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Join Date: Jan 09, 2001
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- Other Thoughts:
In my opinion, "Sports Night" is the best new program of the fall season. Unfortunately, the part of "Gordon" (who first appeared in the fourth episode) is being played by Ted McGinley. He seems perfect for the role, but based upon his prior history, the show is apparently doomed.
Saw Mr. Levy's comments (McGinley Alert!) and have to agree with the most part with him. Sports Night (ABC, Tues. 9:30) is, by far, the best new show of the season. However, we have a McGinley in our midst. I hope and I pray that Sports Night can overcome this blunder, and so I propose an exception to the 'Death by McGinley' clause in the annals of Shark Jumping.
Ted = Jump. See ya.
Sports Night has such potential. It seems to almost spun off of those humorous ESPN Sportscenter commercials. A huge plus:Robert Guillome, from the best show ever to hit TV, Soap. On the foreboding side, spelling imminent death: Ted McGinly-AAAUUUGH! Maybe it'll be OK, since he started with the show, give or take a few episodes. Please, O please, Ye Television Gods!! Don't let this show die young!!
When Robert Guillame had a stroke. Either way, he will always be Benson DuBois.
If we've learned anything from the past, I guess it was the most recent episode in which Ted was cast as the love interest for one of the main characters. Of all the actors, they have to pick this guy. Does he have a great agent or what?
One of the best new shows to come out in awhile. One probelm though. The laugh track in the background. Lose it please ABC. This is a smart show. The jokes are not laugh out loud funny and they are not supposed to be. One can just barely hear it when a very funny line is said. I find it annoying and distracting. A great up and comer. Hope it stays that way. BTW, Ted McGinley character is cheating on the producer character so it is just a matter of time before he will be off the show. Whew! Got lucky!
Too early to tell, but if you are not watching this show you are missing the best new show of the season. Excellent all the way around!
Ted McGinley is perfect for the character in SportsNight. And is performance is dead-on. I think the Ted curse is finally broken. And it absolutely IS the best show of the season. The only thing the show needs to is get out of that studio occasionally. We need to see the characters at home and on the town. Meantime, the shows fans should be spreading the word about this great show.
Never JTS. Exactly how long was Ted McGinley on Married with Children???? Don't see it being cancelled right after he came on.
This fine fine show is far from jumping. I've been watching the Ted McGinley factor closely, and he's been used so sparingly (and has performed well when used) so this could be the show that bucks the trend. The twisty nature of Dan's love life has been a good plot development but the only danger I see is Casey's obsession with his former girlfriend becoming a major plot-driving force. The romance between those two feels too contrived.
this show is so overated!!!first its not funny. second some of the charachters are very annoying and talk to much(what's with that whole repeating everything thing) third these people work at an espn like station yet dont seem to like sports!!!!! they never talk sports, they're never chasing down stories,they report on sports no one cares about(cricket,swimming,hunting if sportscenter did stories like these every sportsfan would change the channel) any one who read Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick's book THE BIG SHOW knows that these people love sports thats why they do what they do and they talk sports constantly they are always chasing down stories and they are passionate about it.These charachters show no passion about what they do.(quick quiz what teams did these people grow up fans of? dont know? me neither) Basically this show needs to be less of a soap opera and more about SPORTS.I guess what I'm saying is that this show jumped the shark at day one.
From day one this show has taken itself entirely too seriously. It thinks its M*A*S*H in season 11, where they could get away with an occational preachy episode. Don't we get enough of pretentious anchor people on the local news?
Never jumped. Never will. This is a terrific, literate, thinking person's show. The fastest half-hour on tv.
I've never seen it, but I hate it because the stupid TV critic for the Globe and Mail won't shut up about how great "Sports Night" is, and how all other shows should be exactly like it, and it's starting to piss me off.
An episode devoted to Dana taking off her drawers & "feeling liberated" about it. The kicker was when Casey stuffed them in his pocket...now I'm stuck with a mental picture of Casey at home with Dana's drawers, his right hand, a bottle of lotion and a box of kleenex. Ewwwwww! I have been a fan of this show from day one, but I'm afraid they put on the water skis with this episode.
Ted McGinley is out of the picture (I hope, although he was used well). This show continues to be GREAT, especially now that they have William H. Macy as a regular. How can you possibly go wrong?
Even with the Ted McGinley factor, I still don't think the show has jumped. The writing and acting continue to be head and shoulers above other shows on TV. Now, ABC may be trying to MAKE it jump, considering the (in my opinion) total bonehead move of pulling the show for the month of November. But the optimist in me still believes that ABC will learn how to PROMOTE the show and maybe it'll end up with a fair chance at survival.
This is by far the best show on television. It is very intelligent comedy. The writers realize that a lot of the television viewing audience is NOT stupid. If you have never seen this show, you are missing some high quality television. (And here I always thought that was an oxymoron.)
One perk to my boyfriend moving out is I never have to watch this show again. If I want to get preached at, I'll watch Rosie O'Donnell.
Never did. ABC keeps *trying* to make it jump, but it's still one of the best examples of what you can get when you pay the writers first.
I agree with the guy who said this was M*A*S*H in its last year. It is way too preachy. Another thing is that people just don't talk like that. They have characters I just don't care about and where is the love of sports? These people surely don't have it. I can't be very precise about certain aspects of the show because I haven't been able to watch one episode all the way through. All the anchors and personnell associated with this fictional sports network remind me of the female sports anchor Mary Tyler Moore hired in Minneapolis. All she did was report swimming news. Same thing.
Should be called Left-Wing Preaching Night, because it does more of that than sports. There is not a single non-annoying character on the show; even the presence of a couple of cute chicks isn't enough to keep me watching it.
This show has not jumped the shark and I think it would be hard for it to do so. However, it has been on the edge since Aaron Sorkin stopped having a writing credit in every episode. The "underwear-less" and "Y2K test" episodes were two of the lowest points in the series. But the series did have a super-high note this season with William H. Macy's guest role. Those were some of the best of the series. I hope he does pop in again sometime. Also, Felicity Huffman really deserves the Golden Globe! This is one of the best shows on television!!!
I think this is one of the best comedies currently on American network television. If nothing else, it is refreshingly original. If anyone hasn't noticed, the vast majority of new sitcoms at the beginning of each year are bad copies of the previous year's successes and/or completely formulaic Danielle Steele-esque trash written for people with the brains (not necessarily the bodies) of 12 year olds. Add to that the fact that it seems to be almost impossible to get the networks to air a show that isn't populated by a CAST of 12 year olds. Thank you for a show that doesn't play to the lowest common denominator of America. And for those of you who are offended that it's not about sports, get OVER it. If you want to watch sports, grab your remote and turn to ESPN. If you want to rag on a show's title, how about we start with "It's Like...You Know." That has to be the lamest title ever, but at least the show matches the title.
they improved after they got rid of Ted McGinley. i feel it is the best new show no one is watching'. it is fast paced and entertaining. although, this whole Casey dating other women before he dates Dana is stupid. but the show is still good.
From the very first episode. The best show in years.
Excellent comedy! The show has been tight from day one.
Ya know, I thought this show had the potential when it first started out. I really did like it. But like somebody mentioned earlier, who talks like that???? Pretty easy to write for a show when you repeat every line ad-nauseum! Give me a break. And why do they have to say the same thing over and over. It's redundantly repetitive. And redundant. Not to mention repetitive. Get my point? What am I saying? It's repetitive. Oh....30 seconds to air people!
Blah, blah blah! Endless, mindless, non-stop chatting! But nothing about Sports! Just self -indulgent, left wing bull****! Brought to you by the same liberal pinkos that made The Left Wing, of which I railed against also! Why would the great Sabrina (Wade) Lloyd of Sliders fame sink so low to do this piece of ****? And those Sports anchors! If they were on ESPN's Sports Center, I would turn them off so fast it would make their leftist heads spin! That station would be soo off all cable systems! Anyways, this baby will soon be put out of its misery, so I hope Hollywood has learned another lesson, and it's this: Sports fans are not left wing oriented, we are more right wingers, but mostly we want SPORTS!!!
