You know, I am almost sorry I did that post asking for recommendations for television series, because if I had not done it, then Gabby would not have recommended Sports Night, and if Gabby had not recommended Sports Night, I would not have thought, “Fine. FINE. I will watch Sports Night. Fine,” and I would not be sitting here four episodes into the second season, seized with panic because the series will end for good after this season, it will END and there WILL BE NO MORE.
It took me several episodes to get into it. After the first one, I thought I might stop watching. I found the laugh track distracting. I didn’t think the show was very funny, and I thought it was trying too hard to be snappy. I thought the jokes were kind of dumb and sitcomy. I only stuck with it because first episodes can be rough, and I wanted to give it a fair try before abandoning it. I think it was during the third episode that I realized there was no going back. Now I wait for my next Netflix envelope with the jittery anticipation of a parent in spitting distance of the children’s bedtime.
Each episode leaves me in a combination of laughing and crying. The ratio varies depending on subject matter. I love all of those people. I love their rapid talking. I love the plots. I love the romantic relationships. I want to go work with them, and maybe make out with some of them.
This is a great series. It’s great. I understand now why all the critics were saying, “IT’S A GREAT SERIES GOLDANG IT WOULD YOU PEOPLE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY JUST WATCH IT.” You know whose fault it is that I never watched it, even when critics I trusted were telling me to? It’s the fault of whoever came up with that stupid name for the show. Sports Night! When it’s not about sports! Why did that seem like a good idea?
I even used to try to watch it. I would read yet another critic’s review that begged me to watch it, and I would think, “Fine. FINE. I will watch Sports Night. Fine,” and then I would look on the TV guide website and I’d be like, “SportsCenter, that sounds right.” And of course it was not right, and I’d be thinking, “See, they SAID it was not about sports, but this IS about sports. I don’t like sports.”
(You know what’s a funny word if you say it too many times in a row? “Sports.” Sports sports sports sports sports. How does anyone say it with a straight face? SPORTS. It’s like…spurts. And sporks. And pork.)
So now I’m finally watching it, and I really love it, and soon I will have watched all the existing episodes and then what? THEN what? It isn’t as if I can sign a petition to keep the show on the air or something, it’s LONG GONE.
I don’t know if I should recommend it to you or not. On one hand, it’s great. On the other hand, if you watch it, you will soon be where I am, and that is a sad, sad place indeed.
That is exactly the way I feel about “Freaks and Geeks.” And pork. Pork, pork, pork, pork.
I couldn’t watch that show either. I still can’t. I tried… but I can’t… what’s the magic secret??
I felt the same way about Scrubs, now I have a much better appreciation for it.
In my early 20’s, as I was finishing my undergrad degree, I mourned the loss of several good (and at the same time, bad) shows that marked the end of an era for me. Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, 90210. It was like giving up my youth – which I was sort of in the process of doing. I totally get what you’re saying.
I never could get into Sports Night either, even though I tried. Glad to know it really was good, though I’m not sure I’ll watch. Only two seasons, just not enough.
THEN, if you must know, you will buy the DVD box set and watch it all over again. Er … So I hear. Not that I did that.
And not that my choice of career would be influenced in even the smallest way by how fun it looked on a sitcom.
(I’m a TV news producer. Turns out, it IS fun. Phew.)
— squandra
Fine. It’s in my Netflix queue anyway.
oh god, we got addicted when it was still on the air. i think my husband nearly had a heart attack when he found it it was being canceled. it was such a good show… i totally understand how you are feeling right now!
It’s the human spirit and it will not be denied.
Possibly Sports Night wasn’t meant to last; maybe it wouldn’t have shone so brightly if it had burned longer. But what there was was wonderful.
And I love Josh Charles. That is all.
I love love LOVED that show and was so sad when it went off the air. If I remember correctly, there was no laugh track when it was on tv. They must have added it to the DVD version and I agree that it’s distracting and totally unnecessary. Now I’m going to have to go pull out my DVDs to watch them again.
Sports Night wasn’t appreciated in its time. Gah that show! I sometimes would try to memorize the witty lines so I could pass it off as my own, but I always ended up sounder lamer than I do right now.
Yay! I’m so glad you love it!! And I did the same thing as you. Never watched it because, hello? Sports? I don’t think so. But it’s so, so good. And we watched the entire series in a weekend (Yikes!) and now I will own it and watch it over & over again and love it more & more. And Dana and Casey are just two of my favorite people and then end still kills me because I don’t want them to be gone. But it’s so good…
It’s the same thing as Firefly. I watch them over & over wishing it was a longer series. And that I had given it a chance even though I thought it was all sci-fi and I hate sci-fi, but I love Firefly.
I watched Sports Night back in the day and loved it.
Now, I am getting night sweats about my beloved FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS having their season finale next week. What will I do without my Kyle all summer?