So, yeah,
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip may have lost to
CSI: Miami on Monday night. Big deal.
As we reported earlier, the overall ratings went in
CSI's favor, but the 18-49 demographic ratings were virtually the same.
Studio 60 was heavily marketed, but the pilot was also widely seen in myriad venues by the public (Netflix, AOL, illegal downloading, etc.). The real test is next Monday, when
CSI: Miami goes back to it's normal Miami setting after a gimmicky episode set in Rio De Janeiro and
Studio 60 looks to add to to it's audience with it's first new episode that no one has seen.
My belief is that anything that is really, really good (and accessible) will find it's audience somehow. The pilot of St
udio 60 was so excellent that I expect it to both retain it's initial viewers and add countless more via word of mouth.
Maybe I'll be proven wrong.
Studio 60 may not be for everyone. Some have suggested that the material is too "inside", meaning that only those intimately familiar with the machinations of the TV industry will respond to the show. I find this utterly ridiculous. Aren't all shows "inside" some industry. No one was totally familiar with the coroner's office (
CSI) or the White House ("The West Wing") until those respective show's premiered. Why is there a supposed double standard when the subject matter goes into the entertainment industry.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip will be an Emmy winner, a perpetual top 15 in the Nielsons, and will spurn a dedicated fan following. You can put that in the bank.
-Oscar Dahl