Studio 60 / West Wing Comparison

First, I should say that while I don't agree with Aaron's Sorkin's politics in the least, he's always created characters who are thoughtful, have depth, and who you can care about. This was especially true in the West Wing. In this day and age, I could never vote for a Democrat for President. But, for sure, I would vote for Bartlet!

Anyway, besides the obvious visual and casting connections between these 2 shows, I think one of the most obvious reasons why the West Wing was superior was a scene in one of the middle episodes (I think "B12") where the 2 actors are trying to convince Harriet not to pose for a lingerie spread. To me, this scene (or some close variant) works perfectly in the West Wing. But, in Studio 60, it just seems difficult for me to believe that those 2 Hollywood actors would espouse such common sense principles. In this example, and others, I found it difficult to buy into Sorkin's idealism in this show; whereas it was perfectly believable and consistent in the West Wing.

It's almost like he took the framework from the West Wing and created a new show around it, but failed to realize that the characters and the subject matter couldn't possibly be as compelling as the West Wing, for obvious reasons.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed Studio 60 for its character idealism, in trying to humanize people from such a jaded, over-the-top industry. I almost wish I had watched this series first. Because despite what I've written, I still think it was a terrific show. But watching it BEFORE the West Wing probably would have made the West Wing's first 4 seasons all the more entertaining.