I don't get very excited about new television shows often, at least not before they hit the air. When a series grabs me, it's usually after a few episodes of casual viewing (like "Lost" or "Veronica Mars") or much, much later (like "The Wire" or "The Sopranos"). Instead, I go into most new TV seasons assuming that all the new shows will suck. And I'm usually proven correct. Besides, why waste time with a show that the network will probably yank off the air by November sweeps?

Well, I'm already excited about one new show on NBC's fall lineup (and have been since I first heard it was in development well over a year ago). That show is "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," the latest offering from Aaron Sorkin, creator of "Sports Night" and "The West Wing." It's a behind the scenes look at a late night sketch comedy show and stars such big names as Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Steven Weber, Amanda Peet, D.L. Hughley, Timothy Busfield, Nate Corddry, and Sarah Paulsen.

("Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels was reportedly so furious at NBC for picking up a show that mocks his own that he demanded the network also give one of its fall slots to a show created by current SNL cast member Tina Fey, which is also a behind the scenes look at a sketch comedy show; given how much bad comedy Michaels has allowed on the air over the last 30 years, his anger alone is enough to make me to watch "Studio 60.")

I read an early script draft of the show's pilot episode just a few weeks ago and was simply blown away by Sorkin's work. And now today, someone has posted a six minute trailer for the show over on YouTube. Shown at Monday's upfront presentation for the NBC fall season, I actually got a few goose bumps as I watched it. I've been dropping TV shows left and right for the last few months, but this is one I'm definitely adding in September.

Which, of course, means it will either A) suck or B) get such terrible ratings that NBC will cancel it by November. ("B" is the better bet given that the show will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. -- opposite both "C.S.I." and "Grey's Anatomy.")

[YouTube] Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - 6 MINUTE PREVIEW
(via TV Squad)

For those of you who still haven't seen the digital short from last weekend's "Saturday Night Live," NBC has posted the video on its website.

I think this one might be as good as "Lazy Sunday."

[NBC.com] Saturday Night Live: Natalie Raps

NBC has yet to officially cancel floundering "Friends" spin-off "Joey," but one of its stars is already making alternate plans for the fall season:

"Joey" co-star Andrea Anders is not waiting for the ax to fall on the NBC sitcom, which is on hiatus and not expected to return for a third season.

Instead, she has joined the cast of CBS' comedy series "The Class."

Smart move. Anders, who played Joey's next-door neighbor and sometimes love interest, was the one consistently good thing about "Joey."

[Yahoo! News] "Joey" co-star jumps ship to CBS comedy

Taking a much needed hiatus from the blog. Of course, you already knew that...

I'm still not sure when or if I'll be back for good.

In the meantime, if you missed Saturday Night Live this weekend (and you probably did because the show is awful this year -- FIRE TINA FEY!), you missed out on the best sketch the show has produced in several years: "Lazy Sunday" starring Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg.

Fortunately, you can now watch the video online over at YouTube.

A transcript is also available at The Gothamist, but you really need to see (and hear) this one to appreciate it fully.

[YouTube] SNL - The Chronic of Narnia Rap
[The Gothamist] None More Amusing: SNL Narnia Rap Video

(via TV Squad)

With so many celebrities using Hurricane Katrina to get their own names back into the news, you didn't really expect a talented self-promoter like Kanye West to sit this one out, did you?

In case you missed last night's Red Cross telethon on NBC, West deviated from his scripted comments to lash out at as many people as he could for anything and everything that's gone wrong in the wake of the devastating storm:

"I hate the way they portray us in the media, if you see a black family it says they're looting, if you see a white family it says they're looking for food. And, you know, it's been five days. Because most of the people are black. And, even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite. Because, I've tried to turn away from the TV because it’s too hard too watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation. So, now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what's, what is the biggest amount I can give. And, and just to imagine if I was, if I was down there and those are, those are my people down there so anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help. With the set up, the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well off, as slow as possible. I mean, this is, Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of the people that could help are at war right now fighting another way and they, they've given them permission to go down and shoot us."

At that point, an understandably confused Mike Myers, who was paired with West for the on-camera segment, went back on script. As soon as Myers paused, however, West added one more thought:

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

And with that NBC cut away to an obviously unprepared Chris Tucker (standing backstage in front of a refrigerator, no less) to kill time until the next musical act was ready to go.

It probably goes without saying that West's behavior was wholly inappropriate. That he would use a fundraiser aimed at providing relief for victims of the worst national disaster in our nation's history to pick a fight with politicians is just sad. A telethon needs to have the broadest appeal possible, and when one of the celebrity fundraisers turns a simple financial plea into a debate on racial politics, there is a huge risk that many people in the audience (i.e., potential DONORS) will be alienated. (Besides, as Anderson Cooper so compellingly illustrated on Thursday, CNN is the proper place for picking fights with politicians these days.)

In the end, regardless of his message or its impact, all Kanye West did was make sure that everyone would be talking about HIM today. And if they're talking about him, maybe they'll buy his new CD, which just hit stores Tuesday.

But as much as I want to condemn West completely, I can't. Why? Because his self-promotion was no worse than that conducted by the Red Cross throughout the NBC broadcast.

From start to finish, last night's telethon was less a fundraiser than an excuse for the Red Cross to pat itself on the back over and over again. Every single celebrity on the broadcast (except West) went on at length about how the Red Cross had rescued and fed virtually every single person in the American South. The videotaped stories "reported" by various celebrities ostensibly told of the storm's destruction, but each concluded with footage of Red Cross volunteers somehow saving the day (again!) while Faith Hill or Jimmy Smits tried to make us cry. And every single person on the broadcast had a gigantic Red Cross logo pinned as close to their faces as possible, thus insuring that the logo would be featured prominently in every single camera shot.

At one point, they even brought out the chairperson of the Red Cross so she could use words like "best" and "greatest" to describe her own organization while accepting a golf-tournament sized check from New York governor George Pataki.

Given just how badly things have gone in New Orleans and other areas since the storm hit, no one involved in this relief effort has any business congratulating itself just yet. To do so now is not just in poor taste, it's downright dishonest.

West was the only person to deviate from the Red Cross's tightly scripted message of sunshine, and NBC promptly cut him off. And then edited the broadcast for west coast audiences.

I don't doubt that the Red Cross does wonderful work. The world is truly a better place because of them. But when their organization resorts to self-congratulations and other cheap marketing ploys to raise money, it makes me a little sick to my stomach. After all, the goal of such tactics, at least when used by for-profit companies, is typically to instill brand name recognition so that consumers will buy their product -- and not those of their competitors. Translate that to the Red Cross efforts, and I get the distinct impression that they want to make sure that anyone who donates to the relief effort only does so through the Red Cross, and not through other relief organizations. That's hardly the humanitarian outlook I'd expect from the Red Cross.

So at a time when even our nation's leading non-profit groups are using a natural disaster as an opportunity for self-promotion, maybe I should cut Kanye West some slack.