Sports Night

June 30, 2006

This is an entry about TV with no comments

Remember two years ago, the summer of 2004, when I was unemployed and on the verge of going insane? I do. I spent a lot of time watching The West Wing.

When I finished all the seasons that were released on DVD I quickly kept the theme going by acquiring Sports Night, Sorkin’s show that ran for two seasons.

At first the show was very irritating: the characters seemed to be acting (and projecting) for the stage, there was a horribly ill-placed laugh track, and one, maybe two of the main actors were using some sort of method acting I found horribly grating and obvious. But: it had Benson.

Soon, after spending some time with these people at their job, in my unemployment fantasy world, I had “friends” that would accept me into their office routine.

I recently started watching the series again, and all the memories came back to me. IT WAS A SHOW THAT HAD HEART! Yes: watching the show with someone else can be embarrassing. There is uplifting music when a lesson is taught, the dialog is snappy to the point of being unbelievable, and I have a hard time thinking anyone is that busy at their job.

Thanks for everything™ guys! It was great to see you again.

And one last thing: The season one finale…when Isaac comes back in a ninth-inning rally…it warmed my soul and made me cry a little. It was just that good. Maybe one of the best moments in television, certainly on the same level as Giles telling Willow that he’d like to test that theory.