Tretakoff Musings

I'm usually one of the first people to simply roll my eyes at the efforts of traditional broadcast media companies to adapt to the new paradigms of online penetration. Witness the debacle of various networks as they hemmed and hawed about putting their shows on iTunes, only to pull them off over perceived pricing disputes. Or watching movie studios and television networks turn on their ardent consumers who would gladly pay to watch their content on alternate devices (iPods, laptops, etc.) by suing them. I have been patently disgusted with the 19th century approaches most have taken in the past, so months ago when I read that NBC and Fox were planning to respond to the constant "piracy" of having their shows show up on YouTube by building an online site dedicated to video streaming, I snorted in derision, and passed it off as another lame attempt to convince less knowledgeable viewers that they truly were "cutting edge." Ok, I can admit it: I was dead wrong. Hulu...

Alas, the rumors are true. While Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip was a welcome addition to my DVR, NBC clearly felt there were not enough like me. As a result, while spared the ignominious end of outright cancellation, the show has not been renewed by NBC. Sure, it gives the outside chance that another network could pick it up (CBS? Hell, how about the UPN/WB merged channel?), but it's not likely. The good news is that, as it is not officially cancelled, the rest of this season's episodes continue to air. And it's interesting: as with all Aaron Sorkin shows, it takes a little while for the cast to gel. They are just starting to, and the results are the trademark banter and repartee that don't seem forced anymore, or just a rehash of West Wing. Nonetheless, I will savor the great chemistry of the key players (whoever thought I would actually like Amanda Peet?), and see the show off into the Sunset Strip, with the hopes of seeing it, a la Deadwood , sometime in the futur...

Just had to point out that the last undefeated team in the NFL fell to none other than my Dallas Cowboys today, as Tony Romo continues his Cinderella season, upstaging the 2 time MVP, Peyton Manning, in a shootout. Yes, the 'Boys are finally 2 games over .500, but, with their schedule, there's a good chance they are headed back to the playoffs. Which reminds me: if you have not been watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , you should be: great Aaron Sorkin writing, good chemistry among the cast, and Matthew Perry continues to shine. Why do I mention it? In an episode earlier this season, Ed Asner makes the statement, "If you want her to cook the dinner, you have to let her buy the groceries." When asked by Amanda Peet who said that, Steven Weber replies: "Bill Parcells. "Who's he?" asks Peet. "He's a football coach who hasn't won a playoff game in 9 years." Makes you think of the Cowboys coach in a whole different way. Well, here...