"Sports Night"

1998-2000
-created by aaron sorkin
Sorkin's first television series, it lasted two seasons. Upon cancellation, the voice of upset fans was far-reaching. Fans of his later shows may be rightfully mystified as to why. I suppose the kind of honesty and reality it was attempting felt a bit revolutionary to the puddle-deep sitcom world of 1998...but viewed in comparison with his later work, SPORTS NIGHT often feels amateurish, lacking the nuance of WEST WING, STUDIO 60, and THE NEWSROOM. Wonderful actors are sometimes placed into no-win situations by forced dialogue.
GOODEST EPISODES
-Shoe Money Tonight
The first episode to glimmer with the cohesively brilliant dialogue sorkin would master in THE WEST WING, specifically in an interchange between jeremy (joshua malina) and natalie (sabrina lloyd). She's having unjustifiable trust issues in their romance, and during a staff poker game, he challenges her to get over them and realize what she has. She fails, but he takes her home anyway (well, who wouldn't?).
-The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee
Seven college football players refuse to play under a confederate flag. Is the guest appearance of an unknown who would later act her way into a beloved regular role on THE WEST WING, enough to elevate this average episode onto a "best-of" list? Well, yes. Janel moloney gives a brief but wonderful turn as an under-appreciated wardrober.
-Cliff Gardner
A somewhat blah episode, but william h. macy fans (and if you aren't, WHY NOT?) will be well-rewarded. In his second of six episodes as arrogant ratings expert sam donovan, he gives an absolutely brilliant speech about philo farnsworth's brother-in-law.
-Celebrities
Natalie organizes a late-night game of Celebrity (the only time the coolest party game ever appears on television?). Casey has to tell dan that only one of them made the "most influential people in sports" list. Jeremy, post-breakup, has a scintillating and sweet flirtation with a woman at a bar (paula marshall - CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, CALIFORNICATION). When he finds out she's a porn actress, he bolts.