TV: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip "The Harriet Dinner"

Oh well. Last week saw Studio 60 do an about face and go giddily towards the land of primetime soap, much to my surprise and delight. This week follows that episode up with something odd. It's not as much fun as last week and it's not as serious as before. It's just here.

There really wasn't anything tonight to get excited over. Things are progressing in a predictble fashion. As soon as Matt tells Tom to lie to Lucy, you know it's going to end poorly. Similarly, Danny getting locked on the roof with Jordan? Come on. And a loose snake to boot. Animals on the run and getting locked out; I think Sorkin is now resorting to stock plots from Full House. Next week Jordan goes into labor during a Flintstones sketch and Simon, dressed as Fred, has to get his appendix out. I also hear Andrea Barber is going to host a future episode.

Still, not that tonight wasn't enjoyable. The actors are all top notch and the characters, while they've started to suffer from Sorkin's ton-o-dialogue, are still relatable. My heart was breaking a bit when Lucy saw Tom. Don't hurt Dawn! Especially you, Tom, who I don't find funny at all. It's weird that I can see Nate Corddry as a sketch comedian but not Tom Jeter. Tom is just wishy washy, dull, and too fact oriented for me to take seriously as a guy who is not serious for a living. Liven the guy up! I have this problem with the entire "cast," actually. Aside from D.L. Hughley, the rest of them act as serious as the execs. Fix that.

And come on, that Mick Jagger movie looks like crap on a stick. I thought Harriet might have been involved in a modestly budgeted porn for a second.

MY SCORE: *** (out of 5)