TV Series of the Month – Sports Night

This month’s TV series: Sports Night (1998-2000).

The drama comedy is about the making of a nightly sports show (like ESPN’s Sports Center), but more so it is about its characters.

It is the first series from phenomenal writer Aaron Sorkin – his other TV credits include The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (a strong one-season show), and his new HBO series The Newsroom. He also has written the films A Few Good Men, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Social Network, and Moneyball. Suffice to say, he is among the best writers on television.

The cast is also fantastic, starring Josh Charles (now on The Good Wife), Peter Krause (who went on to be incredible in Six Feet Under – he is now on Parenthood), Felicity Huffman (went on to Desperate Housewives), Joshua Malina (went on to The West Wing – now on Scandal), Sabrina Lloyd (you may also know her from Sliders), and Robert Guillaume (from Benson).

Sorkin’s witty, snappy dialog is what makes Sports Night great, especially with it wonderfully deep characters. It is one of the shows that directly contributed to the Golden Age of TV we now enjoy. It is a must-see for fans of Sorkin and great drama/comedy series. It only lasted two seasons (as many great shows lead short lives on network television).

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD and Streaming