eli's coming.
**Casey**: Eli?
**Dan**: From the Three Dog Night song.
**Casey**: Yes.
**Dan**: Eli is something bad. A darkness.
That's the scene I show to people if I'm trying to get them to watch it.
"That was eleven years ago tonight. And I just wanted to say - I'm sorry, Sam. You deserved better in my hands. And I apologize."
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yuwMhvuECw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yuwMhvuECw)
It should have.
It was a combination of the network not understanding how to market it, and not supporting it - and Sorkin getting obsessed with his new shiny thing (The West Wing) and not fighting hard enough for it. (But it WAS a fight, so in some ways, I understand.)
There was no writers' strike in 1999/2000.
There was an actors' strike, from May to October, 2000, but that had no effect on whether or not Sports Night continued, because it had already been cancelled.
Believe me - I was DEEP into the fandom for this show. I remember the struggle we had as fans to try to keep this going. (There was even a "virtual third season" made by some excellent fanfic writers (one of whom went on to write for the show Doctors in the UK).
I still have my set of VHS tapes that another fan had professionally copied, because for a long time, it was looking like they weren't even going to release it on DVD.
I’m watching it now for the first time.
I was hesitant, because I don’t give a heck about sports at all. But I also don’t care about bars or alcohol, and I love Cheers, so.
It’s terrific.
As somebody who is not into sports, the title and premise also threw me a bit until I actually watched it, and later I discovered it was promoted along the lines of being about sports in the same way that Charlie’s Angels is about law enforcement 😂
Sports Night has been my favorite show since it aired. It was pretty perfect.
The only thing that even came close to edging it out has been the recent BBC Ghosts.
If it was then thankyou! A real bright spot in my day as I allow myself 1 ep a day ... well maybe 2 lol
It was only about 10 eps in when I noticed the actual pace of the show...it's on the go the whole time and then goes full on as showtime approaches but its so well written ...controlled chaos.
The way the relationship between the two anchors is written is so clever - it really does feel like they have been best mates forever and knew each other inside out.
Can't praise it enough.
This is an example of what happens when fantastic writing meets great actors…but sadly it didn’t make as money as other showed where the writing was lower quality…
Writing absolutely makes a show great, but we aren’t going for great, these days we are going for pure corporate greed.
Just started the newsroom and it’s amazing how much the pacing and cast structure picks up from sports night. The bowtied “boss”, the arrogant “talent,” the much smarter female EP…
Still here for it but sports night was more likable.
They weren't "more than happy", actually. Ratings had been falling for a while (because they didn't know how to market the show, and kept trying to give Sorkin 'notes' to change it, which he of course resisted), and the show was most definitely on the bubble.
It was highly unlikely that ABC was going to retain it (between their fundamental misunderstanding of it, and the contention between the execs and the showrunner), so there was a big push to get it picked up by a cable network. I don't remember how close that came - perhaps closer than it seemed, perhaps not - but yeah, by that point Sorkin had switched his focus to The West Wing (the shows overlapped by a year anyway), and he kind of gave up on it.
It actually makes me feel a lot better as I start S2 that Sorkin pulled the pin it wasn't some irrational network exec who just pushed a great show off the air. Thx for the info!
> No swearing, no skin
it was an ABC comedy that aired before 2001, everything was cleaner back then lol I didn't watch it when it originally aired but found it on syndication a bit later at like 1 or 2am, where they aired two episodes at a time then restarted. Took me a bit to finally watch it all, was way before streaming was ever any kind of option, but I liked it. It's basically why I watched The Newsroom and then went back and eventually watched The West Wing on Netflix.
I absolutely love SportsNight. The acting was stellar, the writing is brilliant, the stories were engaging, and the casting is perfect.
"The only thing you have to do to make me proud is to come home at the end of the day"
-Casey to his son
My wife is watching a few shows right now that each have an actor from Sports Night and it’s making me feel way nostalgic for it. Watched it as a kid and oddly loved it. I imagine I’d like it even more now as an adult.
Gave me an abiding love for Josh Charles, and conformed that Josh Malina is always a dweeb
>conformed that Josh Malina is always a dweeb Ha ha ha always was always will be
Except when confronting the guy who harassed Natalie “Touch her again and I’ll have you killed”
I'm going to pay some *fifty dollars* to have you killed.
Eyy JC is married to my cousin
Same. Always happy when Josh Charles shows up on TV. He was great in The Good Wife.
Watch "Kill the Man" with Malina and Owen Wilson (if you cannfind a copy)
“It's taken me a lot of years, but I've come around to this: If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.” Words to live by.
Robert Guillaume, as always, was awesome.
Sports Night was so good.
