With high-pedigreed shows already dropping like flies (Smith, Kidnapped) after being given only a couple of episodes to find an audience, it's only a matter of time before the merciless guillotine of impatient network executives comes down on its next victim. TV has never been an industry concerned with art for the sake of art. If you're not getting ratings, you won't have a spot in prime time. The film industry is far better at this; they often let critically acclaimed, independent artists make their own films, not expecting them to make a lot of money. On TV, if your show happens to be critically beloved while getting the necessary ratings, that's just icing on the cake. However, no matter how great your show is, a lack of ratings will seal your fate.
With this in mind, the plight of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is one to watch. At this moment, it's young life may be hanging in the balance. Unfair, to be sure; Studio 60 is easily the best new show on television and has the potential to become the best overall drama on the air. NBC, however, isn't concerned with that right now. The network has poured zeppelin-sized loads of money into producing and promoting the SNL satire. The confidence that NBC once had in Studio 60 is now hampered by underwhelming, and steadily declining, ratings. Pitted against low-brow heavyweight CSI: Miami, I don't know if top 5 in the Nielsen's was ever a realistic goal, even in the eyes of NBC executives. However, what I'm sure they didn't expect was a severe, week-to-week decline in ratings. If anything, the expected outcome of Studio 60's inaugural weeks was likely a swift upturn in viewers based on positive word-of-mouth. What happens tonight, ratings-wise, for Studio 60 is probably as important as it's going to get this season. Will the numbers continue to slide, possibly forcing NBC's hand to either scale down production or cancel it altogether? Or will the ratings finally level off and remain at a steadily respectable level? It must be remembered that creator Aaron Sorkin's last hit show, “The West Wing� took a couple of seasons to reach its peak as a perennial Nielsen top 5. I hope NBC has the patience to stay with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It deserves it. -Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer