Studio 60 on the Sorkin Strip

Okay, let’s admit it’s a failure. “Studio 60 on the Sorkin Strip.” I made clear early on that I was on the side of this show, at least its first year, solely on the basis of the first year of “Sports Night” and “West Wing.” But I also made the point that, by the second year, the gifted child that is Aaron Sorkin, flitting and fluttering about, would start to wear. I was wrong. It started by the second show. And it’s because NBC has indulged an ego that has finally gone straight over the top. We’ve suffered through the frictionless, fictionalized Aaron’s Romance with Kristin for far too long (pray to God, it wasn’t really this vacuous and passionless or they never would have lasted . . . oh). Now we’re about to be treated to Aaron’s Battle with Drugs. No, please, no. Aaron, you’re just not as interesting as your mirror keeps telling you. You had the makings of a great show with that cast and premise, and some of the characters and plots have been inspired. It could have been a champion. But it’s not. And it never will be so spare us the drugs and the false tragedy. Let it be over.

It’s time to pull the plug.