Still one of the best shows on TV. Even if ABC doesn't appreciate it.
Ted has done it again. ABC has removed the critically acclaimed Sports Night for some really bad radio show. Hah Hah Hah. Never ask me about my business.
This is currently the best show on television, especially with ER, Frasier, and the X-Files all tanking. It's funny and dramatic at the same time -- gee, kind of like real life. The only thing, I really wish they would make it an hour long, so that they could develop the characters a little more. But then it would lose its great pace. I don't understand the people complaining about the lack of sports -- there have been several episodes recently (the long-jumper one, the one with Bobby Thompson's homerun, etc.) in which a sporting event somehow related to something else. Anyway, it's a great show, and ABC is actually airing the last two episodes of the season during sweeps (instead of over the summer). Yay! 
Look, just because a show has so-called "intelligent humor" people assume that the show is great and that the dumbass network just doesn't know a good show when they see it. Fact is however, Sports Night is not that good a show and I'll tell you why. People need belly laughs in their comedies. People like to be entertained as well as stimulated. All these so-called "intelligent" comedies that have succeeded (i.e. Cheers, Frasier, Seinfeld, Barney Miller) have balanced the wittiness with prattfalls, characters and/or events that will produce occassional guffaws. Barney Miller had Wojo, Fish and Yamata, Cheers had Norm and Cliff, Seinfeld had - well everyone except Seinfeld, and Frasier has Daphne and Niles. Sports Night comes off as saying "we're too good to interject belly laughs so you're gonna watch what we give you and like it. Then we'll bitch and moan when we get cancelled."
When Jeremy gets picked up by the "adult film" star after breaking up with Natalie. When Casey is forced to date other women for six months before he can enter into a relationship with Dana. Every time Dan and Casey point out the absurdity of professional sports. The return of the character Isaac after Robert Guillaime's (please excuse the possible spelling mistake) stroke. Great writing! Too bad the boneheads at ABC don't recognize this. I think people see "Sports Night" and don't watch. It should be advertised as "not about sports"
I like this show - but poor Benson had a stroke and they couldn't just write him out. Now you have that smarmy "root for the sick guy" mentality to deal with. Blah...Also, did anyone notice that all the actors speak with the same cadence. Its that same monotone - wry joke - monotone sequence. But Its a good show. Maybe HBO will do right by it (they are negotiating).
Must have been the McGinley curse. No other possible reason for this wonderful show to go down the tubes.
Never did. May end up doing so in the future, if it goes to another network without Aaron Sorkin, but the first two seasons never jumped and rarely slipped.
Oh my, it is going to HBO next season. Can we see a naked Natalie?
Is it just me, or do others see this show never going anywhere during its' 1/2 hour. Every episode starts something, then doesn't go anywhere/very far with it. I try to like the show, but alas, I cannot.
When the show started, Dana was a smart, savvy producer. By the end of the show's run, she was neurotic, scatterbrained, and self-destructive. The whole storyline of Dana forcing Casey to date other women was ridiculous. I loved the show and was a loyal viewer until the end, but the stupid version of Dana was really beginning to turn me off.
Anyone in the cult-following of SportsNight will tell you they never jumped. I would say it came close in the middle of the second season, but this show absolutely left on a high note. SportsNight will be missed.
A wonderful, witty show from start to finish. It was a total travesty that no one had the guts to keep it on the air, and let it find the audience that it deserved!
I became lost when the actor that played the original Craig Kilbourne character left. The next actor to portray Mr. Kilbourne clearly could not portray accurately the love the character had for himself. I'm glad the original actor (I forget the name) found work on The Late, Late Show there on CBS.
Sports Nights was a lousy excuse of a TV show and thank God its' gone.It wasn't very funny.It was indeed too preachy,too liberal perhaps for it's own good and the good of everyone else to.Having all those women in charge of a sports program shows the show's nod to the Hollywood liberal propoganda machine that is in all American entertainment so sorry to say.Yes and the point raised by some here that Sports Night had characters that didn't seem all that interested about sports rings true.How can you have a show about reporting on sports and yet not have the characters even slightly interested in sports?The show really was part comedy (not much of one though) part soap opera. The male actors on the show looked like they would rather be playing with their dolls at home rather than reporting on sports on TV. Ted Mac didn't sink Sports Night. This show jumped the shark all by itself from day one.
I watched this show some. All reruns, cuz it's summer. I thought it was funny for a while, but they have no real lives. Always talkin or worrying about either sex or relationship problems. The break-ups are stupid, the "get back together" thing is even stupider. What's up with Chandler and Janice? Give it up already! They hardly ever interact with other people. They need to just get married and start families and get on with LIFE.
Season one never jumped the shark, even with the kiss of death, Ted McGinley. But season two brought us straight to Dana's Dating Plan, which just made no sense whatsoever.
Never jumped! Came close to it in the Dana's underwear episode, but still a great show. Since I don't have cable, I won't find out if HBO can keep up the quality. For the folks who complained that it "wasn't about sports" --that, for me, was the point! My husband, who loves sports, & I, who couldn't care less about sports, watched it together faithfully & laughed our socks off.
It was pulled by the network, and was good right up to the last show. Strong, believable (within the realm of TV writing) characters and an interesting plot line. Good actors throughout.
From day one, this was one of the best 1/2 hour sitcoms on tv. Its quick wit and great characters kept it's viewers loyal. It's demise was only due to the fact that too many people read the name of the show and thought it was really a sports cast! I only hope cable picks it back up.
Only the good die young...great show, lousy scheduling....
I loved Sports Night, but The Dating Plan annoyed me beyond reason. It began to recover when that unfortunate plot was dropped, too bad they cancelled it.
This show never jumped. It was an MVP that the network abandoned. ABC didn't know when to slot this show or how to promote it. The same sensibility that is being handled so well by NBC with The West Wing was a mystery to the bozos at ABC. I wish FX (which had the good sense to pick up Action, my favorite new show of last season) would have also picked up Sports Night. I miss that show.
Proof the intelligent life does NOT exist at the American Broadcasting Company. Ugh.
I loved this show - witty and I loved the fast staccato pace. I don't know whether they changed directors or what, but the second season lost that pace and it began to drag.
Day one. Everyone talks too fast. Everyone talks the same way. Everyone is neurotic, and neurotic in the same way.
Never jumped! I can't believe some of the posts for this show. Sports fans are all right-wing? How many times did I have to see Clinton's fat ass during Arkansas' National championship run? And aren't there a lot of predominant athlete's from the inner city? Not exactly Republican stomping grounds, traditionally. I think the show did a good job of balancing the characters sports interests with their outside interests. And come on, I have seen the National spelling bee covered on SportsCenter! Next you are going to criticize Dan Patrick for having Hootie on his talk show. I am a programmer and the last thing I talk about with my co-workers is computers during the day.
One of the best shows to appear in recent years. It is intelligent, witty, fresh...but for those of you on this site who don't think it's about sports, well DUH !! Sports is used as a metaphor to offer a creative way of writing and tying together story lines. If all you want is sports, then watch E.S.P.N. (a great show too). If you want "belly-laughs", rent 3 Stooges tapes. Or perhaps some of you would like to join the MAJORITY of this country and watch mindless crap like Survivor, Jerry Springer or the latest "Reality Show" flavor of the month.
Best Sitcom since MASH! Simply well written & paced great. I enjoy the frantic speed the show travels. When I Robert had his stroke he helped the show because the show went 100mph then Isaac would arrive and stop all the action, it was quite refreshing to change up the pace.
I miss this show so much! It was fantastic! Unfortunately the title misled some people into thinking it was all about sports. I loved the pace, the characters, the actors, the situations, and of course, Aaron Sorkin is a genius.
