But it starts on topic - In Issac and Ishmael, Sorkin uses his characters to
talk about the idea of pluralistic thought. In the spirit of that episode,
I'd like to post a review here of Richard Dawkins new book The Greatest Show
on Earth.

I know I'm being slightly mischievous posting this here, I have marked it as
wildly off topic; I just really want people to know about this book and go
and read it for themselves.

The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins, a review.

This is not his best book, it's a little bit more pop-science-y than his
earlier books (I guess it's more God Delusion than Selfish Gene), being more
of a thorough overview of the
now-unless-you're-a-complete-loony-screaming-in-my-face-and-drooling-you-cou
l
dn't-possibly-refute-the-FACT-of-evolution science and why you'd be mad to
deny it. And although it's got its fair share of witty acid-drops in the
direction of the creationists (who he hilariously calls History-Deniers) its
nowhere near as snide and floridly combative as GD (which although I think
is an astonishing book, really wouldn't allow the religiously inclined
comfortably through its door long enough to listen to his ideas; so in that
respect fails).

Where The Greatest Show on Earth scores highly is the brilliant way he
demolishes every single plank of the creationists' shoddily constructed
temple with fact after beautifully described, evidenced and irrefutable
fact. It's an object lesson in how to destroy an argument and will probably
be remembered as a book that changed things - especially in the case it sets
out for not making teachers "teach the controversy."

It brilliantly explains why there isn't a missing link because of the way we
use *language* not because there isn't a missing link - in fact missing
links abound in nature. It wipes the floor with "irreducible complexity" and
it completely undermines each creationist utterance with staggering clarity
and good grace.

It should become a set text in every school, especially faith schools. It
also is a direct challenge to the 40% of people in America who truly believe
the world and everything in it, is less than 10,000 years old. It's a timely
book, because those 40% are a powerful lobby who are irresponsibly changing
the way science is taught in schools, who will not accept the evidence
before them, however it's presented, and who are condemning an entire
generation (and those who follow) to a life of Dark Age Level Science. He
also makes the same point about Muslim culture, so this is in no way an anti
American book, just anti-creationist.

Go and buy this book, read it and make up your own mind - don't take my word
for it.

Okay, this is kind of completly off-topic, but...
When discussing her role as President Allison Taylor in 24 and her Emmy
nomination, Cherry Jones said the following:

Q

*
*

*Who has been your favorite fictional president of the United States?*
A


*Well, I mean I did love President Bartlet [from “West
Wing”<http://tv.nytimes.com/show/32184/West-Wing/overview>].
I mean c’mon, Martin
Sheen<http://movies.nytimes.com/person/111083/Martin-Sheen?scp=1&sq=martin%20she\
en&st=cse>?
It was like having a Kennedy in the White House again.*

In fact, I’ve been staying at [“West Wing” star] Allison
Janney’s<http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/j/allison\
_janney/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=allison%20janney&st=cse>
house
in California while she’s been in New York doing “9 to
5.”<http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/theater/reviews/01nine.html>
I
joked the other day that I probably got this Emmy nomination because I’m
surrounded by so many Emmys here at Allison’s. I mean, they’re growing on
the trees here! She’s got them discreetly tucked away but I found them.
[Laughs]


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hey, just to let you guys know, Aaron Sorkin was on Entourage s06e08, which
aired on August 30th.
Also a great quote The West Wing was used in this episode: "Act as if you
have faith and faith shall be given to you". Well, it's so special to me
because it was the first WW episode I'd watched =D

If you didn't catch the episode, I'm sure you can watch it online @ Hulu.com
or something like that.


Renata

"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."
- Louisa May Alcott


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

An article by a former Bush speech writer includes this little gem:

"It was less like Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing  and more like The Office."

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_10957


Ben Varkentine
benvarkentine@...

Taste the rain
Splashes down on my roof
Seek in vain
You will never know the real truth

-Thompson Twins

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The "War of the Roses (1965)" BBC tv mini series was just added to the
tvshowsondvd site (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/War-Roses/11733).

I didn't even realize it was an actual theatre production.
Anyway, it would be nice if it got some votes in the hope that maybe it will
be released on DVD.

The IMDb page has a link to a short description of the original theater
production (1963):
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/1941/war.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10292321-36.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1\
_3-0-20

'Social Network' script: A meaner take on Facebook
by  Caroline McCarthy

I have my hands on a copy of "The Social Network," the screenplay that "West
Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin has adapted from "The Accidental
Billionaires"--author Ben Mezrich's tawdry tale of Facebook's origins that was
released last week. Though I'm not gushing over it the way script blogger Carson
Reeves did when he read it, I think it's a decent screenplay. With a good cast
and production team, this movie might be quite enjoyable.

This could be a concern for Facebook. I'm guessing the company is already far
enough along so that it doesn't have to worry about negative onscreen portrayals
of its founder hurting its chances of a successful IPO, but the screenplay is
smart and nasty enough--more so than the book it's based on--that it could raise
PR issues regardless.

"The Social Network" follows the plot of "Accidental Billionaires" pretty
precisely, with the most notable deviation being that there is an increased
focus on Zuckerberg himself--Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, who was
Mezrich's main source for the book (he didn't talk to Zuckerberg), takes a bit
of a back burner. But it's still the same narrative about Mark Zuckerberg
founding Facebook as an undergraduate at Harvard, and then facing opposition
both internally (from Saverin) and externally (from Cameron and Tyler
Winklevoss, the twin co-founders of would-be Facebook rival ConnectU).

The dialogue--remember, Mezrich's book is dialogue-light--is snappy and witty,
with a fast-paced, back-and-forth feel to it that "West Wing" fans will
recognize as very Sorkin-esque. On paper, though, it comes across as much more
slick and polished than real-life dialogue would have been (and it's up to the
skills of the actors to ensure that this doesn't translate to onscreen
cheesiness). And it treats the founding of Facebook with more gravitas than
"Accidental Billionaires" does: scenes of the social network's early days at
Harvard are interspersed with snippets from later court depositions between
Zuckerberg and Saverin, as well as Zuckerberg and the ConnectU founders.

