Some Stale, Old News for a (Nearly) New Year

You've undoubtedly heard by now that "Studio 60" is the most "time-shifted" program of the year.

This raises the all-important question for NBC, who, despite all the romanticism the show puts upon the Television as an artistic medium, is primarily concerned with cold, hard numbers that lead to cold, hard cash. The short-term question is: "Do we give it a new timeslot?", but the long-term question is: "How do we continue to make money off of this new model?" It feels like for "60" to just exist for no more than one season would be the total cop-out: it would represent network television's ignorance of their impending irrelevance. If they cannot adapt to make a show like "60" profitable for them, then they cannot adapt to remain relevant.

SEE ALSO:
Zap2It: 'Studio 60' Gets Bump from DVRs
Jon Robin Baitz: The Numbers and Why They Lie

Weekend Buzz Roundup

- "Studio 60" leads in television nominations for the Satellite Awards (tied with "Ugly Betty" with 4 nominations a piece) which will be held December 17th. Sarah Paulson and Amanda Peet will be competing for Best Actress in a Series (Drama), while Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford will head off for Best Actor in a Series (Drama).

- While Harriet Hayes' position on gay marriage set off that whole fun little adventure known as "Nevada Day", two headliners of "Studio 60" have made a stir taking the 'opposite' position (Harriet would disagree). In November's election Madison native and U. of Wisconsin graduate Bradley Whitford called Wisconsin voters urging them to vote against a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage (it ended up passing, however). More recently, Amanda Peet appeared in ads for World AIDS Day appealing to gay males to avoid the increased risk of HIV that crystal meth use can cause.

- Monday is the last episode before the traditional holiday hiatus. Here's the brief synopsis from TV Guide via Studio 60 Guide: “Matt wants to bring the spirit of Christmas to Los Angeles when he and the “Studio 60” team put on a holiday show. Meanwhile, Danny tries to figure out his true feelings for Jordan.” The title is going to shock you: "The Christmas Show".

UPDATE 5:40pm: More linky goodness...

-Defamer profiles the ideal "60" viewer per their consistantly snarky graphic skills. Consider it a much less romantic version of the "alpha consumer" theory. Use their handy-easy-to-use flowchart to find out if you're one of them.

-THE FATHER IS WHO? NBC leaked a 4 minute clip of Danny & Jordan at the doctor's office "talking baby". You'll have to watch to find out. h/t Chris @ Studio 60 blog.

Stanley Heaps Praise on NBC for 60, 30 Rock

The New York Times' television critic Alessandra Stanley is not known for mincing words. Never shying away from making too bold a statement, Ms. Stanley has been called "gratuitously nasty" by the Public Editor of her own paper. Perhaps that is just part of the reason why her departure from Cynic-in-Chief in yesterday's Times is a must-read:

These two very different behind-the-scenes looks ["Studio 60" & "30 Rock"] at network intrigue were among the most vaunted shows of the fall season and did not meet expectations, yet both survived the midseason tumbrel. Turns out cold-eyed corporations don’t always look at the bottom line to determine the fate of fledgling television shows. Neither series is a hit, and “30 Rock” is perilously close to a flop, but both are good enough in their own right to merit more time: “30 Rock” was moved to Thursday nights to follow “My Name Is Earl,” “The Office” and “Scrubs.”

G.E. apparently really does want to bring good things to life.

The best television is necessarily uneven. A conventional hit sitcom like CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” is consistent, if not always consistently funny, but more original material needs larger margins for error.

Stanley is right to point out that more substantive shows need more time to develop and find an audience, but that doesn't stop her from praising the show as it has unfolded already:

Each strand is beautifully written and acted; together the emotionalism grows cloying.

But the show keeps bounding back. The most recent episode produced a hilariously mirthless veteran comedy writer hired to train Matt’s rookie staffers. The perils of Jordan, who is ever on the brink of being fired, keep twisting, and backstage romances flicker and glow under the opalescent lighting that makes the series’ look so distinctive.

“Studio 60,” like “30 Rock,” is better when it’s not about network television, but about the people who happen to work inside it. And at their best, the two shows are unequaled by anything else on network television.

60 Keeps Monday Timeslot

When NBC announced that it was green-lighting Studio 60 for a full season, it was speculated that it would get a new timeslot. That, like the cancelation rumors, has turned out to be untrue:

Also worth noting is that NBC's struggling Monday night drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" about production of a live television sketch show from Aaron Sorkin, the creator of "The West Wing", will remain on Monday nights at 10pm, a decision that might raise several eyebrows.

The show is considered to be incompatible to its lead-in, the popular sci-fi series "Heroes" and it now regularly loses more than half of its audience. The drama is however very popular in the more affluent and highly-educated households for which reason NBC will stick to it for at least the rest of the season.