Matthew Wayne Selznick

Summer’s over… and Aaron Sorkin’s back.

I just saw “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (for the second time in fourteen hours.)

I know it’s been on Netflix, and probably easily torrent-able, but I wanted to wait. I wanted to see it on television, when it airs. It’s delayed gratification; it’s a little like ritual.

The pilot kicked ass.

Random observations, since I’m no television critic:

– The first twenty minutes flew by like five.
– Saw Matthew Perry in a role that didn’t make me think of Chandler Bing.
– Saw Bradley Whitford in a role that almost didn’t make me think of Josh Lyman.
– When did Amanda Peet become a great actress? Or is it the role? She had a quality — like she was in first-week-love with every other character with which she made eye contact. She was luminescent. And no, I’ve never been that much of a fan.
– Pacing, timing. The show, like “The West Wing” before it, moves at a rapid clip. No wasted scenes, and several that move the story along in multiple ways simultaneously.
– Trademark Aaron Sorkin moment: Jordan hands Matty the script for the cut skit that had set the whole episode in motion, and tells him to open with it next week. Gave me that chest-filling thrill that happened so many times on the Sorkin episodes of “The West Wing.”
– Speaking of “The West Wing,” yeah, it was a little like watching repertory theater with the same troupe. Whitford. Timothy Busfield. Karis Campbell. Anna Deavere Smith (at least I think I saw her in the meeting with the studio execs..!) Evan Handler. Carlos Jacott. Probably more?
– Danger, Danger: Television shows about television shows are hit and miss with the audiences and with the networks. There’s a two-year commitment built into the storyline. Will it last that long in real life?
– Small suspension of disbelief: How many painkillers would it take to run full-speed and take stairs two at a time three days after back surgery???

Anyway, now that summer casual flings with reality shows are over, I have precisely one hour of television I’ll be watching every week. Time well spent — and that’s not something I’ll say too often when it comes to TV.

I’ve mentioned my love of the West Wing, I know I have. Just finished watching tonight’s episode, TIVO’ed.

Fucking thing makes me want to yell. It makes me smile. It makes me tear up and explode inside the way you do when you experience something beautiful. It makes me want to eat ice cream, which I did, two bowls, and that was my late dinner.

Now I admit, there was a bit of a dip after Aaron Sorkin was booted off the show, but they are back, baby. This season has brought us some top-quality stuff, and that means if the rest of television is Joel Schumacher, the West Wing at its worst is John Houston, Clint Eastwood, and Robert Altman in gift basket. This season is like that, in spades.

I cannot stress this enough: this show is inspiration. It makes me want to create; it makes me want to vote. I have to wonder if that’s their intention: make America feel passionate about what it is we do as Americans, regardless of your politics.

Fucking A. It’s five after one in the morning and there’s no way I can sleep now. Brilliant!!!