But the most notable difference is that, perhaps because of the infusion of
dialogue, Zuckerberg is a significantly more dislikeable character than he is in
the book, where he's painted as simply enigmatic and a little detached. In the
screenplay, he's far more class-conscious and his lines are typically weighted
with snarky arrogance. The question of whether Zuckerberg was duping the
ConnectU founders by working on Facebook while ostensibly in their employ is
addressed much more decisively than in the book--and it's not favorable to
Zuckerberg.

At the end, he's allowed a little bit of a denouement, and who knows what will
happen in script revisions. But for now, I can see why an entertainment industry
source said that the producers have been hoping to cast an audience-friendly
young actor. The onscreen version of Zuckerberg could easily come across as
utterly obnoxious.

Actually, to put it bluntly, none of the main characters are all that
sympathetic. The Winklevoss twins come across as aggressive and vindictive;
Saverin is neurotic and money-obsessed; onetime Facebook exec Sean Parker is a
scheming lush; and then-Harvard president Larry Summers, who has a small role,
is pretty much just a blowhard. That probably doesn't bode well for the
producers' attempt to actually film parts of the movie on Harvard's campus,
since I'm fairly sure that a prestigious university doesn't want to be depicted
onscreen as a hub for serious douchebaggery.

When I read "The Accidental Billionaires," I predicted that it was safely fluffy
enough that Facebook (and Zuckerberg) probably wouldn't have much of a problem
with it. But the screenplay for "The Social Network" is edgier and meaner. At
one point, during a fired-up moment for the ConnectU guys, Cameron Winklevoss
says of Zuckerberg, "Let's f***ing gut that little nerd!" And when Zuckerberg is
told by the Winklevosses' lawyer that the twins come from a family worth
hundreds of millions of dollars, Zuckerberg retorts with, "Or roughly the amount
I paid in income tax last year."

Oh, snap.

On a totally different note: Does "The Social Network" botch it when it comes to
discussions of technology, venture capital, and Web development? Not really. I
sent a few lines of dialogue depicting a Harvard computer science class to an
engineer friend who said that it was fairly spot-on. Of course, the dialogue in
the court deposition scenes is a little more exciting than it probably was in
real life. But let's face it: this is Hollywood.

And the awesomest-slash-cheesiest line? In my opinion, the award goes to Tyler
Winklevoss in yet another scene where he and Cameron are talking about how to
get back at Zuckerberg: "I'm six-five, 220 pounds, and there are two of me."

Ken Levine, who's a terrific screenwriter (and understandably loves Sorkin)
wrote a short little excerpt of what he envisioned a baseball movie by
Sorkin would look like.  Since Sorkin is now writing a baseball movie, he
reprinted it on his blog:

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2009/07/aaron-sorkin-to-rewrite-moneyball.html


When it was announced that the MONEYBALL movie project was back on and that
Aaron Sorkin had been hired to rewrite the script a number of sports
websites linked to a satirical piece I wrote about three years called IF
AARON SORKIN WROTE A SHOW ABOUT BASEBALL. I was spoofing his then-series,
STUDIO 60. Thanks to Rob Neyer of ESPN and others I've gotten a ton of hits.
But for regular blog readers or new blog readers here's a reprint.
Everything old IS new again.

This is how I imagined a typical scene would go.

EXT. KAUFFMAN STADIUM -- NIGHT

THE MANAGER, LEO, TROTS OUT TO THE MOUND TO TALK TO BELEAGURED PITCHER,
DANNY (THERE’S ALWAYS A DANNY). THE BASES ARE LOADED. THE CROWD IS GOING
NUTS. IT’S GAME SEVEN OF THE WORLD SERIES.

LEO
You can’t get a good lobster in this town.

DANNY
Last I checked we were in Kansas City.

LEO
4.6 billion pork ribs sold every year and 18.9 tons of beef consumed
annually since 1997 –

DANNY
They like their beef, what can I tell ya?

LEO
But you’d think just for variety’s sake.

DANNY
I can still throw my curve.

LEO
For strikes?

DANNY
I’m not throwing enough?

LEO
I’ve seen more lobsters.

DANNY WALKS TO THE ROSIN SACK, GIVES IT A SQUEEZE, DECIDES TO KEEP WALKING.
HE AND LEO NOW WALK OUT INTO CENTER FIELD.

DANNY
It’s just that…

LEO
What? Kathy?

DANNY
No. Cabs. There’s no cohesiveness on this team. After road games, 25 cabs
for 25 players. There used to be a thing called “the greater good”, forgoing
your needs for the betterment of the team and community who looks to us for
their identity and self worth. When I’m trying to save a game I’m really
trying to save a factory. If baseball is a metaphor for life, then
responsibility is its first cousin simile. And Kathy.

LEO
That’s a “1” on your back and not a “2”.

DANNY
I can’t help it. She knocks my sanitary socks off.

THEY CROSS THE CENTER FIELDER, HECTOR.

HECTOR
(in thick accent) Hey, Skip. You know where we could get a lobster around
here?

LEO
Order a steak with butter sauce.

THEY REACH THE WALL AND BEGIN WALKING AROUND THE WARNING TRACK.

DANNY
I only became a pitcher because of her.

LEO
Does she know that?

DANNY
She knows that a human arm is not supposed to throw a baseball 100 miles per
hour. And she knows that Jesus Christ could strike out Babe Ruth every at
bat for ten years without so much as a rotator tear. But to answer your
question – what was your question again?

LEO
Can you still throw your curve ball for strikes?

DANNY
No. The other one.

LEO
Does Kathy know you became a pitcher for her?

