I am – Hercules!! “Studio 60” is back? FoxNews.com, I thought, cancelled this show two weeks ago. I’m not certain why, but Aaron Sorkin did makes heroes of liberals and Democrats on “The West Wing.” But maybe “Studio 60” continues to air, because an NBC exec subsequently explained that “Studio 60” remains profitable and “ranked fourth among all network shows in median income for the 18-to-49 demo at $66,000.” So FoxNews possibly messed up? The Canadians, who employ a different health-care system, report that a new episode aired in their nation, and the same installment heads to the United States on Monday. We begin with “1-Prime”: What’s it called? “Nevada Day, Part 1” Who’s responsible? Teleplay by Sorkin; Story by (Kid in the Hall!) Mark McKinney What does TV Guide say? Part 1 of 2. Members of the show's staff travel to Nevada to get Tom freed from jail in time for the Friday-night taping, but a judge (John Goodman) who doesn't particularly care for “Studio 60” complicates their mission. What else is TV Guide not telling us? 
 A lot of the actual summary above doesn’t really appear, it’s largely setup for next week where most of that will actually happen. Anyone have a lighter week than others? Timothy Busfield is MIA, though his name after the “Directed By” may indicate why. Usual argument: is the comedy funny? It’s no Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, but the addition of McKinney, someone with actual sketch chops (though arguably one of the weaker Kids), seems to have helped a little – except that even the improved bits have a smattering of Sorkin in the teleplay, which is to say a tad too telegraphed in the delivery. Plenty of enjoyable use of the Lord’s name in vain. Any nice growth in anyone as in the few eps previous? No obvious speechifying a la Harriet or Simon, but the nice thing is that these people are feeling even more fleshed, minus the background players of course, who it would be nice if they said something now and again. Matt still writing the whole thing by himself? Kinda. Black writer gets to peruse his stuff, and Lucy Davis is at least hanging around, but Ricky and Ron, and Brian from Gilmore Girls, and the dude from Mr. Show, and the guy who bit from an old script, are all strangely absent (unless they were background during rehearsal, but even if they were , they were out of focus in the bleachers). Occupying that writer’s room must be a pretty sweet gig. Any mentions of previous story twists? New writer shows up helping Matt; Jordan is dealing with promoting ‘Nations’, drawing Jack’s ire; Ed Asner is still trying to buy China, as is my understanding; and of course the continuing Harriet Hayes debacle (this time coming from a deliberately truncated quote on Page Six) is the flashpoint for the whole, y’know, plot. Any issues? The Christian thing sets the episode off, and John Goodman gives a nice counterpoint as the God-fearing, Hollywood wary Nevada judge. Harriet gets a dose of reality, but not really any payoff until next week I wager. What’s good? “Legal brothels?” “Why’re you looking at me?”; John Goodman using the teaser to tear the entire pretension of the show a new one … hell, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say John Goodman as a whole, and it’s only seven minutes in; the first real Perry/Whitford scene in aaaaaages; “…I’m pretty cold.”; how genuinely upset the Hollywood cops seemed to have to arrest Tom; “I don’t like dogs.” “…OK.”; “And the whole thing’s gonna be mimed.”; “Are you pitching me a sketch?”; “Seriously, is this a sketch?” “Where have you been?” “Breakfast!!”; Steven Weber; “Pahrump’s a funny name.” “Yeah.”; “Did you send assassins?”; some actual camaraderie coming through between the cast as a whole. N’est pas good? The buying China thing is eating up too much screen time; too long of a gap between Good(man)ness, a gap extending until next week apparently. I was an Amanda Peet defender when this whole thing started, but she’s starting to show as a weak link. And the whole thing feels stretched to give John Goodman two weeks in the promos, some bits felt like the wheels were spinning a tad. How are we left dangling? A large man ambles out of a Jeep and into a Nevada sheriff’s office. Rating for 1.07 (out of five) ***1/2 We conclude with “Josh,” who says: Hey Herc, me here (I sent in a For Your Consideration review earlier this year) up in Canada with a look at tonight's (or tomorrow's for USA) Studio 60, AKA "That Show That Nobody Watches (save for a few on the east and west coast). I don't *do* television reviews well so you'll have to make do. Tonight’s episode revolves around the arrest of Tom Jeter, a castmember on S60. Long story. No explanations needed. It's told in Flashback, but not overtly, and not with the lame "white-flash-and-then-we're-back-in-time!" style. It works. John Goodman guest judges as a judge, and he adds a mucho-needed spark. Tonight's episode will clearly be a love it or hate it episode. I've read too many complaints on the Christian-bashing nature of the show within a show, and I don't get the hatin. I've been with "Studio 60" since day one, and will continue to be so until it gets canned. Basically, the show within a show has a Jesus Christ sketch. Unlike a lot of the "hilarious sketches" we've been shown in the past, this one actually made me chuckle. This means that it will be hated by all. Sarah Paulson is given minimal screentime, but you feel for her character. There's a confrontation early in the episode which involves her and some aggravated gay men which I felt was really great. I don't have the memory to remember funny quotes even though I'm currently watching the show while typing this. Plenty of good banter tonight. Amanda Peet has screentime, and I felt she was appropriate, although lately she seems to be soley used to fill the "lady who makes bold choices for the network" quotient, rather than give her more of a story. The show is kind of slow half-way through, but picks up. I don't like how it's to be continued. **** (out of 5) 10 p.m. Monday. NBC.

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