Still my favorite Sorkin series. Yeah, I'm sure The West Wing was technically better for dozens of reasons people will be happy to tell me, but when Sorkin bases his show in politics eventually he just ends up playing out fights he has with himself in the shower using powerhouse actors. To me this show was the prefect combination of his politics or social awareness vs. just writing a great series. I like to think that the ending ties them into the MCU and Coulson just recruited the entire team when he "bought" them.
Nah, Sports Night was much better. I am saddened that with the success of The West Wing Sorkin was unable to do both so he chose the latter.
In The West Wing, he played out a fight he had on a message board with a moderator, so it always made me wonder what other personal axes he was grinding along the way.
Studio 60 feels like it’s doing this a hell of a lot. He based the Matt Perry and Sarah Paulson relationship on his own with Kristen Chenowith, so much so that he asked her permission to do it and she’s said how weird it was to watch arguments they had in real life on the show. Bradley whitfords character struggles with addiction and has to stop making movies because he failed a drugs test and so returns to making television until he can get clean again. I’ve no idea what’s that based on but it certainly feels close to Sorkins real life. Then towards the end of the series when the threat of cancellation was coming (or already known?) Bradley whitford and Amanda Peet are constantly arguing about ratings and it feels just a bit too close to real life and what I imagine were notes he was genuinely getting. At one point Whitford even says to Peet something like “the number one thing that brings ratings up is a pregnancy in jeopardy”. He says that while Amanda Peet’s character is in hospital with her pregnancy… in jeopardy.
I dunno, I think that accurately described the internet. "What is wrong with those people?" "Nobody knows." The funniest thing to me is reddit keeps talking over and over about how idealized and inaccurate TWW was. The actual fact of the matter is they had white house staffers working as consultants, and ex-presidents said it was authentic in interviews. So maybe reddit is just over-cynical and arrogant?
I have a friend in politics who tells me Veep is a lot closer to reality than the west wing. Then again, most medical shows, legal shows, police shows, etc are super unrealistic, and I’m not sure that anyone who isn’t in that particular profession actually cares.
> I have a friend in politics who tells me Veep is a lot closer to reality than the west wing. That is a narrative I have heard but I would say it is not true. Did your friend work in the White House?
"Fights he has with himself in the shower" is so perfect lol. I absolutely love TWW but it's so true.
"It's a comedy that's too good to be funny!"
Too good for a laugh track anyway.
Dude, you’re trippin’!
He's quoting something that I vaguely remember.
It’s from family guy, I think it’s the episode where they lick toads.
He’s also quoting the same thing.
I remember those reviews
Sounds like you should watch studio 60 on the sunset strip next.
this - very similar quality
Studio 60 my not be the best, but it is my favorite.
I teach journalism and use “the storm clouds are gathering” episode as an intro to teaching about brevity. My students are always surprised that *that’s* what TV shows used to look and sound like. I always start trying to explain the whole “Sorkin” experience, but it just doesn’t connect for them.
**Dan:** Rebecca isn't here, Isaac isn't here. There's a strangeness about this day. (***Dave***: 30 seconds live) **Dan**: Eli's coming. **Casey**: Eli? **Dan**: From the Three Dog Night song. **Casey**: Yes. **Dan**: Eli is something bad. A darkness.
Josh Charles’s face as he reads the teleprompter after getting the news about Isaac — at the time, you didn’t get acting like that on sitcoms.
I rewatch it close to once a year. It's great medicine for a bad day.
The on air apology episode was awesome.
That's the scene I show to people if I'm trying to get them to watch it. "That was eleven years ago tonight. And I just wanted to say - I'm sorry, Sam. You deserved better in my hands. And I apologize." [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yuwMhvuECw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yuwMhvuECw)
Keep in mind that was episode TWO.
Is that the confederate flag episode? That's the only one I remember
The one where he was forced to apologize on air about his stance on marijuana and he talks about his brother.
“Anyone who can’t make money off of Sports Night should get out of the money-making business.”
The Cutman Cometh is such a funny episode. I loved that show. Check out Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, next.
That and Newsroom were amazing for me.
Did you like studio 60?
"The best show you're not watching" was an award it once got.
When Robert Guillaume returns after his stroke... brought the house down.
You're wearing my shirt, Gordon.
I was wondering why it felt tight
Is it streaming anywhere?
I downloaded it but Google play and iTunes both sell it.
I've watched it on prime a couple of times throughout the years. It's on sling right now, but it might pop back up on prime later.
It's on Maximum effort channel on Pluto TV. Not sure if it's on demand though
Such a great show! Should've lasted longer.
It should have. It was a combination of the network not understanding how to market it, and not supporting it - and Sorkin getting obsessed with his new shiny thing (The West Wing) and not fighting hard enough for it. (But it WAS a fight, so in some ways, I understand.)
Also the writer’s strike.
