The idiot box gets smart

Holy shit. I just watched the premiere of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” and wow. The series had tons of hype coming into the fall season with critics hailing it as the “Next Big Thing.“ Let me tell you, it lived up to its billing. This show is smart. Whip smart. It’s a show-within-a-show that follows the backstage goings on at a suspiciously “SNL”-like sketch comedy show (hell, it's even on the NBS channel...) that has lost its funny. It opens with the longtime producer having an on-air “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” breakdown about the abysmal state of television. And it only gets better. Plus, while I don’t see any discernable gay content yet, the show stars out actress Sarah Paulson. Interestingly, she plays a devout Christian actress/singer. I know, now you’re thinking, “Damn! Why didn’t I watch.” Fear not, you still can. Through the magic of the interweb, you can catch the whole thing online, today. If you still need convincing, read the raves from my favorite TV columnist Tim Goodman.