THEY REACH THE RIGHT FIELDER, AN AFRO-AMERICAN NAMED CHET.

CHET
Look up in the stands, guys. Not four black faces. Would Jackie Robinson
even want to break into this game now? If this sport speaks to minorities
now it speaks in Spanish. Afro-Americans make up less than 5% of the major
leagues. Compare that to basketball, football, or even golf. Satchel Paige
said, “don’t look back, something might be gaining on ya.” I just did. It’s
now hockey.

LEO
Play a little closer to the line.

THEY CONTINUE WALKING AROUND THE WARNING TRACK.

DANNY
I think she knows.

LEO
But do you really know if she knows?

DANNY
No.

LEO
Then you know what you’ve got to do.

DANNY
Yeah.

LEO
Throw strikes.

DANNY
Right. Thanks.

LEO
And when you get home –

DANNY
Yeah?

LEO
Tell her.

DANNY
I’ll take her out for a lobster.

LEO
What do you mean, 25 cabs for 25 players?

AS THEY START AROUND THE WARNING TRACK FOR ANOTHER LAP, WE:

FADE OUT.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

If you like CJ as a Press Sec.  You'll love here as  the Chief of Staff.
Allison Janney takes here new role as Chief of Staff and Develops CJ in to a
powerful Character.  Its just Damm impressive to watch.
Its been said many times and deserves repeating. To all who have ever had a
Wonder Woman Fetish....





________________________________
From: CA Edington <ca_in_sapporo@...>
To: AaronSorkin@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 7:15:44 PM
Subject: [AaronSorkin] As Scene from Japan





On "The West Wing" in Japan, CJ has become the Chief of Staff and Leo is
recovering from his heart attack.  Because I read (I think) every single message
about TWW, I already knew what was going to happen, and I'm a bit misty-eyed
when I watch it, knowing about John Spencer's passing.

The episodes showing in Japan now are, of course, post-Sorkin years, but I still
think it is one of the best shows ever, and I'm glad I was able to share in the
experience of viewing it, albeit separated by a continent or two and a number of
years, with those on this list.

Thanks to Sarah for creating the list and for being here!
CA in Sapporo, Japan




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks for the message, CA!

Glad to hear that you're enjoying the West Wing out in Japan!

Tony

On Sat, Jul 11, 2009 at 5:15 PM, CA Edington <ca_in_sapporo@...> wrote:

>
>
> On "The West Wing" in Japan, CJ has become the Chief of Staff and Leo is
> recovering from his heart attack. Because I read (I think) every single
> message about TWW, I already knew what was going to happen, and I'm a bit
> misty-eyed when I watch it, knowing about John Spencer's passing.
>
> The episodes showing in Japan now are, of course, post-Sorkin years, but I
> still think it is one of the best shows ever, and I'm glad I was able to
> share in the experience of viewing it, albeit separated by a continent or
> two and a number of years, with those on this list.
>
> Thanks to Sarah for creating the list and for being here!
> CA in Sapporo, Japan
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On "The West Wing" in Japan, CJ has become the Chief of Staff and Leo is
recovering from his heart attack.  Because I read (I think) every single message
about TWW, I already knew what was going to happen, and I'm a bit misty-eyed
when I watch it, knowing about John Spencer's passing.

The episodes showing in Japan now are, of course, post-Sorkin years, but I still
think it is one of the best shows ever, and I'm glad I was able to share in the
experience of viewing it, albeit separated by a continent or two and a number of
years, with those on this list.

Thanks to Sarah for creating the list and for being here!
CA in Sapporo, Japan

Thanks Sarah.  We are still out here



________________________________
From: Ras Particle <rasparticle@...>
To: AaronSorkin@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 6:53:53 PM
Subject: Re: [AaronSorkin] News about Facebook script





Thanks for the update, Sarah!

Tony

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks for the update, Sarah!

Tony


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES

GRAND PRIZE:   A PRODUCTION DEAL <http://www.themoviedeal.com/> !

   DEADLINE: JULY 15th, 2009

   TMD! looking for INDIE, INTERESTING & ORIGINAL SCREENPLAYS!


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OF JOHN BARELYCORN, The MovieDeal! Screenplay Competition is looking to
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The goal is to produce a hit bigger than `Project Greenlight'
ever dreamed of.  We're looking for an original, innovative, yet
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Water.'  It doesn't matter what genre, it just has to be INDIE
and has to be INTERESTING!



You don't need representation to enter.  We want the best scripts in
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------------------------------------------------------------------------\
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ENTER HERE: <http://www.themoviedeal.com/#/infolist/4531191811>

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------------------------------------------------------------------------\
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--------------------------------



2008 CONTESTANT SUCCESS STORIES
<http://themoviedeal.com/#/interviews/4533745573>

The Movie Deal! 1st Season Contestant LEE TIDBALL gets SCRIPT OPTIONED!

Good news about your 2008 Movie Deal Family Category winner PRINCESS
REBORN; I've just signed an option for the script with Producer Matt
Chapman (of The Matt Chapman Company LLC).  We'll be working on a
rewrite (there's always a rewrite--grin), and then start taking it out
later in the summer, etc.

You should know that this was almost a direct result of my win in The
Movie Deal 2008.  That was a big enough deal for me to make an
announcement of it on an industry email network that I belong to.  Matt
is also on that list and requested the script.  I sent it to him and he
got back to me within just a couple weeks with a very enthusiastic
option proposal.  He and my ent. attorney worked out details, and I
signed the option with him while I was down in Burbank for the Great
American Pitch Fest this past weekend.

Thanks to you and your team there for your contest and providing another
viable way for us "unknown" screenwriters to get recognition, and in
this case anyway, get into the game.  Contact me if you need anymore
info or whatever.

Best...