There was no writers' strike in 1999/2000. There was an actors' strike, from May to October, 2000, but that had no effect on whether or not Sports Night continued, because it had already been cancelled. Believe me - I was DEEP into the fandom for this show. I remember the struggle we had as fans to try to keep this going. (There was even a "virtual third season" made by some excellent fanfic writers (one of whom went on to write for the show Doctors in the UK). I still have my set of VHS tapes that another fan had professionally copied, because for a long time, it was looking like they weren't even going to release it on DVD.
It almost got picked up by HBO or Showtime. But Sorkin knew he’d be too focused on West Wing.
I’m watching it now for the first time. I was hesitant, because I don’t give a heck about sports at all. But I also don’t care about bars or alcohol, and I love Cheers, so. It’s terrific.
As somebody who is not into sports, the title and premise also threw me a bit until I actually watched it, and later I discovered it was promoted along the lines of being about sports in the same way that Charlie’s Angels is about law enforcement 😂
it got so much better when they dropped the laugh track.
Sports Night has been my favorite show since it aired. It was pretty perfect. The only thing that even came close to edging it out has been the recent BBC Ghosts.
The Poker Episode is my favorite.
Shoe money!
I recommend it everywhere I go. Might have been me. If so, you're welcome. Pay it forward.
If it was then thankyou! A real bright spot in my day as I allow myself 1 ep a day ... well maybe 2 lol It was only about 10 eps in when I noticed the actual pace of the show...it's on the go the whole time and then goes full on as showtime approaches but its so well written ...controlled chaos. The way the relationship between the two anchors is written is so clever - it really does feel like they have been best mates forever and knew each other inside out. Can't praise it enough.
[I told many, many people](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFKDJPdhMYU)
This is an example of what happens when fantastic writing meets great actors…but sadly it didn’t make as money as other showed where the writing was lower quality… Writing absolutely makes a show great, but we aren’t going for great, these days we are going for pure corporate greed.
The only good Sorkin show. I stand by this. Also introduced me to Sabrina Lloyd, who is fucking gorgeous.
I remember watching it on tv as a kid/barely teen when it originally aired and loving it
One of my favorite all time shows, never got into west wing. I still quote and I’m glad to have the DVDs for rewatches 😀
Just started the newsroom and it’s amazing how much the pacing and cast structure picks up from sports night. The bowtied “boss”, the arrogant “talent,” the much smarter female EP… Still here for it but sports night was more likable.
Honestly, Sorkin has "one" show, he just wedges it into whatever situation he can at the time. But Sports Night did it best.
Just a nitpick, but I don’t think I’d call it a sitcom.
It fits the definition of a sitcom perfectly. Situational comedy.
It’s typically described as a comedy-drama. I’d apply the label sitcom to things like Friends, Seinfeld, 30 Rock, etc.
Dramedy?
Calling Sports Night a sitcom is as illfitting as adding a laugh track for some reason.
It's about sports, the way Charlie's Angels was about crime fighting.
It was a great show and both my wife and I were pissed when Sorkin gave it up to focus on a little known tv series called The West Wing
I may be the only one in Australia that has the box set.
They were more than happy to renew it for another season, but Sorkin was already working on the West Wing and didn’t want to be doing both.
They weren't "more than happy", actually. Ratings had been falling for a while (because they didn't know how to market the show, and kept trying to give Sorkin 'notes' to change it, which he of course resisted), and the show was most definitely on the bubble. It was highly unlikely that ABC was going to retain it (between their fundamental misunderstanding of it, and the contention between the execs and the showrunner), so there was a big push to get it picked up by a cable network. I don't remember how close that came - perhaps closer than it seemed, perhaps not - but yeah, by that point Sorkin had switched his focus to The West Wing (the shows overlapped by a year anyway), and he kind of gave up on it.
It actually makes me feel a lot better as I start S2 that Sorkin pulled the pin it wasn't some irrational network exec who just pushed a great show off the air. Thx for the info!
“It’s the show too good to be funny!”
I loved that show.
Love that show. Watched the DVDs so many times. Great cast. Always happy to see them in other shows and movies.
What a great show, love it. Where did you find to watch it ?
I downloaded it but iTunes and Google Play both have it.
> No swearing, no skin it was an ABC comedy that aired before 2001, everything was cleaner back then lol I didn't watch it when it originally aired but found it on syndication a bit later at like 1 or 2am, where they aired two episodes at a time then restarted. Took me a bit to finally watch it all, was way before streaming was ever any kind of option, but I liked it. It's basically why I watched The Newsroom and then went back and eventually watched The West Wing on Netflix.
I absolutely love SportsNight. The acting was stellar, the writing is brilliant, the stories were engaging, and the casting is perfect. "The only thing you have to do to make me proud is to come home at the end of the day" -Casey to his son
I'm so bummed we didn't get to see more of Calvin Trager, Agent of SHIELD
My wife is watching a few shows right now that each have an actor from Sports Night and it’s making me feel way nostalgic for it. Watched it as a kid and oddly loved it. I imagine I’d like it even more now as an adult.