Post by Admin on Aug 16, 2003 23:47:27 GMT
I don't know how many of you were aware of the existence of another political drama from the wonderful world of NBC Televison, the self-confessed West Wing 'spin-off' (please do NOT ignore the use of apostraphes right there), Mister Sterling.
Let us take note that while an NBC show, this production is from Universal Studios. Therefore we can class this as their attempt to replicate Warner Bros. success with The West Wing.
Falls flat on it's arse, so it does.
From the start: The show is about a US senator called Bill Sterling (Josh Brolin, son of James, TWWs Robert Ritchie). He's from California and now in Washington DC after accepting the senator job when the former senator died. This all takes place in the same world as The West Wing, ie., Jed Bartlet is the President of The United States. But don't expect to be hearing 'President Bartlet said....' whatever. Here he's relegated to being 'The President', and our favourite group of team workers are 'Those young kids at the White House'. In fact, the only way I know this all takes place in Bartlet's America is because it said so on the know defunct website.
That's where the similarities stop.
Everything about it is bad. The storylines are dull, boring. Why? Because the writers may be trying to copy Sorkin and they're not coping very well. And stereotypes are used in a painful way. Please cringe at any given time. This show is too weak to be impressive.
There's little care about the cast. Certainly not an ensemble piece of brilliance like The West Wing. It's not that the actors are bad (although some of them might well be), it's that they don't have the material - we're talking script here - they need in order to create something good.
It pleases me to know that NBC has cancelled the show after airing one season comprised of nine episodes.
I'm basing my judgements having seen one of those episodes, so I could be off the mark with my comments. But if the newspapers in this country can diss any given programme after seeing one episode (I'm sure you've all read reviews of a programme shown the previous night, in any one of the national papers) then I'm hoping my opinion has some value.
The nine episodes of Mister Sterling were available to download earlier this year, back in January. I always viewed the series with curiosity but it had to wait. Back in January, and in the months following, I was busy acquiring season four of The West Wing.
In conclusion, Mister Sterling is an exciteless piece of televison that ranks alongside the court room drama babble usually repeated on Saturday afternoons on any given television channel.
I ask you. What type of show employs pornstar Jenna Jameson in a guest starring role? Mister Sterling is the answer. "She doesn't do porn anymore" is the insiteful information divulged by another guest star, and with that, the only part of this show you'll ever remember.
(ps. I'd like to clear up that I know Jenna Jameson is a pornstar because this show told me so)
The End.
Let us take note that while an NBC show, this production is from Universal Studios. Therefore we can class this as their attempt to replicate Warner Bros. success with The West Wing.
Falls flat on it's arse, so it does.
From the start: The show is about a US senator called Bill Sterling (Josh Brolin, son of James, TWWs Robert Ritchie). He's from California and now in Washington DC after accepting the senator job when the former senator died. This all takes place in the same world as The West Wing, ie., Jed Bartlet is the President of The United States. But don't expect to be hearing 'President Bartlet said....' whatever. Here he's relegated to being 'The President', and our favourite group of team workers are 'Those young kids at the White House'. In fact, the only way I know this all takes place in Bartlet's America is because it said so on the know defunct website.
That's where the similarities stop.
Everything about it is bad. The storylines are dull, boring. Why? Because the writers may be trying to copy Sorkin and they're not coping very well. And stereotypes are used in a painful way. Please cringe at any given time. This show is too weak to be impressive.
There's little care about the cast. Certainly not an ensemble piece of brilliance like The West Wing. It's not that the actors are bad (although some of them might well be), it's that they don't have the material - we're talking script here - they need in order to create something good.
It pleases me to know that NBC has cancelled the show after airing one season comprised of nine episodes.
I'm basing my judgements having seen one of those episodes, so I could be off the mark with my comments. But if the newspapers in this country can diss any given programme after seeing one episode (I'm sure you've all read reviews of a programme shown the previous night, in any one of the national papers) then I'm hoping my opinion has some value.
The nine episodes of Mister Sterling were available to download earlier this year, back in January. I always viewed the series with curiosity but it had to wait. Back in January, and in the months following, I was busy acquiring season four of The West Wing.
In conclusion, Mister Sterling is an exciteless piece of televison that ranks alongside the court room drama babble usually repeated on Saturday afternoons on any given television channel.
I ask you. What type of show employs pornstar Jenna Jameson in a guest starring role? Mister Sterling is the answer. "She doesn't do porn anymore" is the insiteful information divulged by another guest star, and with that, the only part of this show you'll ever remember.
(ps. I'd like to clear up that I know Jenna Jameson is a pornstar because this show told me so)
The End.