Lee Tidball - Writer

Edgy, Exciting, Family-Friendly Entertainment



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i3c6dccc0e05490690150\
567b2cfc6596

Aaron Sorkin game for 'Moneyball'
Columbia taps scribe for baseball drama

By Steven Zeitchik

July 9, 2009

Columbia is sending Aaron Sorkin to the plate to take a new cut at "Moneyball."

The writer has been brought on to do a draft of the baseball drama, drawing on
Steve Zaillian's earlier take. The studio wants to move forward quickly with the
new iteration, with Sorkin set to turn in his version as soon as next month.

Brad Pitt remains on board to star, but Steven Soderbergh no longer will write
or direct and is not involved in the film.

Michael De Luca and Rachael Horovitz are producing "Moneyball," based on Michael
Lewis' best-seller about the Oakland A's and their unorthodox approach to
evaluating talent.

The project has attracted a series of A-listers since development was
jump-started last year.

After the project gestated for about four years, producers last year brought on
Zaillian to pen the script and David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada") to
direct. Pitt also was attached to star as former prospect and current A's GM
Billy Beane, the book's protagonist.

Several months after Zaillian turned in his script, the company opted for a new
version penned and helmed by Soderbergh. The project was set to go into
production last month.

But the plug was pulled just days before it was set to start, after Soderbergh
turned in a script that Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and
other execs deemed too different from what they signed up for. The studio put
the project into limited turnaround, giving filmmakers a chance to peddle it to
other studios.

In the end, however, Columbia decided to make another go of it with "The West
Wing" creator Sorkin, who will work from the Zaillian script, not the Soderbergh
one.

Sorkin has a close relationship with Sony. The A-list scribe recently completed
"The Social Network" -- known as the Facebook movie -- for the studio, which is
said to be pleased with it. Sorkin also penned Columbia's 1992 hit "A Few Good
Men."

The scribe also has experience writing tales set in the sports world, creating
the critically well-received "Sports Night" for ABC a decade ago.

here...

http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2009/07/social-network-facebook-movie.html

http://defamer.gawker.com/5309640/facebook-movie-turns-sean-parker-into-rock-sta\
r

Facebook Movie Turns Sean Parker Into Rock Star
By Ryan Tate, 8:16 PM on Tue Jul 7 2009, 363 views (Edit post, Set to draft,
Slurp)


The blog ScriptShadow got hold of the first draft of Aaron Sorkin's Facebook
movie. The verdict? The movie reads oddly mesmerizing, and has an unexpected
hero: Sean Parker, an early investor in the social network.

As the co-founder of Napster, Parker (pictured) was overshadowed by Sean
Fanning, who actually wrote the wildly-popular music-sharing software. Sorkin
reportedly brings Parker to the fore, giving him credit for lighting a fire
under Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and accelerating the company's growth.

ScriptShadow's Carson Reeves:

     And don't get me started on Sean Parker - a character that can become iconic
if the film is made. The brash techy rock star revels in his own ego, and is a
key player in why Facebook is on our computers today. Parker ended up selling
his portion of the company for - I believe - a couple hundred million dollars).

Zuckerberg, meanwhile, looks comparatively pathetic. In what Reeves calls a
"heartbreaking scene," he sits alone ("not one true friend") in a dark room and
"friends" the girl who dumped him right before he started Facebook. The movie
nevertheless bops along as something of a comedy, thanks to Sorkin's "crazy
unknown voodoo screenwriting tricks" and, apparently, jokes involving Facebook
use.

Zuckerberg, whose flacks have been trashing the unreleased book on which
Sorkin's script is based, may yet discover there are worse things than being
depicted having sex in bathroom stalls.

News about Aaron's new film! --



http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/david-fincher-to-direct-facebook-flick/


Best,
Linda.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I hadn't seen this ... seems appropriate for an AS discussion group:

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Zac-Efron-Guest-1006543.aspx

Relevant bit:

"[Zac Efron] ... joins a healthy roster of boldfaced names set to appear as
themselves during Season 6, including ... Aaron Sorkin."

I've read a few reviews of it that were well done, but have never actually seen
"Entourage." Also haven't been keeping up with the Facebook news or anything, so
this is probably old news to many.

> ... but you have to be a sap on some level to
> enjoy Sorkin, just as you had to be to enjoy Sorkin's
> spiritual ancestor, Frank Capra.

This made me laugh. Ah, the sappy, corny, sweet, idealistic scenes. (I'm a proud
sap-on-some-level. :) )

It's always nice to see the things you really like holding up over time--like
that dog-eared favorite children's book you read to the next generation that
becomes their favorite too.

Thanks, Susan. I haven't read Alan Sepinwall in a long time, but I enjoy his
work. I suppose I can say the same thing about "Sports Night" too.

Jo

--- On Thu, 6/4/09, Susan Scott <scottsr@...> wrote:
> From: Susan Scott <scottsr@...>
> Subject: [AaronSorkin] Alan Sepinwall: Summer Rewind: Sports Night
> To: AaronSorkin@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009, 4:05 PM
> Alan Sepinwall has chose Sports Night
> as one of his summer rewinds.
> If anyone is interested in watching it as well, I will be
> willing to post
> his column as he talks about each episode.
>
> First the Pilot:
>
> http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2009/06/sports-night-rewind-pilot.html
>
> Sports Night rewind: "Pilot"

Richard Schiff posted to Huffington Post the other day; here is the link if
anyone wants to check it out!



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-schiff/sag---just-say-no_b_212177.html


Best,
Linda.






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Actually, according to interviews and stuff on the DVD set, they did film
portions of first season shows in front of an audience.  They had a wall in
the set that they could take out and replace with seats for those scenes.  I
believe as they went on, they stopped doing this and just put in the canned
laughter, before getting rid of it all together.