Did they have to make a political statement in EVERY SINGLE EPISODE? I really liked a lot of things about this show. It was mostly intelligent and I really liked the characters. However, some shows remain dedicated so dedicated to liberalism that they gleefully alienate conservative or even moderate viewers. Sports Night was such a show.
When ABC decided "Millionaire" was more important than anything else.
This show jumped day one with the Laugh Track. By the way. What's up with the 1995 copyright in the closing credits? And Comedy Central is selling it as a "new" show? How "new" will it be in 4 seasons when they start making Y2k jokes? Anyways... Why do shows still need a laugh track? If they need to tell people when to laugh. It's not funny enough.
The start of the second season. Sorkin spent all his time on West Wing and let Sports Night die.
What exactly are the preachy, liberal ideals forced upon the hapless viewer in this show?? Granted the music can be a maudlin at times, but the writing is some of the most intelligent on television (currently in repeats on Comedy Central). I guess if one is forced to think or feel during a "comedy" it must be liberal!! If a show decides to have a point and try to espouse a certain ideal, it's liberal!!! Portray realistic characters and situations? LIBERAL!!! Give me a break. This show must hurt the heads of the idiots who enjoy crap like Home Improvement and Ally McBeal.
It is a shame that it was cancelled. BUT, it would never play down to the standard TV audience. Writing, directing and acting were all good. "It coulda been a contenda"
Never it always was and always will be the "Best show you are not watching"
This show never jumped. Sorkin didn't want the laugh track and it was taken off after 2-3 episodes. ABC moved it to a new time slot every week. And yet people still followed and loved it. When it got cancelled Showtime offered to pick it up but wouldn't give Sorkin creative control so they couldn't come to terms. If you MUST say this show jumped the shark, you'd have to say it was when ABC f'd them over. Just looking at the show by itself though... it's one of the best shows ever.
Ted McGinley is loosing his power to make a show jump in my opinion. Sports Night has all the makings of a show that never jumped!
This show never jumped, I don't care what anyone says. I know that Ted McGinley played a key role in the first season, but really, should that eliminate this show automatically? The writing on this is beyond compare. No other show can compare with how deep some of the dialogue was. Comedy Central will always have my gratitude for airing episodes after ABC unceremoniously dumped it.
I thought Sports Night was a great show and enjoyed watching the reruns on Comedy Central. They just had the series finale this weekend. I know many commented how Ted McGinley showed a sure doom for Sports Night, however, I think the edition of another guest star sealed its fate. Paula Marshall first appeared 2/29/2000 as Jenny, Jeremy's porn star girlfriend. She was in a total of 3 episodes. When I saw Paula I knew the end was coming. Paula Marshall just had her show "Snoops" cancelled and had "Cupid" cancelled the year before. Paula was most recently on the just cancelled "Weber Show" and actually appeared on the "Wonder Years" towards the end on its running. It seems one of the only shows to survive Paula is "Spin City", where she appeared in a few episodes as Michael J Fox's love interest early on in the show. Luckily, they quickly wrote her off the show. Even though Sports Night was destined to never survive and even though I think Paula Marshall is a good actress you would think they just didn't need to push their luck.
Never, never, ever jumped. Missed the first year because I didn't know about it. Second year was fantastic and now I've seen all the first year episodes on Comedy Central. The final episode was on a few nights ago and all I could think about is how much more I wanted to know about these people. If Aaron Sorkin ever sees this, please, please, please figure out some way to give us more. (I know, impractical at this point, but a man can hope.) Truly a quirky, bizarre and completely original show. And thank heavens they finally canned the laugh track in later shows.
by the time abc was pulling the plug on sports night, sorkin was devoting all of his time and energy to the west wing, yet he STILL refused to allow the show to live on over at showtime. sorkin jumped the shark, but sports night never did. and for those of you complaining about the liberal bias...for what it's worth, i am both conservative AND a rabid sports fan. with an occasional exception, i had little or no problem with the show's message. while the show may have been very loosely based on sportscenter it was NOT a highlight show. get over it! and whoever said that women in charge of producing a show about sports was too liberal?? you jumped the shark right there. there ARE sports shows (plenty of them) produced by women. even sportscenter has some women on the production team, so i encourage you too to GET OVER IT!
NEVER NEVER NEVER jts - clever, witty, subdued humor that did not hit you in the face. What a waste of wonderful people and talent, to cancel this - especially when there is so much total, mindless crap on the air. Americans will settle for anything as long as it has to do with sex or bathroom humor. I hope everyone in the cast finds better jobs and shows the producers and networks what they missed out on.
What a shame... this was a well-written and performed show. Clearly a step or two above the typical sitcom pablum. I guess most people didn't "get it"... hence it's cancelled. Sadly, this show is wiped out, yet Tony Danza still continues to be seen on some piece of crud show every week. A pathetic testament to the intellectual level of the viewing public.
This show never jumped the shark. In fact, by your own rules, it should be sitting in the Never Jumped section now. It has like 70 or more votes and 57 or 58 of them are for Never Jumped. This was a brilliantly funny, touching, inspired show from the same guy who is apparently kicking ass with The West Wing now. Put it in the hall of fame so others can learn of the glory of Sports Night. And check it out on Comedy Central. Go to their website for show times.
Didn't. Ted McGinley was a fine addition to an already crackling cast, so don't blame him. Wonderful direction (the camera following characters walking through the newsroom) and fantastic writing! Sure, there were times when I felt the show wasn't as good -- like after when Dan was dumped by Rebecca (Teri Polo), the cute blonde who worked upstairs, and started seeing that lady psychiatrist (I just didn't like the "Dan-in-therapy" subplot); and, there never was, for my tastes, enough of Kim (Kayla Blake). She's got to be one of the most beautiful women on television. On the other hand, there are too many high points to mention. Just a few: The Thanksgiving episode, where the frozen turkey fell off the lighting grid; William Macy's appearances; the "battles" against their network overseers, especially the weasely J.C., for the integrity of their show (which sort of seemed to mirror Sorkin's battles with ABC. Double kudos to him for not caving in and doing some stupid sweeps stunt which the network was doing on all the shows that night -- I think it involved a storm. Instead, ABC took "Sports Night" off that evening. Leave that kind of crap to dreck like "Dharma & Greg"!); and wonderful supporting characters -- Elliot, Dave, Chris, Will and, of course, Kim. To the idiot who said that other intelligent comedies succeeded by mixing pratfalls with their wittiness, and that he thought "Sports Night" was saying they were too good to interject belly laughs, I say you're a rather narrow-minded individual if you can't except the fact that all comedy doesn't have to be the same! A lot of physical schtick would be totally out of place on the show. Go watch "Dharma & Greg"! As for the supposedly "liberal" leanings of the show, what a bunch of nonsense! Those who've made that complain seem to be from the "I'm-proud-of-my-outspoken-ignorance-and-will-make-as-much-noise-as-humanly-possible-to-get-any-attention-I-can" school of thought.
As far as I'm concerned....this show never hit the friggin' ramp! It was on of the if not THE best show on TV at the time and now that the re-runs are on Comedy Central it is STILL none of the best shows on TV!
When they added the laugh track (about episode 7). Although the show remained watchable to the end, the magic that hooked us went when they made that move. It sound like they decided no one was getting it, so they should add rim shots.
Sports Night never had a chance because it was formatted incorrectly. I think the brilliant writing and talented cast would have made it if only it had been an hour-long show. By making it a half hour program Sports Night never had a chance. Its mix of comedy and insightful dialogue is so much better suited for an hour-long program.
The problem isn't that that ABC pulled the plug, the problem is that it never belonged on that channel. SN, was one of those few shows that belonged on HBO from the beginning. Like the Soprano's or Six Feet Under, HBO would have treated it as the winner that it was.
Never got the chance to jump the shark. Like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, it went out while in its prime. (Thanks, Disney.)
When Casey McCall and Dana Whitaker kiss after Dana's engagement to Gordon ends. Otherwise great show commits the unforgivable, no more tension - no more show.
