The Demise of Studio 60

Once in a while--okay, once every couple of days--I'm reminded I don't think like the average American. I try to forget this as best I can, to feel like I belong, that these are my people, my compatriots, that I'm part of an "us." But in ways big and small, I'm simply not. I refuse to drive a vehicle that gets less than 30 mpg in the city and have done since gas was $.69 a gallon. I like Barry Bonds, never cared for Michael Jordan, and remain convinced O. J. is innocent (don't ask unless you really want to know). I think American Idol is a microcosm of everything that's wrong with this country, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was a microcosm of everything that's right.

This week, NBC announced the people have spoken (by not watching) and Studio 60 is no more. I want to say I'm baffled by this, but I'm not. I expected it. The shows I love the most never last. (See also: Misfits of Science, Stingray, Freaks and Geeks, Cupid, Love Monkey, Firefly, and the incomparable Ed.) The demise of Studio 60 was inevitable; I loved it too much. Not since Ed have I been so excited to watch a show each week. I laughed out loud--my big, wake-the-neighbors, call-the-men-in-white-coats laugh. I shouted, "YES!!!" and pumped my fist in the air. Aaron Sorkin's writing got me out of my seat like the sweetest Magic to Worthy dish-and-dunks of the 1980's. The show was insightful on the culture wars, how atheists and people of faith can love and respect each other without respecting each other's beliefs, insightful on partnerships, how the right friend can be the difference between complete failure and spectacular success, insightful on relationships, how giving in to other people's expectations can mean giving up something that's worth more than their respect. This was great television. But America did not care.

Americans, by and large, would rather watch Simon be cruel to the foolish, clueless, and crass. They would rather watch seventeen versions of Law & Order and CSI rehash the same mysteries Perry Mason, Columbo, and Quincy solved when I was in kindergarten. Meanwhile, they're ignoring the one crime-solving show on television with a fresh take on the genre: Veronica Mars. Mark my words, that show will be gone soon, too. It's too good to survive. I dare you to watch it, Tuesdays 9/8 Central on the CW.

[This rant is brought to you by the letter "S" and the number "60."]