Sports Night - The Complete Series Boxed Set
Before there was Aaron Sorkin'sWest Wing, there was Aaron  Sorkin'sSports Night, which followed the trials and tribulations of a  smart, energetic television staff as they scrambled to put on a nightly cable  sports show, not unlike ESPN'sSportsCenter.Sports Nightwas  every bit as good as its political successor--and in some ways, even  better--even though it didn't have the gravitas of, say, running the country on a daily  basis. You don't need to know anything about sports to appreciate the dynamics  of theSports Nightnews room (which bears more than a passing similarity  toHis Girl Friday), and the issues the cast grappled with every week ran  from the serious to the frothy, always peppered with snappy Sorkin dialogue. And  sadly, as befalls most quality television (TV Guidedubbed it "The Best  Show You're Not Watching"),Sports Nightwas canceled after two seasons.  But the trajectory of 45 episodes on this DVD set allows you to watch one of the  best and most groundbreaking half-hour shows ever put on television.Those familiar with Sorkin's writing style will revel in the unabashed comedy  and interoffice romance on display here, and the way it's set in motion by a  powerhouse cast, including Felicity Huffman's Dana (sexy, neurotic show  producer), Peter Krause's Casey (goofball anchor guy), Joshua Malina's know-it-all Jeremy (staff nerd and information repository), Sabrina Lloyd's efficient  Natalie (Dana's mostly unflappable assistant), and the show's two secret  weapons: Robert Guillaume as executive producer Isaac, who was toSports  Nightwhat Martin Sheen was toThe West Wing, and the superb Josh  Charles, who as co-anchor Dan, a man as complex as he was funny and  heartbreaking, was the heart and soul ofSports Night. Damn, they just  don't make TV this good anymore!--Mark Englehart