Shapster11

Usually when there is as much buildup to a premiere episode it doesn't live up to the hype. This show is the notable exception. Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme have done it again. Now the challenge is to do keep on doing it as they did with Sports Night and The West Wing.

The cast comprises a mini-The West Wing reunion (Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, and Timothy Busfield) along with many familiar and not so familiar faces. In typical Sorkin fashion the dialog is both witty and snappy in its delivery. The humor is sarcastic, cutting edge, biting, and rapid and we get an insight into the background of a live television show modeled eerily after Saturday Night Live.

The pilot does what a good pilot should do, and that is set the stage for the why we are at where we are at. It introduces us not only to the characters but to the whole premise and reason for the show. It grabs the viewer and made me say "I can't wait for next week to see how this storyline takes shape".

Based on the pilot I make the following observations about the cast. Steven Weber is superb as the hard ass corporate exec. who straddles the fence between the corporate suits and the network hierarchy. For me the jury is out on Amanda Peet. I normally like her very much but I am having a tough time seeing her as Network President. Both Perry and Busfield have an unmistakable chemistry and play well off one another. Their characters are those of an extraordinary duo that produce high end material and superb judgment. They are co-dependent and the perfect yin-yang for the show. We'll see how D.L.Hugely's character, along with the others, develops but I have a feeling there are a lot of good places this show can go.

So bring it on NBC, I'm already a new fan...just keep the material fresh and the story lines crisp.

Whether you agree with his point of view or not Maher does offer a forum for rebuttal. Instead of the usual bashing of his show, as some conservatives are want to do, some people have accepted invites to appear either in interviews or on the panel. I have found the show provocative and superb at times. Often times I find, as with most sarcastic humor, strings of truth when Maher does his opening or closing remarks. The "New Rules" segment is a terrific part of the show and one fans look forward to every week.

I have also found Maher to be especially tough on Democrats whether Republicans believe it or not. He is as cynical about Democrats ability to offer an alternative message as he is biting in his critique of Pres. Bush and Republicans. However, the one thing he is right on the money about is his criticism and dismay at the way Americans excuse this president's affliction with Webster's Dictionary. Whether you favor our actions in Iraq or not, the handling of terrorism, the secret spy program, Katrina etc. or not I think all are fair game and I believe Maher offers an opportunity for all viewpoints.

I think the biggest problem conservatives (Republicans) have with Maher is that they don't get the free pass they get with conservative talk radio. Maher will eviscerate liberals and democrats if he thinks they are full of it. He will, as we know, go after Republicans with guns blazing. Conservative talk radio tends to be submissive to Republicans and smash away at Democrats that they label liberal.

Overall I only wish more Americans would watch these highly watchable shows like Real Time, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. At least, if they did, we would not have almost 43% of Americans polled almost four years after the fact( and after both Bush and Cheney openly admit there was no direct link to 9/11 from Iraq) still believing Iraqi's were behind the attacks!

One of my absolute favorite sitcoms of all time. A cleverly written and extremely well acted show revolving around 8 people's lives and their jobs which are based at the airport. The cast is terrific and I won't bore you with each character's nuances other than to say all the roles were very well cast. The comedy is ironic, sarcastic, sardonic, slapstick, politically incorrect, and sexist. And those are but a handful of reasons I loved this show. Now that the show has gone to DVD I would recommend it highly whether you were a fan or would like to see smart comedy. If you weren't a fan you'll see many familiar faces and it was, after all, the show that launched the career of Tony Shalhoub (MONK). Hope you love it the way I did!