I still Love the show, and watch the reruns religiously on Comedy Central, but Casey and Dana should really have gotten together instead of losing interest in each other.
Whoever said adding the laugh track was right on. This show was never hilariously funny like Seinfield, just a good, quality, well made show and the laugh track made it seem like it was bombing and just made its cheesy jokes more noticeable.
Whoever said it jumped when they added the laugh track is an idiot -- the laugh track was there at the start, and they GOT RID OF IT midway through the first season. Getting rid of it was a definite improvement.
Never jumped. Only one annoying storyline ever - when Jeremy couldn't deal with giving blood. Best subplot: when some unknown tennis player took Pete Sampras (or some other highly ranked player) into something like a 15-13 set (there are no tie-breakers at wimbledon). Best scene: When Casey told Dana the dating plan was her idea (after he met pixie).
never jumped, although the laugh track was annoying and the dana whitaker character went downhill from the start. The preachy moments were all right every other week (Casey's kid watching that runner, the tennis almost upset), but hearing about Robert Guillame's stroke every week hurt the pace of the show and almost pushed it into JTS category, but overall it got the boot while still one of the best shows on TV
This show never jumped. It was a shame it was canceled just as it was finding it's audience.
The more I watched this show, the more I grew to appreciate it. Sorkin's writing has a particular rhythm that either appeals to you or annoys you. Thanks, Comedy Central, for giving me the opportunity to build a complete library of the episodes! Like BARNEY MILLER, this is a distinctive comedy that benefits from the strip (every weekday) format.
No way this show ever jumped. the dialogue stayed just ridiculous enough to be hilarious, and the plot lines, though slightly stretched when Sam the ratings guy comes around, stayed entertaining enough to keep you watching when the show wasn't just about comedy.
This short lived show maintained consistent quality but was never given a fair chance to succeed on network tv.
They really started stretching for ratings by breaking them up but it just pissed off the people that liked the people that already liked the show.
Sad day in television history when this show went off the air. With so much absolute garbage that continues season after season, this was one show you couldn't wait for each week. The first season was much better than the 2nd; the change away from the fast paced style hurt the show. Oh well, glad to know you while you were around.
Excuse me for going back a few on this - but it still pisses me off that after the 1st season (brilliant) they decided to add a frigging laugh track....the morons (moronic). Asides from that- it would not have jumped (a bit) when the loser started dating the porn star (or inability thereforth of) and finally would have done a Major jump when Casey and Dana got together. When will they learn, let the tease last, once they get together...it is sooooooo Jumped!
I've never understood this show's reputation as a "well-written" comedy. Here's a template one could apply to just about any scene is the entire series: "It's Wednesday." "I knew that." "You're saying you know it's Wednesday?" "That's what I'm saying." "You didn't know it was Wednesday." "I knew it was Wednesday. I always know when it's Wednesday." "You ALWAYS know when it's Wednesday?" "Yes. That's what I'm saying. I always know." "I didn't know you kept track of days of the week like that." "It's something I do." repeat ad nauseam. I also agree that Sorkin's simpering, piss-whine liberalism is needlessy intrusive; the "sports" premise is what Hitchkock called "The McGuffin," merely an excuse to talk about something else. This isn't really a show for people who like sports.
Seriously... This show maintained it's quality even in the face of obvious tinkering with the basic premise. The only believable complaint I've ever heard is that the show isn't about sports. Okay, that's a given. If that's all you wanted, Sports Center is on roughly nine billion times a day. This show is funny, classy, and relatively consistent. Bam. Never jumped.
These are words coming from a guy who gave this show an honest chance. I really, really wanted to watch this show because I thought it'd be hilarious. I cannot tell you the anticipation I had for watching this. I also cannot tell you just how disappointed I was watching this. It was basically a prime time soap opera/teen drama with adults. And not a good one at THAT. I don't CARE that it's not about sports (I, being a geeky type, HATE sports). What I DO care about was that it was a terrible show. The guy who couldn't understand this show's reputation as a 'well-written' comedy, I hear ya loud and clear. They did EXACTLY THAT for nearly 13 minutes of all three thirty-minute shows I saw. Makes the show consistent all right, just not in a way that makes me wanna watch! To the people who call this intelligent humor, pfeh- not even MENSA could get the 'jokes'. It's boring, repetitive, and annoying. I for one am glad it's gone.
If anything, the premiere/pilot episode was forced, with its heavy laugh track usage and Casey's disenchantment about athletes, but hey, I can understand, things hadn't jelled; and it was all uphill from there. I never saw the show on its original ABC run--didn't even know it existed--but serendipitously discovered it one morning this past summer on Comedy Channel. Was immediately hooked, and watched religiously, much to the detriment of my clients! Now even their air schedule's insane; I think I've been able to watch it once since it's been moved to 1:30am! No matter, those 45 episodes are a treasure and I hope eventually I'll be able to have seen each and every one. If the complete run were available on DVD I'd snap 'em up in a second. (I can't be bothered to tape 'em and wade through commercials.) During those morning broadcasts, sometimes the plot twists at show's end would leave me so breathless I would need another half hour just to gather my wits about me to continue about my daily tasks! And I just love those amazing "following characters through the entire floor" tracking shots. Yes, it is a comedy (comedy/drama, to be precise), but the comedy is subtle and situational (hence the term SITcom)...like Casey and Dan being forced to walk through the office in their boxers. Not exactly Jack Tripper taking a pratfall or Al Bundy flushing a toilet, but that slays me! Now to the naysayers: Not about sports? Watch SportsCenter. I am a sports fan, and when I want to see stuff about sports, that's what I do. Sitcoms about sports don't work; does no one remember the disastrous Ball Four? Too liberal?? What, exactly, is too liberal? The fact that Casey doesn't like Jerry Falwell? Isaac's Confederate Flag editorial? That any women or blacks are working in positions of authority? Maybe just the knowledge that some of the characters are having sex without guilt, shame, and babies? If you haven't spent enough time complaining about how everything you don't like is connected to this country's been going to hell in a handbasket since Eisenhower left office and anything any Democrat ever did, SHADDUP! [And out of curiosity, how can somebody think that Peter Krause (Casey McCall) and Craig Kilbourne are the same person? Yes, they're both blue-eyed and good-looking, but..??]
Even if ol'Teddy and Paula Marshall had never set foot on the set, even if more familiar names beyond "Benson" had populated the cast, regardless of whether the writing was "liberal", "conservative", "moderate" or whatever, "Sports Night" would still have been torn apart big time by the Shark anyway for just one simple reason: it's set in the TV industry (an ESPN inspired cable network this time). If you look at TV history, you'll find that most TV shows set in the entertainment industry have provided particularly juicy Shark fodder in recent years. The last TV show about a (fictional) TV show to become a hit was "Murphy Brown", and since then there have been major "TV about TV" duds such as "WIOU", "Lateline", "Grosse Pointe", "Welcome To New York", "Beggars & Choosers" and this one. Most TV viewers don't subscribe to "Variety" and/or "Entertainment Weekly", and thus don't care about what goes on behind the scenes as long as the show goes on. I'm not doubting the quality of this show (I never saw it), but this vividly illustrates the saying about leading the horse to the water (judging from these posts, apparently very tasty water indeed).....
There were too many unneeded references to porn. The tip of this iceberg was when Jeremy after breaking up with Natalie dated a "adult website star". The lewdness did not match with the general M*A*S*H like antics that generally prevailed on the show.
"Sports Night" not only never jumped the shark, it was the best half-hour of television in the nineties. Superior to its overrated sister, "The West Wing," Sports Night was a truly unique blend of comedy and drama, pathos and delight that has never been bettered. The appearances of series-killers Ted McGinley *and* Paula Marshall should have given fans (wasn't Alison LaPlaca available for a guest shot?) more than enough warning that the rumored move to HBO would fall through. Catch the repeats on the Comedy Channel and let the delight of what was overcome your grief for what could have been.
