When I first started watching The Good Wife, I mentioned on Twitter that I never thought Josh Charles was especially attractive until he became Will Gardner. Someone (Nic, I think) encouraged me to watch Sports Night, and I made a mental note to do just that. See, I've decided to actually begin taking TV recommendations from smart people instead of complaining I'm all out of good stuff to watch while ignoring everyone around me. Sports Night also happens to be on Netflix, which is so much nicer than having to pay to watch a show. I bet you're going to bring up that I pay for Netflix. I wish you would stop making so much sense, it's kind of annoying.
Anyway, it also happens to be a half-hour comedy, so each episode is something like 21 minutes and I can fly through three episodes in an hour while folding laundry or writing thank-you notes. Notice I said I can fold laundry, not that I do.
Sports Night is an Aaron Sorkin show, so it's all about the quick dialogue and whip-smart-but-goofy-and-flawed characters. It's a lot of fun, even when it's a little over-the-top with its earnestness at times. You enjoy getting a glimpse of this unique work environment -- colleagues as family is another thing Aaron Sorkin does well, right? -- and the comedy/stories also stand the test of time since the show was filmed in the late 90s. Check out the computers! It's like a different world.
Josh Charles is one of the main sports anchors (alongside Peter Krause, who I like, but who will always be Adam Braverman to me), and he's just totally adorable in the role. (Check out this scene; it's one of my favorites.) It's funny to me, how I went from watching him in The Good Wife just a few weeks ago -- a show that almost always errs on the side of less-is-more dialogue -- to watching him basically be non-stop charming and chatty in Sports Night. Totally different characters, love them both.
You'll also recognize a whole slew of supporting characters from other Sorkin shows and other shows in general, and it's kind of fun seeing them all fresh and baby-faced nearly 15 years ago.
So, if you're in the market for a new show, especially one that's easy to watch and enjoyable, too, I highly recommend. Especially since I'll likely write about Southland next, which is the exact opposite of easy to watch, my goodness what a pilot that was.
What are you watching this week?
(Oh, this Sorkinisms video is pretty fantastic if you've got a few extra minutes to devote to Aaron Sorkin today.)