-Mike

On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 12:13 PM, Jason Baker <tovarbaker@...>wrote:

>
>
>
> nothing frustrates me more than television writers or reviewers who
> apparently don't know much about television... there is no way Sports night
> was not filmed in front of a studio audience! it was canned laughter! I
> simply don't know how it would be possible to film a single camera comedy
> /drama in front of a live audience.
> back then there were no single camera 30 minute sitcoms (unlike today that
> is just about all there are) and I imagine that the execs at ABC didn't know
> how to handle a show like SP and decided to give it a laugh track... a very
> poor one at that. did you ever notice that the laughs all come at the wrong
> moments and with the wrong amount  of ... how should I put it, Laugh
> inflection! it almost feels like it was made for a different television
> show.
>
> anyway aside from that. interesting article. I love revisiting Sports
> Night. I often put in the DVD while I am folding laundry... there's no
> better way to match socks
>
> Jason
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

nothing frustrates me more than television writers or reviewers who apparently
don't know much about television... there is no way Sports night was not filmed
in front of a studio audience! it was canned laughter! I simply don't know how
it would be possible to film a single camera comedy /drama in front of a live
audience.
back then there were no single camera 30 minute sitcoms (unlike today that is
just about all there are) and I imagine that the execs at ABC didn't know how to
handle a show like SP and decided to give it a laugh track... a very poor one at
that. did you ever notice that the laughs all come at the wrong moments and with
the wrong amount  of ... how should I put it, Laugh inflection! it almost feels
like it was made for a different television show.

anyway aside from that. interesting article. I love revisiting Sports Night. I
often put in the DVD while I am folding laundry... there's no better way to
match socks

Jason

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Alan Sepinwall has chose Sports Night as one of his summer rewinds.
If anyone is interested in watching it as well, I will be willing to post
his column as he talks about each episode.

First the Pilot:



http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2009/06/sports-night-rewind-pilot.html

Sports Night rewind: "Pilot"



from What's Alan Watching? by Alan Sepinwall


Okay, finally time to get down to the third member of our summer
rewind troika, as we look back on the first-ever episode of "Sports
Night." Spoilers coming up just as soon as I tell Spike Lee to sit
down, shut up, and stop making documentaries about Kobe...

"It's your call, but pretty soon it's going to be my call. Because
here's the thing: I can't let it be their call." -Isaac

It's a funny thing, how magic works sometimes.

I was watching the "Sports Night" pilot for the first time in a few
years, dutifully taking notes in preparation for writing this post,
and all I could seem to do was find things to pick apart: Aaron Sorkin
hadn't yet figured out how to write dialogue that felt suited for TV
rather than the stage. Joshua Malina was playing to the cheap seats.
The studio audience (which I'll get back to at the end) was a colossal
miscalculation. Etc., etc., etc. I remembered that I hadn't loved the
series pilot in the first place, and understood that the show would
get (much) better over time, but there was a part of me that was
starting to wonder if maybe I should have watched a couple of episodes
before committing to a summer of this show...

...and then Dan and Casey rushed in to watch Ntozake Nelson go for the
world record, and the look on Peter Krause's face made me remember
exactly why I loved this show in the first place, and why I wanted to
re-visit it all these years later.

Yes, it's a sappy moment, but you have to be a sap on some level to
enjoy Sorkin, just as you had to be to enjoy Sorkin's spiritual
ancestor, Frank Capra. And if you have a weakness for a well-executed
emotional touchstone scene, then this show -- and scenes like the
climax of this pilot -- will make you fall for it, hard.

A lot of what sells the scene is Krause's expression, both as he
watches and then as he calls his son, but much of it comes from how
Sorkin laid pipe for it throughout the episode. 22 minutes and change
is not a lot of time to tell the kind of stories Sorkin likes to --
while I don't think the show's subject matter lent itself to an
hour-long format, I think 30 minutes or so with no commercials would
have been just about perfect -- but over the course of those 22
minutes, Sorkin manages to introduce all the characters and how they
relate to each other, establish that Casey's having a personal and
professional crisis, set up the tension with network management,
create a battle over the Ntozake Nelson feature, and even work in
Casey's rant about the evils of modern sports. Not all of it comes
through cleanly -- that last scene is fairly clunky, particularly
Casey's line about "a double homicide in Brentwood" -- but it all
comes together very nicely in that moment, and is a promise of greater
things to come.

It's easy to dismiss "Sports Night" as some kind of training ground
for "The West Wing" -- the place where Sorkin learned how far he could
take the repetitive rhythms of his dialogue on TV, where Tommy
Schlamme mastered the gliding camerawork that would become his
signature -- but that's unfair to this show. No, the stakes aren't as
high at a third-place cable sports operation as they were in the White
House, and there's no Earth-shaking drama like the President of the
United States cursing out God in the middle of National Cathedral. But
the performances are wonderful, and Sorkin manages to find the
thrilling moments -- and the silly ones -- in our love of sports, and
more universally in the way people can fall in love with their jobs
under the perfect circumstances.

I'm really looking forward to watching more episodes and discussing
them with you.

A few other thoughts:

• So, the laugh track -- or, rather, the studio audience. I think it's
important to make the distinction that this was live, albeit very
confused, laughter from people sitting in the bleachers watching a
taping, as opposed to canned laughter mixed in during post-production.
ABC was nervous about doing "Sports Night" without laughter of some
kind -- this was 1998, a year and a half before "Malcolm in the
Middle" became a big hit and made network executives less afraid of
going without the laugh track -- and insisted on the audience. The
problem was that Sorkin didn't write in the traditional
set-up/punch-line language of the kind of show that traditionally has
a laugh track, and the audience had no flipping idea how to respond.
You can hear the first tentative chuckles during Dan and Casey's
debate about cognac, and then slightly more assertive laughs during
the discussion of the kicker who can't kick, but the infrequency of
the laughter becomes much more of a distraction than having no
laughter at all. Sorkin and Schlamme fought for a while, and
eventually got rid of the studio audience by arguing that they needed
the studio space taken up by the bleachers to build a few more sets.
There was some kind of canned laughter, albeit more muted, for a while
after that, before the show was finally free of its tyranny once and
for all in season two. While a part of me wishes that the DVDs didn't
contain the laughs at all, the purist in me says we should be seeing
them the same way people had to watch 'em on ABC back in the day.