Episode where the network is carrying round one of the NFL Draft, and Danny is supposed to go golfing with David Duval later in the day. Aaron Sorkin trying to pull off this walls are caving in, pseudo-apocalypse crap. And what becomes this sign of the apocalypse? Rain. At a California tennis tournament at famed Indian Wells. Naturally, this jeopardizes Danny's plans for golfing with Duval when - shocker! - they have to cover round two of the draft because "it's raining at Indian Wells" You know the line because you hear it approximately 664 times in the 22 minute show. At that moment, it jumped the shark. Or perhaps it rained at Indian Wells.
A fantastic show that really showed what Sorkin and Schlamme were capable of and previewed what would later come in the West Wing. However, were it JTS was when they lost focus on the work environment and had to go for dating storylines. There was nowhere to go with this and the show quickly went downhill.
I want to get my vote in and pull this show over to the "Never Jumped" page! And, by the way, the "indian wells" episode was an incredible piece of writing and acting (YES, they said it a million times) - it was at the time when Dan was seriously slumping, and it added to the real tension that most shows - comedy or drama - have neither the nerve nor talent to depict. there were always LOTS of good laughs even on the most serious shows. i am glad i found it on comedy central and regret not watching it more on networn (when it was promoted as a sitcom that would have athletes as guest stars - THAT was what sunk the show) - And where is Josh Charles (Dan) now? I always liked him best!
Never jumped. Very intelligent and never dumbed down for the audience. Ted McGinley not withstanding, This is one of my all time faves.
This show never jumped. I never watched it for some reason when it was on, but now that the reruns are on Comedy Central, I've seen every episode numerous times. The sports talk is realistic, the dialogue is funny, and they even realized that having a laugh track is moronic. Sorkin's dialogue writing can sometimes be a little much, but its still one of the best shows to never be given a chance. Oh, and Felicity Huffman is HOT!
THIS SHOW WAS SO INSIGHTFUL AND POIGNANT. IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. LUCKILY 'CASEY' IS NOW THE LEAD ON SIX FEET UNDER SO WE STILL GET TO WATCH HIM EVERY WEEK. I MISS THE JOSH CHARLES CHARACTER.
This show is the ultimate example of what can happen when a writer is allowed to have complete creative control over his vision, and takes responsibility by writing nearly every word himself. This is all the more impressive when you consider that the last season was written while Sorkin wrote every word of the first season of The West Wing - arguably the only instance in TV history where one man was directly responsible for the 2 best-written shows in the same year! The worst mistake they made was selling the show to ABC. As Sorkin himself wrote in the final episode, "Whoever can't make money off of Sports Night should get out of the money-making business."
Dana's dating plan. The character herself is incredibly annoying, but this made her unbelievable. Add in her frenetic overacting, and it was all just too much.
Okay, please, so no one else mentions this falsity: the laugh track WAS NOT ADDED in the 2nd season. It was there at the beginning of the 1st season, lasted 7 or so episodes, and then was eliminated from the show. Please, God, no one else say "it really ticked me off when they added the laugh track."
When the show was being told that the show was going for sale, the focus got away from the dynamic and put the focus squarely on financial matters making the show less interesting to watch. If continued, it probably would not have a bright future in terms of plot.
We need to set up some kind of police, who patrol TV sets, and if they hear any producer say the the words "hey, let's add a laugh track!" will be arrested and thrown in jail.
The demise of this program is entirely the fault of ABC. It is one of those rare intelligent programs that require a reasonable time to find an audience. Aaron Sorkin was largely responsible for the writing. People who watch these kinds of programs buy BMW's and other high end products (a similar situation to 'Hill Street Blues' which NBC was smart enough to wait on). ABC was not bright enough to recognize that so Sorkin, who created 'The West Wing', reduced his workload and won an Emmie for the latter. Peter Krause was able to move to '6 Feet Under'.
Quite possibly one of the better written shows ever killed, primarily becuase of it's subject. A Crime
This show was one of the best ever. It was a clever mixture of comedy and drama. The actors were perfectly cast. It was nominated for several awards it's first year on the air. I have really enjoyed watching the reruns on Comedy Central. I just can't help but wonder if the majority of the people in charge of ABC are morons and it was just over their heads!
A wonderful show that really did lose it's edge at the end, thanks to ABC not committing to giving it a third season. I'd like to hope that if the show were given more backing by ABC the episodes where they were going to sell the show would have never happened. When it was left alone, one of the best shows of the '90s really, the fast paced dialogue (rivaled only by Ally McBeal) made it wonderfully watchable, even if people really don't talk that way. Somewhat neurotic, pointless, but still, for sheer watching pleasure, SportsNight was one of the best.
Brilliant, funny, perfectly paced show. Far better than the West Wing. Would that HBO had picked SportsNight up after ABC stupidly dumped it. And for the record, don't blame producers for adding laugh tracks to shows. Generally it's the head honchos at the networks who so look down on the IQs of viewers that they think a laugh track is necessary.
This show never jumped. ABC jumped a long time ago. I really hoped that HBO would pick this show up, but sadly, they did not. Thank god we have reality shows, and the wonderfully written Anna Nicole Show, to get us through life without Sports Night.
Never jumped, despite Ted. If it had run longer I'd guess that Gillaume's reduced role would shift too much focus to Dana and they never found the right balance between strong and wacko for her character.
This show has never jumped, it wasn't on the air nearly long enough! Now you're gonna tell me I have to wait up until 2:30 in the AM to watch reruns on comedy central?! hell, i love the show that much that i do. the closest it came to jumping would be when they added the laugh track, but seinfeld had one, so i think we can allow one little slipup.
How can you say this jumped the shark when Robert Guilluame had a stroke? He really DID have a stroke. He was great on the show and they didn't want to write him out, so they wrote the stroke in. Geez people.
never jumped the shark. the last episode only made me want to see more.
To the loser that said that even MENSA couldn't get this show: I used to belong to mensa and I thought that type of dialogue when delivered properly (and it was) can be amusing. I do think that it can easily be overused though and the writers deserve kudos for not doing so.
Agree with most of the statements. Sports Night had a great chance to be good but the show was so damn preachy for every liberal cause. It was like watching the West Wing. Laugh track was annoying and finally the way the characters spoke to each other with this fast clipped chatter and quick quips that no normal human could think of that fast. Plus the quips were all done dead panned.
Despite the double threat of Ted and Paula, this show never jumped, despite brushing the ramp a time or two(Dana's dating plan, Porn star going for Jeremy). It reminded me of the best show of the early nineties, Northern Exposure, which also confused the simple minded with a mix of comedy and drama, "verbosity" and "preachiness". Correct me if I'm wrong, but the initial adds said "It's about sports....the way "Baywatch" is about water safety"- a clear indication that one shouldn't expect daily recitations of superbowl MVPs of the 70s. I wish I had had cable when this was on Comedy Central so I could catch up on the episodes I had missed. Between this show and WWTBAM, ABC is on my s--t list for a long time.
What a great show! Shame on the blockheads at ABC for letting this show die. Apparently since it didn't come out of the box with extraordinary ratings, it had to go away. Remember the good ol' days when some networks would keep a show on, despite marginal ratings, because it was GOOD? ABC could have taken a lesson from NBC regarding a show like Hill Street Blues. They hung in there, despite being one of the lowest rated series in that daypart (quite a task, considering the rut NBC was in at the time), and let the audience find it. The rest is TV history. The whole Dana/Casey thing could have turned into ABC's version of Sam & Diane, only an even smarter version. This show could be smart, funny, dramatic, and moving...all in the same half hour. The cancellation of this show proves yet again that smart just doesn't work anymore in this day and age. Does everything really have to appeal to the lowest common denominator?
This is one of my all time favorite shows, and i don't think it ever faltered... In fact, the only negative thing about this show is the fact that it ended way too early... the laugh track was unneccesary, but if you pay attention, it started with the laugh track. They made the good decision to take it out. As for the character of Gordon... while it may have failed in the ratings game, it was probably the best performance ted mcginley has turned out. So i think this show should be moved to the "never jumped" section... that's all i have to say.
