TV Roundup: Sports Night, #4
We're back at the TV Roundup, and we're getting close to the top. Top of what? My top 21 favorite shows of all-time. We're at the fourth spot on the list ... and actually, this next show is one I have called "my favorite" many times. Before I get into that one, here's what we have so far:
21. Kids In The Hall
20. Taxi
18. Dexter
17. The Simpsons
16. The Daily Show
15. Mad Men
13. 24
11. Lost
10. Cheers
6. Survivor
Man, that's a good list. If this exercise has done nothing else (and there's little to suggest otherwise), it's nice to be able to see the list in all its glory as it develops.
This next show was instantly one I fell in love with, and have probably re-watched more than any other show, considering there were only two seasons. It's a show many barely know about, but those that two speak of it with a reverence, because in those two short seasons, it managed to be compelling, funny, poignant and unlike anything else on television. I'm talking, of course, about Sports Night, my fourth favorite show of all-time.
As I said earlier, I often have referred to this show as my absolute favorite, and really debated trying to figure out a way to unseat the next three shows, but couldn't quite pull the trigger. The whole point of making a list like this is to try and break things down into a real order, and when push came to shove, it "only" ranked as my 4th favorite show. (The fact that there's only 45 episodes (two seasons) is a problem, and the weakness that do exist are therefore magnified.)
But ... let's back up. For those who don't know, Sports Night takes place at an ESPN-like network, the Continental Sports Channel (CSC), located in Manhattan. It's two anchors are Casey McCall (Peter Krause) and Dan Rydell (Josh Charles), and they are produced by Dana Whitaker (Felicity Huffman). Backing her up in the booth are assistant producers Natalie Hurley (Sabrina Lloyd) and Jeremy Goodwin (Joshua Malina). Their boss is the veteran newsman Isaac Jaffe (Robert Guillaume), to whom they are as fiercely loyal as they are to the show.
It's the same vibe that writer Aaron Sorkin brought to The West Wing, and if you don't feel jealous of the passion and loyalty the staff of CSC and the White House feel in these shows, well then ... you've chosen the right job. What's more, Sports Night is just funny - some of the most pitch-perfect humor I've ever seen in a show that wasn't a straight up comedy.
There really isn't a main character in the show, but in some ways the heart of the show is Jeremy, and it seems like Sorkin wrote it as himself (much as he did Sam Seaborn in The West Wing.) Jeremy works for Natalie, and immediately falls for her (as, quite frankly, does every male viewer) - and, because this is television, they start dating. (I'd caution it's a spoiler alert, but it's fairly obvious this will happen from Episode One.)
The show is often a testament to the crazy -- Dan has an occasional co-anchor, Bonnie Bernstein (Lisa Edelstein) who insists they slept together in Spain while in college, to his constant denials. Dan and Casey find themselves without pants from wardrobe as punishment for not keeping Natalie in the loop. And, of course, there is The Dating Plan, of which I will say no more. (Except that it's a bit painful, even as it succeeds.)
The show got a lot of critical love, but Sorkin left quickly to tackle The West Wing, and history can't suggest it was the wrong move, but the uncertainty around the show led to an uneven end to the series, and one that should have had a much longer tenure.
Dan Rydell: Eleven years ago Orlando Rojas pitched a perfect game.
Rebecca Wells: And a perfect game is good?
Dan Rydell: Look, I know there's a lot of jargon but some of these really are self-explanatory.Â
The indelible characters of Dan and Casey, Jeremy and Natalie, Dana and Isaac are the constants of the show. Sure, they made a fatal "Jump the Shark" decision by casting Ted McGinley (I kid, but only slightly) as Dana's boyfriend Gordon, but the show is so re-watchable, so well executed that in some ways, it's perfect that it's only two seasons.
Isaac: Things that I say in my office STAY in my office.
Dana Whitaker: Natalie's my second-in-command, she's the only one I told.
Natalie Hurley: Jeremy's my boyfriend, he's the only one I told.
Jeremy Goodwin: I told many, many people.
A scene with Jeremy exacting some revenge on Dan makes me laugh out loud every time I've seen it, and that has to be at least seven or eight separate viewings.
Casey McCall: It's a vicious circle.
Dan Rydell: It is.
Casey McCall: It's a never ending circle.
Dan Rydell: Just keeps going round and round.
Casey McCall: Never ends.
Dan Rydell: That's what makes it vicious.
Casey McCall: And a circle.
The sentence, "You're wearing my shirt" still gives me chills.
And honestly, there is this - a piece of advice Isaac gives Jeremy is something I honestly take to heart:
Isaac Jaffe: 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.
Here's a video that's fairly representative, though in some ways (the physical gag) it's actually not. However, it's a great few moments and worth checking out - it's about writer's block:
Of course, Sports Night also brought the serious - and here's a great clip from "The Apology," the first episode after the pilot. In it, Dan is forced to apologize on-air for apparently telling a magazine he favors the decriminalization of pot. I love this because of how Josh Charles sells it, but also the way his friends and co-workers react.
Dang, son.
Sports Night notably kept airing after Guillaume had a real-life stroke, and Guillaume insisted that it be written into the script. It's incredibly powerful and honest (accordingly), and the initial episodes around that are some of the best.
Sure, there are missteps along the way (likely due to Sorkin pulling double-duty on SportsNight and The West Wing), but it's all worth it in the end. Fans of The West Wing will see Sorkin lift things directly from these scripts into the latter ones. (I'm talking to you, Alberto Fedrigotti.)Â People walk-and-talk, they remember verbatim quotes from noted authors and they talk at a mile-a-minute. I loved it.
For those who haven't seen the show yet, I implore you to give it a chance. For those who have, you know how great this show is. That's why it's a lock for my fourth favorite show of all-time.
And at some point, Dan will realize exactly what the sport of kings is.