I find everything about The Newsroom unwatchable, and yet when DH turns it on I can't look away. There is literally nothing about that show I don't hate, but it's so fucking addictive. It's like if Smash were on HBO and really boring. But it's boring in such an infuriating way! That's not how news works, Sorkin! For someone who has worked in TV as long as you have and made three shows that take place on TV sets, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TV PRODUCTION HAPPENS??? AAAAAAARGH!

(And if his shows do in any way reflect his experiences working in TV production, how is he still employed and not in buried in sexual harassment lawsuits?)

Ha! I'm not quite at active hatred of every moment (while still being entertained) but I very much get where that's coming from.

For myself, I can't decide if Sloan comes across as borderline psychotic because Olivia Munn isn't a very good actor (I've never seen her in anything else, so I can't compare), or if it was her choice, based on the material she's been presented. I think it could go either way. Even if it's just bad acting, I still kind of love crazy-ass Sloan. Even bad acting can create great characters -- witness, James Tiberius Kirk (The Shatner's version).

I've only nibbled at the edges of West Wing because to me it's the show that is NOT Sports Night. I've watched the first episode a few times and seen maybe ten other episodes here and there and it's waiting for me in my Netflix queue. But Sloan (or rather, Olivia Munn) is the reason I started watching The Newsroom. I saw her on The Daily Show (and to be honest, finding out Aaron Sorkin's new show was about TV production [and I know little enough about how it actually works to manage to not be annoyed by that aspect] that would have been enough) but she's wonderful! And even though Alison Pill is Kim Pine, Sloan is still the greatest thing I love about the show.

A *LOT* of stuff on Newsroom is recycled out of West Wing, so if you haven't really watched WW, most of the stuff on Newsroom is going to play a lot fresher than it does to me.

Did anyone watch Parade's End? I'm slowly working my way through it and having trouble working up any sympathy for the wife.

Really? The greatest fault I had with it is that RH blew everyone else out of the water with her acting. BC could hold his own, but the other love interest was meh.

Oh, she's doing a lovely job with the part. I'm fairly certain it's a character issue, not an actor one. And, possibly, a me issue. I tend to fail to connect with that sort of character. But I am open to arguments for why I should feel for her.

She becomes more sympathetic in the later episodes.

Ok. I mean, I was going to watch anyway, but that is good to hear.

I like the Newsroom, but as a journalism grad, I should LOVE it. The fact that even I, Sorkin's target audience sort of @@ tells me everything about that show.(And I didn't keep HBO to keep watching it.) True Blood completely alienated me last year with the vamp holy war.