As SportsNight drifts more annoyingly into soap opera, the sophomoric arc of Dana and Casey takes center stage. My review(s) and re-viewing of the show is in context of doing do almost 25 years after it's original broadcast.
One of many aspects of this main story arc is that the actors have no discernable chemistry. Both are so painfully obviously ACTING the scripts they're given, rather than finding ways to dig past the glib Aaron Sorkin dialogue.
Krause never had nor had the skill set to rise above his affected voice and little bit smirking, and Huffman is and will be remembered as a good example of why not to bring stage acting to TV. Both seem firmly attached to acting as technique instead of something deeper, instead of reaching for more. Both seem VERY conscious of managing their own brands, thus unable to lose themselves in the characters.
This is a constraint or risk of Sorkin's dialogue, as can be seen in West Wing and other Sorkin projects. SportsNight is early Sorkin, and most of these actors were relatively early-ish in their careers, especially in TV. So, we see and HEAR the focus on delivering the sparkling electric, often brilliant and startling dialogue.
So, 25 years later, including theore refined execution of West Wing, the contrivances is SportsNight are obvious.
No one has ever handled Sorkin scripts better than Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler). And, there are several other actors who do a fine job, too. It's a treat to see this early iteration of Sorkin TV project, for its own sake, as a clinic in the power of writing and creating a symphony like this, and as a stepping stone of Sorkin's journey.
SportsNight is well worth your time. Enjoy it.
BTW: The character that William Macy brings to the show is outstanding - a jolt, a much-needed jolt to the show, both fictional and 'real' SportsNight.
His scene walking the network team through the studio (Sorkin's walking dialogue) is classic Sorkin. I would fast-forward through an old VCR tape for as long as it takes, just to get to this scene. It is breath-taking! Macy is amazing.
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