'Must See TV' on NBC? It's Been a Long Time...

Do not miss Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Really. Take my word for it. Do not miss it. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is easily the best pilot of the 2006 Fall season, and is in fact one of the best pilots that I’ve ever seen. For those of you unfamiliar with the premise... Studio 60 is a look at the behind-the-scenes world of a fictional late-night sketch-comedy television show (think Saturday Night Live), and it’s helmed by executive producer Aaron Sorkin.

There are some people who will say that Studio 60 is too much of an “insider” show… that its specific references to the behind-the-scenes workings of the television industry won’t resonate with the average viewer. And these same people might say that the reason I’m so high personally on Studio 60 is because I am a television-industry insider. While I must admit that it’s a good argument, the truth is that my insider status has no bearing upon my opinion of the show… because the bottom line is that quality is quality. If the insider argument were to hold true, then one could extrapolate from this argument that I was a White House staffer, because I loved Aaron Sorkin’s last show, The West Wing. But all who know me know that I’ve never once punched a time-clock at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Oh, sure – my insider status helped me to have a greater appreciation for (and immediate comprehension of) lines such as “we need it on half inch!”…but industry jargon aside, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the valedictorian of the Fall class of 2006. It's been a long time for our friends at the peacock network, but NBC finally has another "must-see" show on its hands. Do yourself a favor and make a point to seek it out, Mondays at 10:00pm on NBC, beginning September 18.