• I had forgotten that the opening (and often closing) shot of most
episodes was of the World Trade Center. Were the CSC offices supposed
to be in the towers, or just somewhere far downtown?

• Interesting that so much of the conflict in the pilot comes from the
network pressuring Dan to abandon Casey and move on with a new
co-host, when the second season makes it clear that Casey has always
been the star, and Dan, for all his talent, is viewed as the guy
riding coattails. I'm not saying the two points of view are in
conflict -- if Casey had really been this angry for a long time, I
don't think it would matter how bright his star used to be -- but it
definitely raised my eyebrow when I revisited the episode.

• So, who does Malina sound more like in the Spike Lee scene: Woody
Allen or Wallace Shawn? Or a yet-to-be-named third option? Malina
would find the right level quickly, but he's really broad here.

• Sorkin really loves to have his characters rattle off their resumes,
doesn't he?

• Back when the show was running, I'd get a letter or e-mail a few
times a month from a "Sports Night" viewer confused by what Dan Rydell
means when he says "those stories and more." ("What stories is he
talking about?") The idea, of course, is that we're only seeing what's
said in the studio, not what the fictional CSC viewer at home sees,
and Dan is referring to the clips being shown in the opening credits
for the show-within-the-show, just like the "SportsCenter" anchors did
then, and still do now.

Coming up next Wednesday: "The Apology," still considered many fans'
favorite episode.





~Susan

- Viva la Nerdalution
            - Zachary Levi


Trustworthiness:
Vendor reliability:
Privacy:
Child safety:
Trustworthiness:
Vendor reliability:
Privacy:
Child safety:

--- In AaronSorkin@yahoogroups.com, lindacourt@... wrote:
>
> Yet again, the news is popping with tidbits that give me fond "West Wing"
flashbacks!
>
>
>
> First, there's the Washington Post article about a potential Hispanic Supreme
Court justice -- paging Mendoza!
>
>
>
>
> Second, there's the comedian who "killed" at an event, but the White House is
not happy.  I'm even trying to remember if the fictional comedian was named
Sykes!<<

Linda,

I watched The Drop In last night and yes the comdian was Sykes, how funny. I
always wonder if it was based on something that happen with Clinton campaign,
and now it was just pretelling the future.

Pam
>
>
>
>
>

I apologize for the reply all, but I realized that the hyperlinks didn't showed
up..



http://www.wheniwalk.com


L.




> Hi guys,

> I'm not really one to do this and thow out OT links, but this one's important
to me. And considering our fictional former US President (and our favourite
scribe) brought the disease front and centre, I thought it applied...
> A friend of mine was diagnosed with MS a few years ago at the age of 25. He's
a very talented and acclaimed documentary filmmaker splitting time between
Vancouver and New York. In his young and promising career, he has shown
everywhere from HBO and PBS to Sundance and abroad.

> Since his diagnosis, he's taken on one of the bravest, if tragic challenges I
can imagine -- he's creating a documentary called "When I Walk" chronicling his
experience with the disease. It's still in progress and I'm not sure when he'll
decide it's ready, but in the meantime there is a trailer and he maintains a
video blog featuring recent eventual in-film vignettes.
> Please have a look: it's personal, informative and moving. God willing it
won't be the last film we get from him

> Thanks for your time,
>
> L.


_________________________________________________________________
Internet Explorer 8 helps keep your personal info safe.
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9655581

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yet again, the news is popping with tidbits that give me fond "West Wing"
flashbacks!



First, there's the Washington Post article about a potential Hispanic Supreme
Court justice -- paging Mendoza!




Second, there's the comedian who "killed" at an event, but the White House is
not happy.  I'm even trying to remember if the fictional comedian was named
Sykes!




Oh, well, back to fangirl lurkdom, but I couldn't resist... :-)


Best,
Linda.

http://fudgelady.livejournal.com/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

kfsm.com
/entertainment/sns-200905041658tmslizsmittr--x-a20090505may04,0,5273817.story

KFSM
FROM '9 TO 5' -- AND ALL DAY LONG -- ALLISON JANNEY IS DIVINE!
Smith, Liz

May 4, 2009





"IF YOU'RE an actor, you're trying as hard as you can to be out of control all
the while you also have to be in control of being out of control," said Warren
Beatty.

WENT TO the Marriott Marquis, where the stage door is almost right in Times
Square, to see Allison Janney who is so miraculous onstage these nights in the
Dolly Parton musical "9 to 5." (For someone skilled in the acting business, but
not really a singer or dancer, her prowess is astonishing!)

Everybody in America is in love with Allison Janney anyway -- and they have been
ever since her seven years as the president's press secretary on "The West
Wing." People all feel they "know" Allison and a lot of her fans expect, or
hope, she'll become their new best friend.

I suffer from such mythic fan seizures myself. And sure enough, Allison, who is
playing what they call the Lily Tomlin part, (if you are harking back to the
iconic movie of the same name), turns out to be just what you'd expect and hope
for. (It's always so great when a famous actor does not break your heart by
being a jerk in person.)

I tried to tell Allison how the public feels about her. She resisted as if I
were kidding. So then I segued onto Dolly Parton and how her lovability factor
is way up there. I said I believed Dolly could double park, or commit a crime
right there in Times Square and she'd be let off scot-free. Allison laughed.
"It's true. I agree. Dolly's lovability factor is very high. And people seem to
adore this show. I had never done a musical before and the fans for this are
just unbelievable. They are all infused with love for Dolly, for the idea, for
the memory of the film and they are so supportive. It's really thrilling to be
doing something that is so different for me. I'm not really a singer, although I
am studying like crazy with vocal coach Liz Kaplan.

