'Studio 60' poised for success

This could be a good year for NBC. I think they’ve got a hit on their hands.

Earlier tonight I watched the pilot episode of the new show “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” and it looks like writer-producer Aaron Sorkin is poised to knock another one out of the park.

The show, about life behind the scenes of an SNL-like comedy show, is kind of a cross between his earlier shows “Sports Night” and “The West Wing.” Actually, it’s more like what “Sports Night” should have been had they not tried to squeeze that into a strictly-comedy mold (okay, maybe “Sports Night” wasn’t exactly knocked out of the park, but I liked it).

The great rapid-fire Sorkin dialogue is there. And I think Matthew Perry may have found a character that will make people forget about Chandler.

On the other hand, Bradley Whitford spent the entire episode in a jacket and tie, since the story begins with him at a Hollywood awards ceremony. As a result, it’s kind of hard to shake the image of his “West Wing” character. Hopefully that will change down the road.

I also have to give NBC a lot of credit for letting the show turn a harsh critical eye on themselves. Judd Hirsch’s rant at the start of the show skewers the current state of network TV, but takes a couple stabs at some NBC shows in particular—from “SNL” to “Fear Factor” to “The Apprentice” (without actually naming them, of course).

I’m looking forward to following this show.

By the way, look for a guest appearance by “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, playing herself. She, of course, was one of the stars of “Sports Night.”