This show jumped the shark with Dana decided that she and Casey should see other people for six months. Aaron Sorkin wrote himself into a brick wall and never fully recovered.
I wouldn't have minded if this show was around long enough to jump the shark...you can only watch the same two seasons worth of shows, no matter how good, so many times.
Aaron Sorkin's writing with a Three's Company laugh track = lame-o
Never jumped. Too bad ABC doesn't know a good show when it sees one, yet gives guys like John Frickin' Ritter another crack at TV, when he's best suited to remain Junior's Dad in the next 10 installments of the Problem Child series. Sports Night was a well-acted show with good stories and good actors. Thank god the whole series is out on DVD so I don't have to wait around for South Park to show it once a week.
Certainly never jumped, and the show had a great heart at its center. I think that the episode with Casey's shirt making the rounds is some of the best writing I have ever seen in a sitcom. Couldn't care less about sports, but I miss this show.
Some of the best writing ever. And characters that I actually cared about. Perfect mix. Even with characters "hooking up" (which usually leads to shark sightings), this show never jumped. I pray TV writers & execs are reading this website EVERY DAY! Stop bringing in the jump-ramps and bring us more shows like Sports Night.
This was a great show. Aaron Sorkin is the man. He's gotten a little sloppy with West Wing, but this show was great. The writing and directing techniques are very distinctive, (you see a lot of people walking and talking all the time). I can't believe more people didn't watch this show. It was a real shame it was cancelled. My two favorite lines from this show are (i) when Casey confronts Gordon about his sleeping with Sally and says "you're wearing my shirt." The other is when Dana is talking to the CEO of Quovatimus and he says, "anyone who can't make money on Sports Night should get out of the moneymaking business," an obvious knock on ABC for not promoting the show properly. Love Sabrina Lloyd, love Josh Malina, absolutely love Felicity Huffman. The Bill Macy thing was a bad idea, even if she was married to FH. At least Aaron Sorkin is loyal. Almost all of those actors have shown up on the West Wing including Josh Malina, Felicity Huffman, Ted McGinley, and I think the girl who was Sam's prostitute was on SN also. Anyway, that's it.
This was the James Dean of TV series. It wasn't the smartest television series, nor the funniest, nor the most touching. But it pulled off a perfect balance of the three that other series could not do. Some of the complaints here I understand, but cannot agree with. A). They don't seem interested in sports. Well, we have had numerous quick conversations about sports throughout the series, but other than that, it's true. The reason is that the show is not about sports, nor is it about reporting on sports. It is about a group of people who just so happen to be in the sports industry. Sports takes a backseat to the problems in their lives. I'm a movie fanatic, but my romantic troubles take priority over the new Scorsese film. There are plenty of sports programs for those who want to see sports reporting. B). The characters talk in the same, unrealistic manner. Yes, very true. You know what? I love it. I love hearing those wonderful jazz-like dialogue riffs. They're unrealistic, yes, but that's why the good Lord gave us willing suspension of disbelief. It's perfectly normal for characters in the TV world to talk in an unrealistic manner. Are you telling me that people in "Friends", "Seinfeld" and "Will & Grace" don't have a stylized form of dialogue? C). It's too preachy. I don't know about "too" preachy, but yes, it does tend to throw politics into the stew. This also links with the poster who felt the show should have more belly laughs. This is not your normal sitcom. There's a reason they got rid of the laugh track later on. This is a comedy with very dramatic elements to it. This is a show where the characters are all very witty because they are hiding the pain that lies underneath. Whether it's love or despair or regret, it's bigger than sports or journalism or redundant manners of speech. I understand that this kind of show is not everyone's cup of tea. "Everybody Loves Raymond", supposedly one of the greatest shows of all time, just doesn't work for me. It's just a shame that not enough people could be on its wavelength for it to continue. But here's a question: Is it better to die young or to fade away slowly?
This is (was) a great show. The laugh track sucks, but I don't think it's enough to make the show jump the shark.
This show had potential, but the way it was written drove me nuts. Hearing dialogue like You're crazy for doing that!" "So, I'm crazy?" "I didn't say you were crazy" "I heard you say I'm crazy" "I think if I said you were crazy I'd remember saying you were crazy" just drives me up the wall! And why when the sportscast would start why would they say, "I'm Dan, he's Casey, THESE AND OTHER STORIES COMING UP ON SPORTS NIGHT." Since when is your name a story??
I'd love to say Ted McGinley.... but it really was the way they went out of their way to push Sorkin's agenda. Otherwise a great show, and jumped gracefully. I'm kind of glad it ended when it did.
What's up with all the whiney conservatives complaining about this supposed propaganda devise? What Sorkin propaganda did SportsNight espouse? I want specific examples. Furthermore, even if they do have a specific socio-political leaning that you do not agree with, then you should do the logical thing and spare yourself the torture of watching it and complaining to everybody you know about those darned Hollywood Liberals(TM). I never watched Touched By an Angel or Rush Limbaugh because their social and/or political outlooks were not ones I agreed with. And complaining about the stylized dialogue is weak too. Nobody talks like the characters on SportsNight or the West Wing. Fair enough. However, here's a newsflash. Nobody talks like anybody in a sitcom or drama. If sitcoms and dramas had realistic dialogue, the dead air, the "ummm's," people losing their train of thought, and spontaneously rephrasing themselves amid sentence would drive everybody nuts and nobody would watch. All drama and comedy is stylized. Deal with it.
Never jumped. I've just been watching this series on DVD again, and I maintain that it is the best television show of its kind ever to grace the screen. In fact, I think that this show is one of a kind. There has never been anything with this kind of quick, witty, dramatic and comedic mix presented in a half-hour format. The writing had some off days, but the cast always seemed to make up for it with compelling performances. And if you think Isaac's stroke was the shark jump, you just don't have a heart.
This show never jumped the shark and it is an absolute shame that we were only graced with 2 seasons of this gem. I am yet to witness a show that had the quick wit and humor, mixed with great drama and important issues that are covered in Sports Night. Also, you just can't beat the feel-good moments that abound within each episode. My only wish is that somehow this show could miraculously make a comeback with all original cast members and have a run that would be reminiscent of the quality of the show.
It didn't. I think it only lasted a season (the producers knew that with Ted they wouldn't last long). Plus didn't Sorkin give up on this show to do that stupid president show?
Sports Night never jumped. And I'm not just saying that because I was the star of the show. TM.
Not only did Sports Night not jts it didn't even make it to the water! Sports Night could always be counted on for an entertaining half hour, and the hour with it and Home Improvement were appointment TV on Tuesday nights. More proof that ABC doesn't know it's elbow from its rear end when it comes to a good series. And to the person who asked about Dan and Casey saying, "These and more stories" they weren't talking about their names, they were talking about the stories previewed in the opening montage.
This is one of the best shows ever made. As someone who worked in sports I have to say that the comments I read that all "sports industry people" only talk about sports is simply dumb. In fact most of the sports people NEVER talk about sports outside of the studio --they save it for the air. They usually are interested in many other things as well. It's the get-a-life fans that do this--not the anchors. Anyway, Natalie's the cutest and I too, hope HBO brings this back at some point--but it's not likely. Buy the DVD collection--it's worth every cent.
Never jumped; the Ted McGinley thing must have cursed it. Maybe he should somehow make amends-sort of a trading the Babe back to Boston.
I am conservative. I love sports. I loved Sports Night. News Flash, but things in the world are not black and white. I enjoy different views. I enjoy different kinds of shows. Because of ABC's mismanagement of this show many people were mislead into believing it was something it was not. That doesn't make it less than it is.
This is truly the best show ever seen on television, or in most peoples case, best show not seen. True, it did go down hill a bit in Season 2, but it still was quick, smart and witty.