"The only time I ever sang before was for a breast cancer benefit where I
performed the Larry Hart song "Zip" with special lyrics sending up people in
L.A."

"How did you trip into "9 to 5?" I asked. Allison said, "Well, I had worked
before with Joe Mantello.

He thought I could do this and I guess I just trusted his judgment. You know I
once did a little play for him in New York called "Fat Men in Skirts." I
remember going onstage and I felt nobody in the audience was looking at me or
paying any attention to me.

"So I looked hard at the audience and there were Jackie Onassis, John Kennedy
Jr., Al Pacino, Ellen Burstyn and Mike Nichols sitting down front. No wonder no
one was looking at me! Well, anyway, I had a great letter from Mike Nichols
after and he has become a real supporter. But I let Mantello talk me into this
musical."

We talked about the first thing that happens in "9 to 5" -- a man crosses the
stage with a big erection. She seemed to muse. "Y - e - sss! But it's funny,
kind of sweet, it's not vulgar."

Is there a love interest in this dynamite woman's life? Would she have time? Her
list of movies, plays and TV shows is so long, it's absolutely daunting; she
must work all the time. Allison said, "No, and I'm not married. I have been
engaged three times but every time I step back from the brink. I find I am
always on the verge of backing out. But I'm not lonely. And I have my dog
'Addie.' She is an Australian cattle dog mix. I searched and found her online."
('Addie' is on Allison's cell phone and I duly admire her photo. She is a
handsome dog, a mixed gray with spots. Never saw quite anything like her.)

I told Allison how much I had enjoyed her in many movies, for instance in "The
Hours." She said, "All the time I worked on that I was thinking, 'Omigod, I am
Meryl Streep's lover. I'm here in bed with Meryl Streep. She's just about to
kiss me. It was quite an experience."

Allison and I had our visit just before "9 to 5" -- the musical -- opened to
raves. At that time, they were still making changes. I asked Allison if the
musical is essentially different from when it ran for six weeks in L.A.?

"Well, it has changed a lot and for the better.

But we had such support in L.A. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman of
the original movie all came to see us and to cheer us on. But we've gotten
better and better. It was too much like the movie then and when they started
changing it, we, the actors, had an unusual reaction -- we said to each other
'Wow! These are good changes."

So now in New York, Allison Janney will add to a fan club she didn't know she
had. I asked if she missed "The West Wing." She thought and said, "The last two
years were just brutal and infuriating; that was after we stepped up the filming
schedule. We'd tape several shows at once and we didn't know what we were doing
at times."

Then Allison asked me if I knew Martin Sheen, who had played the president? We
both did a 15-minute rave on this wonderful man. Allison mused, her chin on her
hands, her big fabulous stage-perfect eyes glittering. She sighed: "But I would
still be doing 'The West Wing" ... I'd be doing it for the rest of my life if it
had been possible."

NOW, I know all of this has been about Allison and she does indeed perform a
miracle on the "9 to 5" stage. But she is not the only star. Megan Hilty is
adorable and so sexy. Her character is loosely based on Dolly Parton herself.
And Stephanie J. Block, who comes straight from her "Wicked" role as Elphaba, is
touching sweet and "wicked."

But without a reason for revenge, there is no "9 to 5," so kudos to Marc
Kudisch, who gets what's coming to him as the chauvinist executive who puts
women down. The women then send him up -- flying in chains above the set for
most of the time. The audience goes nuts for this. Ironically, one comes to love
this male, hormonal heretic. (A Tony nom for sure.) I doubt we'll ever sing the
Parton score. (That only happens to musical revivals of another era.) But "9 to
5" is 24/7, one of the most enjoyable time trips on Broadway!

(E-mail Liz Smith at MES3838@..., or write to her c/o Tribune Media
Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207.)



Copyright © 2009, Tribune Media Services






















 
http://www.kfsm.com/entertainment/sns-200905041658tmslizsmittr--x-a20090505may04\
,0,5273817.story








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2009/04/27/Radcliffe-Fonda-up-for-Drama-De\
sk-Awards/UPI-22571240862902/




Radcliffe, Fonda up for Drama Desk Awards


Published: April 27, 2009 at 4:08 PM

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Slideshow

1 of 12



Actor Daniel Radcliffe makes his Broadway debut in the revival Broadway
production of Peter Shaffer play Equus on September 25, 2008. (UPI Photo/Ezio
Petersen)



Related Searches


"outstanding actress" search results
"West Wing" search results
"outstanding actor" search results NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- Bill Irwin,
Daniel Radcliffe, Jane Fonda, Stockard Channing and Allison Janney were among
the actors nominated for Drama Desk Awards in New York Monday.
Shortlisted for outstanding actor in a play are Irwin for "Waiting for Godot,"
Radcliffe for "Equus," Simon Russell Beale for "The Winter's Tale," Reed Birney
for "Blasted," Raul Esparza for "Speed-The-Plow,"
Geoffrey Rush for "Exit the King" and Thomas Sadoski for "reasons to be pretty."
Up for the Drama Desk Award for outstanding actress in a play are Fonda for "33
Variations," Saidah Arrika Ekulona for "Ruined," Marcia Gay Harden for "God of
Carnage," Elizabeth Marvel for "Fifty Words," Jan Maxwell for "Scenes From an
Execution" and Janet McTeer for "Mary Stuart."
In the running for outstanding actor in a musical are James Barbour from "A Tale
of Two Cities," Daniel Breaker and Brian d'Arcy James from "Shrek The Musical,"
Josh Grisetti from "Enter Laughing The Musical," Sahr Ngaujah from "Fela!" and
Will Swenson from "Hair."
Nominated for outstanding actress in a musical are Channing for "Pal Joey,"
Janney, Megan Hilty and Stephanie J. Block for "9 to 5," Sutton Foster for
"Shrek the Musical" and Karen Murphy for "My Vaudeville Man!"
Janney and Channing were members of the cast of TV's "The West Wing." Fonda
co-starred in the 1980 film version of "9 to 5," the basis for the
award-nominated stage show, along with another "West Wing" alum, Lily Tomlin.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26blan.html



April 26, 2009
Television
Determination, With Giggles and Quarrels
By MARK BLANKENSHIP

DURING a recent rehearsal for an Off Broadway play, it was hard to remember that
Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson star in a fizzy television series like
“Cupid.” Circling each other, they spit out some of the nastiest lines in Mark
Schultz’s “Gingerbread House,” a dark satire about a couple who decide to sell
their children.

