Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series: Aaron Sorkin's Marvelous Short-Lived Drama Gets a Fantastic HD Upgrade (Blu-ray)

The Show:

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has given us a number of great films over the last few decades that has included "A Few Good Men," "Moneyball," "Steve Jobs," and, of course, "The Social Network," for which he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. However, he's also quite well-known for his outstanding work in television, where he delivered such wonderful programs as ""Sports Night," "The Newsroom," and, most famously, "The West Wing," which netted 26 Emmys, including four in a row for Outstanding Drama Series.

However, the one television outing of his that people tend to gloss over, or aren't even aware of, is "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which was a fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at an SNL-type program. While the show received pretty good reviews from critics & viewers, as well as a handful of award nominations from groups like the Television Academy, WGA, and DGA, for one reason or another (bad time slot, tough competition), its ratings just weren't good enough, causing it to be canceled after just one season of 22 episodes.

That said, the show clearly had its fans, who praised Sorkin's writing, the cast, and the intriguing set-up, so luckily it's never truly been lost to obscurity thanks to them and a DVD release. Now, as the show celebrates its 20th anniversary, Warner Bros. has decided to do it one better by giving it a fantastic HD upgrade that, while a little light on bonus material, gives fans the chance to see it in even better quality, so now it's time to go back and revisit Sorkin's short-lived show to see how well it holds up two decades later. Were critics closer to the mark in their praise for the program, or were the viewers right to tune out of this brief Sorkin ensemble piece?

The show begins with the executive producer of the sketch comedy show "Studio 60" having an on-air meltdown, leading to him being fired, while two former employees of the show, Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford), are hired by new network president Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) to run things as head writer and showrunner, respectively. Matt and Danny have a complicated history with the show, having been fired under rough circumstances, but it's even more complicated for Matt as his ex-girlfriend, Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson), is one of the top cast members. From the get-go, the boys are facing pressure, not only from the short amount of time they have to prep their first show, but also due to the potential controversial nature of certain material they want to use. Will they be able to get everything together before that Friday night deadline hits?

Of course, that's only the beginning of the problems that the new showrunners face. In typical Sorkin fashion, there's all kinds of drama & shenanigans that pop up throughout these 22 episodes that include ongoing complications between Matt & Harriet, another special relationship that forms, tensions between other cast members, network/ratings issues, and even a look at the backstory involving how Matt & Danny originally left the show. As usual, at the forefront of all of this is Sorkin's incredible writing, featuring his amazing knack for fascinating characters & sharp dialogue, which may go a mile a minute at times, but is one of the key reasons why his material is hard to turn away from.

However, this being an Aaron Sorkin show, all of that is to be expected. Naturally, the other half of the equation is finding an ensemble that's able to handle the pace & intensity of one of his projects, which is no easy feat. For "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," he once again put together a remarkable cast that includes marvelous talent like Bradley Whitford (who we already knew could handle Sorkin's material from his brilliant work on "The West Wing"), Matthew Perry, Sarah Paulson, Amanda Peet, Steven Weber, and Timothy Busfield (another "West Wing" alum). This is not to mention a multitude of guest stars like Judd Hirsch, Eli Wallach, and John Goodman (who won an Emmy for his performance), as well as several others stopping by to play versions of themselves as hosts, like Allison Janney (yet another "West Wing" star), Rob Reiner, Jason Alexander, and Felicity Huffman.

Put it all together, and you have another marvelous, fast-paced, engrossing Sorkin outing. It's quite a shame that it didn't get to go past one season, but at least it ends at a good spot (i.e. there's no cliffhanger ending). It's a little difficult to imagine where else he could have taken it for season two given that it didn't really feel like a premise that had a lot of longevity (at least not like "The West Wing" or "The Newsroom," where any number of crises or issues could develop), but it's doubtless that he would've somehow come up with more great stories for his vast ensemble to bring to life. We should consider ourselves lucky that we got the 22 episodes that we did, and while it is unfortunate that it had to end there, at least now fans can revisit this fantastic, short-lived show in gorgeous HD quality in this new wonderful Blu-ray set, which is most definitely worth adding to your personal collection.

Video/Audio:

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series" comes to Blu-ray in 1.78:1, 1080p High Definition transfers of excellent quality, presenting a beautifully sharp & clear picture throughout all 22 episodes. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue & music in outstanding quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a wonderful job in both departments for the show's new upgrade.

Special Features:

Pilot Episode Commentary by Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme

In Depth: The Evolution of Studio 60 (24 Minutes): A fantastic behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, guided by Timothy Busfield.

Conclusion:

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" features the same typically-excellent writing that we've come to expect from creator Aaron Sorkin, who once again gives us compelling characters, engaging situations, and sharp, fast-paced dialogue, all brought to life by a tremendous cast filled with talent who're able to skillfully handle the demanding nature of Sorkin's work. Warner Bros.' new Blu-ray upgrade for this outstanding short-lived program is an easy recommendation for fans of his material, or for anyone simply looking for a fun & captivating show to watch.

Score: 4/5

Now available on Blu-ray.

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