Despite the fact that that Ted McGinley appeared in the majority of the first season of this show I don't think anyone could say that Sports Night ever went bad. Aaron Sorkin is a genius and his first television show is proof of that. Sports Night was different, refreshing, funny, dramatic, and real. It was never stale and the topic never allowed it to get preachy as the West Wing has from time to time. Brilliant writing and brilliant acting, what else could you ask for? I know, MORE!
If this show were a person, I'd have beaten it to death with a claw hammer. Annoying as hell. The tripping teen on Family Guy summed it up best, "Dude, I finally understand Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night. It's a comedy that's too good to be funny."
With everybody talking about how this was the most intelligent, greatest television program ever, the one thing that baffles me is how boring and not funny it is. It's humour is pretentious and tries too hard in a way that reminds me of my parents. the delivery of the diolouge is horrible, too fast paced, and makes me want to kill myself. not only that, but the amount of hokey parts they stick in was also surprising to me. Like in the first episode where he calls up his son and tells him to turn on the tv, so he can be inspired by the amazing olympic runner. And then the boss has a stroke, fast un-funny dialouge, snore snore, great. This reminds me of Seinfeld if every episode was about too much, none of the characters actually had anything amusing to say and weren't jewish, and they worked in a sports news station. oh wow they're making cheeky one-liners to one another right before they come back from commercial!! Such great tv! so refreshing and amusant and innovative! yeah right. this show jumped the shark episode one for getting too much hype and then sucking.
"And then the boss has a stroke" This person, does realize that the actor, himself, had a stroke, correct? Meanwhile, this show absolutely never jumped, and never could have jumped. What I don't get is how people can complain about this show not being about sports, when the main reason it's ratings fell, is because of it's name. People thought it was about Sports, and didn't tune in. Not to mention, there are some sincerely great sport moments to be had throughout this show. Even the hype about Draft Day 2000 was great for me, as it's the way I feel about the NFL draft. Watching all of the coverage, making my own draft. It had the drama, the acting, the writing, the comedy, it all. Jeremy is about my favorite character ever placed on television, and his love for Sports was unrivaled! And the non-sense about smaller sports being it's downfall? "They only reports on stupid, smaller sports, like hunting, fishing, swimming," ever heard of ESPN outdoors, or anything of the like? All of these networks have to cater to all sports fans. Some people love swimming, which I'm not too sure was ever a topic for the Sports Night crew. Some people love hunting and fishing, in which it had a few shows featuring it. The pure love in which Dan shows for Baseball, in "The Giants win the Pennant," based on Bobby Thompson's 1951 game-winning home run was beautiful, and his speech on he and his dad watching Boxing when he was a kid from "The Cut-Man Cometh" was outstanding. Isaac was a beautiful addition..."Exaudio, comprerio, con..." you get the drift. That speech is among my top moments in television history, as is just about any moment in which Jeremy breaks out of his shell. "AHA! You may have won the battle, but there's a war here to be won, my foe!" "You will see that we are Y2K compliant, and that I am a servant of no master, oh, and you'll also take back that 'nerd' thing." He isn't that kind of character, not one to simply burst out, and yet when he does, it's great television. Simply put, this show could do no wrong, but the jugheads at ABC seemed to think that canceling an award winning and critically acclaimed show was a GOOD idea...yes...good indeed...me to them.
When for some very unexplainable reason this show was cancelled!! With the crap that's on TV now I can't believe this wasn't good enough?!?!??!?! I only hope the idiot who made this decision has been fired!
It really didn't jump; It was a great show...but I wasn't feeling the laugh track
Let me start by saying that SportsNight was one of the best half hours on television, ever. It did, however, slip in the 2nd season. They started spending more time in the bar than the office, and the great and fun relationships disappeared. Jeremy and Natalie broke up. Dan and Casey went to war with each other. Casey and Dana lost the magic. By the end, it was an average show, "The Cut Man Cometh" not included. That's one of the best 30 minutes ever. I've got the DVD set and I love it, but I really find myself watching the first season a lot more than the 2nd season. I wish Dan never when to the psych and Rebecca came back sooner. I wish, most of all, that HBO had picked up the show and there was more than 2 seasons.
Never. Great, fast paced show. I love sports, but get that they were just a backdrop for the show, not the premise itself. The laugh track was very out of place, but it's one of the few shows that made me want the next episode immediately at the end of each one.
Two seasons was hardly enough time for this show to jump the shark. Not that it would have anyway. But my favorite part about the debate is the complete morons who think it needed to be about sports. Do these same geniuses think that ER is really about medicine? Perhaps they think that Noah Wyley actually had to get his medical degree in order to memorize lines. It's not about sports in specific; it's about human drama. Sports are in the background, and they relate to the show the way they relate to all of our lives. There is human drama in sports, and there is human drama in this show. Imagine, a show using a metaphor... god forbid the American public try and be smart enough to understand it.
Never jumped. Aaron Sorkin pulled together a brilliant show with a great cast that just never took off with the mainstream. ABC's marketing was pretty bad and it never overcame the demographic mismatch that was created. Everyone I know who's watched the show loves it. I've got the DVD collection and it's the best 40 bucks I ever spent. This show belongs with Friends and Simpsons in the annals of TV history.
Aaron Sorkin = Genius. Enough said.
Ted McGinley or no Ted McGinley, Sports Night NEVER jumped the shark! It was brilliantly written, brilliantly acted and made me laugh out loud (like, really loud) at least once per episode. Thankfully the DVD of the series is out, but I will forever mourn this best of all TV "sitcoms".
When Dana came up with the very bad idea of dating other people for six months. The show tried to follow the standard sit-com plot. A character with a zany idea causes hilarious problems for the whole gang.
Had this show ever jumped the shark I would not have spent around $45.00 to purchase the DVDs. Charming, witty, and a show that demanding you rise to it's level instead of lowering the writing's potential to suit the masses, Sports Night gave Tuesdays and the ABC network a reason to exist, because God knows Home Improvement wasn't doing it. Josh Charles' Dan Rydell was one of the most underrated performances ever on television. No actor has ever infused more levels of intelligent humor into a single line of dialogue in a half hour sitcom. The writing granted, was brilliant, but he was consistently the finest and least mentioned actor on the show. Yes, the second season was not as ingenius as the first, but that's like comparing two paintings by Picasso. They're both Picassos. Most shows hit a sophomore slump and had Sports Night been given the chance for a third season, I have no doubt that it would have regained it's footing and hit a wonderful stride for another few years. Without a doubt, this was the finest addition to the sitcom in the last ten years, and it should be counted among the greatest shows of all time. What a complete loss.
"Sports Night" never really jumped the shark, but what was up w/Casey's new 'do? That style is really more of a don't. Actually, "Sports Night" was one of the brightest, sharpest, fastest paced show ever--right up there w/"Murphy Brown". ABC shouldn't have given up on it so quickly (perhaps even given it a chance).
The show was never quite the same after Rebecca dumped Dan to go back to her husband. Dan's character darkened after that, and the show wasn't quite as funny.
Sports Night never jumped the shark. Dana's dating plan was the closest thing the show had to circling near the ramp, but ultimately that plotline allowed Casey to grow as a character, something he desperately needed to do. ABC's total mishandling of the show is the only thing that led to this gem of a series' cancellation. Aaron Sorkin, I follow thee wherever ye may go...
Sports Night was the best show of the 90's. The only reasons I can think of for its early demise are the weekly scheduling changes (I never knew from week to week what day it would be on) and the fact that people would apparently rather watch shows like "Who's the Boss" which jumps sharks from the first episode.
This show was light years ahead of its time. As for the fast-paced dialogue, you either get it or you get the hell out of its way. Most people will *never* get it. Too bad it required an attention span greater than a six-year-old's. It should have been on HBO or Showtime. They would have treated it with the respect it deserved. God, I miss this show. And to whoever it was that wondered what Josh Charles had been doing recently? Try Sheryl Crow...
Came close with the Dating Plan, but Dan's speech to Dana about why it was stupid brought them back from the edge.
