So I've long held the belief that My So-Called Life got the all time "Dead Before It's Time" Award when it came to tv shows. I have recently been watching a show that would give MSCL a run for it's money. Sports Night also aired on ABC though in 1998, four years after MSCL. It's fast dialogue as written by Aaron Sorkin could be difficult to follow if you didn't listen hard enough...and it really wasn't about sports. That might have thrown people off. However, the family of characters is great and they're all so distinct after a few epsidoes that it's hard not to love them.
Also, as a fan of the West Wing, it's interesting to watch Aaron Sorkin's tv work prior to it, because there are some echos. Felicity Huffman's character Dana seems to be pre-CJ, a smart sassy woman with a high powered job...Natalie is pre-Donna, though she actually successfully gets with the guy she likes at work...and Isaac is pre-Jed, the person the action happens around and occasionally to.
Aaron Sorkin was quoted as saying he wanted to focus more on the West Wing when ABC didn't pick up Sports Night...but it was also known that the network didn't quite get what he was trying to do. If they had watched the show, maybe they would have.
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