Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Although there is no confirmation of this of any kind, it is being rumored that Ed Asner is either being considered for or has been cast as the role of Wilson White, the only significant character left to be cast. Whether there's any truth to this remains to be seen, but it has been mentioned in more than one locale.

Thoughts? Comments? Opinions?

There seems to be a little bit of friction between those behind "The Unnamed Tina Fey Project", formerly known as Friday Night Bits, and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" according to a recent New Yorker. Both shows feature a very similair premise (although Fey's is a sitcom, while Studio 60 is a drama.) and since both are being done by NBC, its looking likely that there will be only place for one on the Fall Schedule (read: Studio 60 will be the only one on the fall schedule.) Lorne Michaels, executive producer of the show and Alec Baldwin, star of the show, don't seem to be taking this rivalry very well, although Tina Fey herself has been very magnanimous.

I got to say, having read the scripts for both, Sorkin's is, of course, the far better one. But I do love Tina Fey (she and Darrel Hammond are the only ones I like on SNL anymore) so I wish her show well, and hopefully NBC can find a place for both. Thoughts? Comments?

The first picture from Studio 60, this two-shot of Brad Whitford and Matthew Perry, has hit the web. And there's a definite thought that... Perry isn't looking so good. Hopefully this is just a bad photograph and speaks not to Perry's own current physical well-being because in this photo he definitely looks significantly older than his 36 years. As a matter of fact, Whitford, almost a decade older than Perry, is looking significantly younger than him, and he's working the glasses for some as of yet unknown reason. At any rate, this is our first look at Danny and Matt. Enjoy!

The new casting choice for Studio 60, Kirstin Pierce the either minor or recurring role of Jack's wife Marilyn, has already ellicted some controversey. Pierce's acting credits, according to IMDb, include Forbidden Sins, Mistress of Seduction, The Seductress, Burning Desires, and a movie she both wrote and produced as well as acted in called All My Sins Remembered.

The obvious controversey is that Sorkin and Schlamme have cast someone who's obvious background is the world of adult film, and some people think this may bely S&S's talent at hiring qualified, talented, funny but not-as-vavoom-ish actresses (Felicity Huffman and Allison Janney to name the two obvious.)

My personal opinion is that any concern over Pierce is entirely unjustified, unless any of us have seen her in these roles. S&S have a habit of not hiring bad people and I see no reason why they'd start now, plus its my impression we're not going to see a whole lot of Jack's homelife.

Thoughts? Opinions? Comments?

Richard Schiff, portrayer of the popular Toby Ziegler on The West Wing has been cast in Studio 60! No word yet on which character Schiff will be portraying but the announcement came right on the heels of the revelation that Steven Weber, long-rumored to no longer be cast as NBS President Jack Rudolph, has been officially revealed to no longer be on the project.

There has been much speculation that Weber would be out, but whether you expected that or not, there is no doubt that Richard Schiff's joining of S60 is quite out of left-field. Schiff, the most vocal West Wing actor in the school of thought that the show has gotten significantly worse since Sorkin's departure, is nonetheless possibly the most logical Winger choice for the new show, based on the esteem in which he holds Aaron Sorkin.

Thoughts? Opinions? Does this officially make S60 full of too many West Wingers or does Schiff's casting make up for it?

ETA: APRIL FOOL'S!!!