One of the best sitcoms in quite a long time, a major kick to the balls is in order for Aaron ('Shrooms) Sorkin for quitting on this show before it really hit its stride. "The West Wing" is over-rated, and he left THAT show a year later anyway!! Smart, fast-paced, didn't pander to the lowest common denominator (read: all the loser posters above who obviously did NOT 'get' the show), it was definitely too hip for the room - and WAAAAAY too hip for ABC (Always Broadcasting Crap). The only negative thing I have to say about the show is the casting of Felicity Huffman. Not that she wasn't good in the role; she just isn't attractive enough to have a good-looking young guy like Casey so infatuated with her, it was not that believable (you could almost see it in Peter Krause's eyes, the look of "I'd better REALLY break out my acting chops here, since she is NOT a fox at all!"). Funny thing is, if it wasn't for Sorkin, this show would have survived even with Ted McGinley in the cast!
This was a fantastic show, it made you want to work for SportsNight. Very witty with usually very good rhythm and timing. Except for a few dud weeks at the beginning of the first season, when Dan went psycho.
Never Jumped! Even with the few questionable story lines or characterizations (Dana did become a little too neurotic), this show was still more entertaining than anything else out there. I have never watched a show that made me laugh and cry within the same episode; case in point, when Isaac returns to work after the stroke. And definitely the best series-ending episode known to man. NEVER JUMPED!
Finally had the chance to see all of the episodes on DVD. Gotta say, this show never had a shark jumping moment. Each episode, while not the pinnacle of excellence in each and every case, was far better than anything else going at the time. A couple of things though. 1) the character of Dana was much better less neurotic. It went almost over the top on occasion. And Felicity Huffman (the actress who played Dana) was attractive enough to have gotten Casey (addressed to the poster above). 2) the stories in the final season seemed truncated. It's like when the producers knew that the show wasn't coming back, that they rushed some stories to a conclusion. Dan and Rebecca for example. Seemed tossed in at the last minute. I thought that Jeremy dating a porn star should have been played out longer than just 3 episodes. Then, they throw Jeremy and Natalie back together at the end. Again, seemed rushed. It probably would have happened in another season or two, but not that soon. For some reason, the last season felt very much like the end of WKRP in Cincinnati. In fact, I think that the two shows are very much alike. Both were excellent ensembles. Both had similar backgrounds (radio vs TV). And neither was played for camp (see NewsRadio).
The Show was Ted McGinley proof -- or so I thought. (Actually, Ted was quite good in it.) One of the best shows to ever make it on network television. For a show this good now, you can only look to cable.
This show was quality writing and production, so OF COURSE it never had a chance to find an audience. Ted McGinley aquits himself well. About the laugh track, I believe that is a studio decision for suits too dumb to market a complex show. As for the wonderful back-and-forth dialogue, I love it. Yeah, you could say that real people rarely talk like this, but I wager it's closer to reality than most other sitcoms. The cadence and rhythms of talk in shows like Cosby and Happy Days are far more unrealistic. And besides, the trademark dialogue is simply DIFFERENT from everything else on tv.
Never, never jumped. The best show on television during its time. There was a significant improvement when the laugh track was removed - too bad the idea of a "dramedy" (dramatic comedy) never caught on in primetime, otherwise we may have seen more of this show.
Sports Night never jts. When other posters complain about bad writing or dialogue, I wonder how they could be talking about the same show. One thing that has not been mentioned is the use of music in the show (Yes, it was used sparingly). Specifically, the episode which alluded to "Hide your heart girl Eli's coming" is one of my favorites.
the best show that was never watched! witty, fast-paced, intelligent. it may have jumped the shark if it had run longer but every episode of it's two season run is brilliant
A little shaky coming off the bat (and the laugh track was horrendous), "Sports Night", once it got on track, it quickly became one of the best shows ever. Watch "The Apology", "Kafelnikov" (the Y2K one), "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee Tech", "Shoe Money Tonight", "The Cut-Man Cometh", or "The Sword of Orion", to name a few, for truly brilliant television. Also wanna say, IMO, this show is probably Ted McGinley's finest (half) hour. I still like "The West Wing" of Seasons 1-2 better, but this show is an excellent dry-run for Aaron Sorkin. (BTW: Felicity Huffman falls in the same category as Allison Janney and Janel Moloney from TWW in my book, as women who I don't find physically attractive, but extraordinarily alluring due to, well, personality.)
Never Ever Jumped. It couldn't. ABC was too stupid to give it a chance. As far as people that complain about the fact that it wasn't "about sports"- the appeal of it was that sports were just their jobs. I HATE sports but I love that show. And the dialogue that circled itself- trust me, I've had conversations like that, that just go back to the same point five or six times- I found it funny that somebody else would do that. I didn't watch it in the original runs (12 year old girls typically don't turn in to a show labeled with Sports) but I caught a few episodes on Comedy Central (I'm a night owl) and in moment of Josh Charles obsession, asked for the complete series on DVD for Christmas- the best gift I ever got, I watched the entire series in a matter of 3 days over Christmas break. And I personally thought the episodes with Dan all disturbed and in therapy were great. Great Characters, amazing actors, great storylines, even if some were a little far -fetched, all adding up to make it a Great Show that died too young
It always pains me to watch this show in order, because the tension just in my own mind build because I know it never faltered and I know it got cancelled way before it's time was up. It sickens me that things couldn't be worked out to continue the series.
I think it is one of the greatest crimes in television history that "Sports Night" didn't last longer than two seasons. The quick dialogue and well-developed characters did more than enough to carry the show. All the talk about McGinley is bogus; he became the antagonizing bad guy from the start and was subsequently phased out of the show, but for a while was essential to the story line between Casey and Dana. Sure, there was a bad vibe rolling throughout the show during the last few episodes of season two, but the final episode resulted in a total recovery. All of the characters were relatable: Dan's problems with his past, the Casey and Dana saga, the Jeremy and Natalie saga, etc. Everyone knows someone like Isaac, just as there is always a guy in every group of friends that's way to smart for his own good like Jeremy. It was just way too well put together to have such a short life span--just a real tragedy.
It never jumped. This show touched my heart in a way that no other series ever did—I would usually cry at least once. Fantastic writing, skillful acting, and characters like Jeremy and Dana...television is rarely ever this good.
Almost jumped when Dan said he had a crush on Hillary Clinton and no one - NO ONE! - said the "EW!" But with the exception of that one episode, the entire series was brilliant.
Never jumped!!! For those of you who blamed the stroke, Robert Guillaime actually had a stroke during filming, you can't blame them for having to put it in there.
Anyone who thinks this show ever jumped the shark either doesn't remember the show and the way it stood above the crowd of ordinary comedies and dramedies that were around OR you just exaggerate some single little thing about the show that you didn't like by calling that a jump. Sports Night showed that there were still intelligent people writing television for adult viewers. Forget Ted McGinley or even the stroke (well handled by the way) and never mind if a certain hook-up hadn't happened, the show was all about the dialogue and its delivery. It was like watching a good play more than a sitcom.
Dana's abrupt, unexplained and complete personality transplant between seasons 1 and Seasons 2 - from capable and funny, to whiny bitter. Still about the gutsiest show ever on network tv as far as character development goes. Unlike all other sitcoms, never assumed the audience was less intelligent than they were. Josh Charles SHOULD have gotten an Emmy. That man can say more with a flicker across his face than most actors can say with a three page speech.
This is the greatest show in television history. Any idiot out their who thinks this jumped doesn't know their head from their ass. When crap like the Simpsons keeps going and going and going long after it jumped the shark while great TV like this is taken off the air before given a real chance is a travesty of justice. Whoever is responsible for things like this should face criminal charges.
This show never jumped the shark. Like many of the great programs, this show was cancelled way too soon. Aaron Sorkin is the best writer in television by miles.
Fantastic show: fantastic cast, fantastic writing. If Sorkin hadn't abandoned it for WW, it would still be on, and still be the best sitcom on television.
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10-01-2013, 06:21 PM
Sports Night Boned the Fish When...
