The cast of Sports Night.
Sports Night: (c) ABC Archive
Though a scant forty five episodes of Sports Night were filmed over its two year run, the show enjoys a passionate cult following. After watching Sports Night – The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition, it is easy to see why; Sorkin created a funny, intelligent series, using the sitcom format. On the surface, Sports Night was a simple show about a group of people putting together a sports show. However, within those parameters Sorkin managed to make some serious statements about racism, divorce, sexism and the desire to fit in, among other things. Further, the series’ use of a single camera format makes the show feel more like the Sorkin drama, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, than a typical sitcom of the day like Home Improvement or Friends. The smart, rapid fire dialogue (that Sorkin would later use so effectively on The West Wing,) brings a freshness and vitality to what otherwise might be considered boring office chatter. The result is a wonderful mix of humor, romance and drama that grows more appealing with each successive episode.
The ample talents of Aaron Sorkin aside, the ensemble cast of Sports Night is nothing short of amazing. It starts with the two anchors–Casey McCall (Peter Krause) and Dan Rydell (Josh Charles). Modeled after popular Sportscenter personalities from the mid-’90s, both actors exude charisma while remaining down-to-earth personalities. Krause’s recently divorced Casey is often awkward and unsure of himself off camera, while his more confident partner Dan struggles with his own feelings of self-worth. Their discussions behind the scenes and during commercial breaks go well beyond sports and effectively depict the long-time friendship of two co-workers.
As with most series, much of the first season is spent introducing us to the characters and their personal and professional lives. In the pilot episode, Sports Night decides to hire a young man named Jeremy Goodwin (Joshua Malina) as an associate producer. Smart and eager, yet socially unsure of himself, Jeremy finds it hard to fit in at first. He develops a romance with fellow employee Natalie Hurley (Sabrina Lloyd) that becomes a major story arc in the series and provides some of the shows more tender moments.
Sports Night executive producer Dana Whittaker (Felicity Huffman) is under constant pressure to produce a good show and do better in the ratings than West Coast Update (another show on the same network as Sports Night) and produced by her rival, Sally Sasser (Brenda Strong). Despite the pressure, Dana does her best to maintain a calm atmosphere around Sports Night and is consistently supportive of her on-air talent. From the start, it seems like Dana and Casey would make a good couple, and it’s clear they have feelings for each other. However, both are romantically self-destructive and jettison other relationships while remaining apart. Their inability to come together might be frustrating at times, but it also leads to plenty of classic moments. In “The Hungry and the Hunted,” Casey tumbles over after seeing Dana in a revealing dress, and this type of silliness occurs consistently.
If you’re still not convinced that adding Sports Night – The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition to your DVD collection is worthwhile, than do it for the pleasure of watching the great Robert Guillaume. As managing editor Isaac Jaffee, Guillaume brings an almost stately presence to the show few actors could muster. When the actor suffered a life threatening stroke during the middle of the series first season, it was written into the storyline. Guillaume’s subsequent return for the first season finale is as moving as any scene in a dramatic series.
The emotional stakes are heightened during the second season, which reveals cracks in each person and enhances the conflicts. There’s also the growing threat of the network being sold, which would almost certainly end the show. Jeremy and Natalie’s relationship takes a sour turn and leads him to begin a possible romance with an adult film star (Paula Marshall). Dan struggles with his past and sees a psychiatrist, which appears to only increase his uneasiness. This season is tougher on nearly every character, but it makes for fascinating viewing.
William H. Macy shines in a recurring guest role, particularly in “Cliff Gardner,” which brings the gang directly into conflict with the network. Macy plays Sam Donovan, a free-wheeling ratings consultant hired to improve the show. His appearance plays everyone on edge, and the veteran actor perfectly embodies Sam’s often-frustrating persona. Another classic is the two-part Draft Day story, which places several relationships in severe jeopardy, including Dan and Casey’s. Thankfully, the series concludes with a refreshingly positive episode that couldn’t have been executed better. “Quo Vadimas” finishes the buyout storyline and gives hope to nearly everyone–exceeding all expectations for a closing episode.
Sports Night is truly a wonderful sitcom that was canceled to soon. After watching the complete series, I can’t help but think that Aaron Sorkin and the cast and crew had just begun to scratch the surface of what Sports Night could have been. On the other hand, I’m glad we have these forty five episodes to watch on DVD whenever the mood strikes.
The video is presented in 1.33:1 – full frame. The transfer contains some grain, but it retains the bright colors of the studio and background rooms. It’s not a fabulous transfer, but it effectively presents the series with few defects.
The 2.0-channel Dolby Surround track has good power, particularly with the upbeat series theme. The fast-paced dialogue springs well from the front speakers and delivers fine entertainment.
This 10th anniversary edition is the second complete series release, but this version includes some great extras.
• Audio Commentaries – Most of the main and supporting cast appear at least once, with the exception of Felicity Huffman, which is disappointing. Here is a complete list of the commentaries: “Pilot”: Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme
“The Six Southern Gentleman of Tennessee”: Josh Charles, Peter Krause, Sabrina Lloyd and Director Robert Berlinger
“Small Town”: Editor Janet Ashikaga
“Sally”: Greg Baker, Kayla Blake, Timothy Reed-Davis and Ron Ostrow
“Eli’s Coming”: Peter Krause and Robert Berlinger
Kafelnikov: Greg Baker, Kayla Blake, Josh Charles, Timothy Davis-Reed, Joshua Malina and Ron Ostrow
“The Local Weather”: Josh Charles and Joshua Malina
“Quo Vadimus”: Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme
• The Show – chronicles the series’ origins through interviews with Sorkin, Schlamme and the main cast members (including Felicity Huffman!). They discuss its divergence from the typical half-hour format, which inspired everyone’s creativity.
• Faceoff: ESPN’s Sportscenter vs. CSC’s Sports Nightt – Talks with ESPN personalities about their experiences versus those of the characters on Sports Night.
• Gag Reel – Cut ups, jokes, etc.
• Original Promos – There are four of these that were created early on. Check out the one that’s a shout out to Benson.
• Looking Back – Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme recount their experiences working on the series.
• Inside the Locker Room – The focus is the technical aspects and the tricks needed to make the multi-camera set-up work. The information’s a bit dry, but it does include some notable details.
• A Second Gag Reel
