The satire of the "not ready for prime-time players" was not ready for Web surfers.
The pilot for the new Aaron Sorkin show, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, appeared on YouTube early Wednesday before NBC, which recently signed a content-sharing deal with the site, forced its removal. The pilot is still available legally as a Netflix rental.
YouTube was the beneficiary of another NBC clip earlier this year. The comedic rap video "Lazy Sunday," which originally appeared on NBC's Saturday Night Live, landed on the site in February and was seen more than a million times before NBC's legal department made the site remove it.
The video for "Lazy Sunday" lasted for several minutes. The Studio 60 pilot is an hour-long drama, and the episode was broken into six chunks, each between 6 and 10 minutes.
Studio 60 follows an SNL-type sketch show at the fictional NBS network. In the pilot, Judd Hirsch--playing a role strikingly similar to SNL boss Lorne Michaels--stops the live show-within-a-show to let loose with a verbal tirade against corporate-owned media and "candy a** networks." The scene recalls the 1970s drama Network, in which enraged newsman Peter Finch encouraged Americans to go to their windows and yell, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
NBC is hoping the buzz surrounding the show and its new fall season, which has been growing thanks to the Internet, will translate into ratings. If the YouTube "leak" is any indication, the peacock should feel confident--the Studio 60 pilot was watched more than 20,000 times and rated four-and-a-half stars out of five.
Comments (12)
I have yet to see ANY of the "STUDIO 60" pilot, but I have a sinking feeling about the whole affair: Aaron Sorkin was unable to control the momentum of "SPORTS NIGHT", which really wasn't that funny. If this is such a great first episode, what happens when numbers two and three follow?
I'll be happy to "Buzz" about it if it's a good show. How about casting Rachel Youngberg in a leading role on it; I'd watch it then!
This pilot has been available for weeks now through BitTorrent sites......so the YouTube leak is rather minor.
I saw it and it was great! I'm really looking for to the show.
Well it was intresting -it has potential and it slighly more amusing than west wing. comewdy is good matthew perry was excellent but other guy-i don't like him-his performance IMO was rather weak. it clear without Matthew Perry this series might not be a hit. He added to comedy a lot in the pilot.
did anyone see it? if so, what did u think?
Well actually someone uploaded it on you tube twice
Excellent pilot, just incredible, Traveler and this show are best pilots I've seen so far this year.
yea i think these "leaks" are just good PR moves
The Internet Is Good
A lot of pilots are 'leaking' lately. I think its a good idea.. it'll help hype the show thus equating more viewers when it actually does air. The networks don't really have anything to lose.
*just finished watching the pilot of Heroes, and is now download Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip*
Josh
The pilot was "leaked"?!...right