At one point the actors carried their intensity out of the scene, pausing to
discuss the timing of some overlapping lines. As they debated the right moment
for Mr. Cannavale’s shady businessman to interrupt Ms. Paulson’s distraught
mother, they grew more and more intense, cutting each other off to advocate
their artistic points. They weren’t fighting, exactly, but the tension was
thick.

Then Mr. Cannavale made a joke about things “getting heavy,” and Ms. Paulson
scrunched her face and did a little dance. The air cleared, everyone in the room
laughed, and it was easy to imagine the actors appearing on “Cupid,” ABC’s
cotton-candy show about a man who thinks he’s the god of love. (Mr. Cannavale
plays the title character, and Ms. Paulson plays Claire, a psychiatrist who
doubts his immortality and his sanity.)

That balance — earnestly determined about their work but not taking themselves
too seriously — has allowed Ms. Paulson and Mr. Cannavale to navigate two such
markedly different projects. “Cupid” is broadcast on Tuesday nights on ABC, and
“The Gingerbread House,” presented by the stageFarm, opened on April 18 at
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in the West Village.

“I’ll be doing a scene with Bobby, and Sarah will be off camera making monkey
faces,” said Rick Gomez, who plays Mr. Cannavale’s landlord and boss on “Cupid.”
“It creates this atmosphere of kids one-upping each other, and you feel like
you’re free to play.”

It’s not all goofing off on the set. “With Bobby and Sarah the work is never
done,” Mr. Gomez said. “There’s always one more thing to try, and it really
pushes you to do better work.”

Since its premiere last month “Cupid” has earned mediocre ratings (around six
million viewers a week) and received mixed reviews, though many critics praised
the two leads. (A similar reaction greeted the play.) When Alex Kilgore,
stageFarm’s artistic director, cast them in “The Gingerbread House,” “Cupid” was
not yet on the air. Mr. Kilgore said he knew they had filmed the series, and
while that wasn’t the reason he cast them, it was certainly an asset.

“It made me feel like we were ahead of the game,” Mr. Kilgore said. “There was a
real comfort between them from the moment they read the script, so instead of
waiting two weeks for everyone to trust each other, I was able to start focusing
on what the play is really about.” (Evan Cabnet replaced Mr. Kilgore as director
of “The Gingerbread House” a few days before opening.)

The two actors make a striking physical pair. Mr. Cannavale, 37, is tall and
dark. He’s known for his guy’s-guy charm in television series like “Will &
Grace” and his brooding charisma with a hint of menace in plays like
“Hurlyburly” and “Mauritius” (for which he received a Tony nomination). Ms.
Paulson, 34, is a serious-looking blonde, lauded for her intelligent humor on
Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and her subtle evocation of
regret in the Roundabout Theater’s 2008 revival of “Crimes of the Heart.”

Mr. Cannavale and Ms. Paulson overlap professionally, in their lack of formal
training and their similar approaches to developing a role. “In both jobs we
just want to make it clear that we want something,” Mr. Cannavale said, sharing
a couch with Ms. Paulson after a rehearsal of “The Gingerbread House.”

Ms. Paulson added: “There’s just no point in doing it if the stakes aren’t high.
I try to make the stakes for my character just as high in ‘Cupid’ as they are in
this play, because if they aren’t, who’s going to care?”

Ms. Paulson said she was glad to work with Mr. Cannavale onstage, since
television’s quick shooting schedule doesn’t allow for much discussion of what’s
happening in a scene. “I always feel shortchanged, somehow, working on
television,” she said, “because I don’t ever feel like I can get to a place
where my performance is as good as it can be. With this play I’m relieved that
we don’t have to figure out the answers in the 10 minutes before we start
shooting. We can all investigate the nooks and crannies.”

Asked how she creates a role, Ms. Paulson said she searched for the pieces of a
character that were like herself, rather than trying to construct an entirely
fictional person. “Otherwise it comes off like, ‘Oh, I want to make her nervous,
so I’ll be a hand-wringer,’ ” she said. “It seems dishonest.”

“That’s weird,” Mr. Cannavale said. “I haven’t heard you say that, but now I
know one of the reasons I connect with you. I go the same way. I go with how I
relate to the character, then I pull away the things I know wouldn’t help.”

Then Ms. Paulson teased Mr. Cannavale about a day when he was hamming it up on
the “Cupid” set: “You said, ‘Should that be less big? And I said: ‘Yes.
Definitely.’ ”

Mr. Cannavale thrust his arm in the air like a heroic statue. “Right,” he said,
“because I was doing it like, ‘I’ve got a match to make!’ ”

Ms. Paulson said: “It’s funny because we do check in with each other. I’m a very
sensitive person, and normally if an actor told me my performance wasn’t
working, I’d be like” back off. “And I’d start posturing and defending my turf.
But I don’t do that with Bobby.”

Mr. Cannavale said: “Yeah, me too. Sarah and I clicked when we met, and I think
we knew right away we had something like-minded. When you meet a friend, it’s
just there.”





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