October 5, 1999
The Tuesday Night Duo - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
There are two top-notch shows on this Tuesday night. The first, Sports Night is one of my all-time faves. In July, I wrote a piece entitled “Sorkin Night” where I saluted TV producer and creator Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin is the man behind Sports Night, which in it’s first season has reinvigorated the sitcom format. Tonight, Sports Night makes it’s second season premiere, and in true Sports Night fashion, it’ll make viewers want more. The thing that makes this show good, is that it’s dialogue is fast-paced. Like, the other Sorkin show out now, The West Wing, the fast dialogue makes the plot move fast, without missing a beat. It also makes the viewer think, something few programs do nowadays. I was having brunch at a restaurant this past weekend and over heard a group of ladies talk about The West Wing, saying that it moved to fast for them. Well, Sports Night does the same, but it’s done in a fashion that is bearable. The show revolves around a sports show, and the people that put the show together. Like their White House counterparts, they run into life’s most mundane problems and try to sift through them in a meaningful way. It also manages to tug at our conscienceness and touch, you don’t have to be a sports fan to like this show. Sports Night is one of the best, and it rightfully harkens back comparisons to another great show, The Larry Sanders Show.
The other show, one that just debuted this season, is Action. Starring the ultra-hip Jay Mohr as Peter Dragon, a very Hollywood, and slimy movie producer, it tells the tale of his attempts to produce the biggest hit Tinsletown has ever seen. Dragon has to schmooze and booze with some of Hollywood’s power brokers, and he does it in such a funny way. Like, Sports Night it’s awfully real, and damned good at it. This is the show that features swearing, but bleeped out though. The swearing is far from offensive, and it adds to the reality. In tonight’s episode, there’s a great scene where Dragon meets up with old flame Sandra Bullock. Seems as though while they were courting each other, Dragon videotaped their escapades, so he could package them as porn. It’s brilliant, and Bullock does some good acting. Action, is good, and more importantly funny.
Sports Night opens its second season tonight on ABC at 9:30 PM. Action airs locally on Global at 10:00, while it’s normal timeslot is Thursday’s at 9:30 on Fox. Catch them tonight, because they are some of TV’s best shows on the air.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .