Take 5: SPORTS NIGHT Top 5 Episodes

“Take 5” is a new GMMR feature that gives Team GMMR (and YOU) a chance to look back to yesteryear and share 5 memorable episodes from some of our favorite shows of the past.  A walk down memory lane and back in time to revisit some of the best of the best of TV.

This time around, Erik is talking on one of his favorite shows – Sports Night.

Take 5: Sports Night (ABC, 1998-2000)

Much like the music we embrace during adolescence, television shows often achieve permanent status in our nostalgic rear view mirrors. Looking back on Sports Night’s time on ABC, I would imagine that my affection for the program is amplified by its place in my early years of adulthood. During my last two years of college, I had grand visions of the workplace I would enter, the fascinating people I hoped to meet, and the important lessons I would learn in my first foray into the real world. Those expectations may have been naive, but they were bolstered by the irreplaceable genius that was Sports Night.

Though we are often disappointed by the twists and turns of our daily lives, I was never let down by the quick-witted and thoughtful scripts of Aaron Sorkin or the masterful performances of a tragically underrated cast and crew. These are my favorite installments of Sports Night on CSC, so stick around…

5. And the Cut Man Cometh (Episode 2.11)
When a fledgling cable sports network decides to up the ante and broadcast a championship boxing match, what could possibly go wrong? In a word, everything, as the entire CSC foundation is shaken by an early knockout in the actual fight, a verbal war between Dana and Casey over their ill-fated romantic jousting, and Dan’s struggles to find common ground with his Dad despite the best of intentions. Despite the contentious theme, this chapter of the Sports Night saga contains a gaggle of hilarious scenes featuring Dan, Casey, and Jeremy preparing their “boxing homework” in the days leading to the fight, as well as TiVo-worthy moments from guest star Allen Garfield as Chuck “The Cut Man” Kimmel.

4. Dana and the Deep Blue Sea (Episode 1.15)
Though I could justify this pick by heaping praise on Felicity Huffman’s ability to equate snorkeling with commitment, which offered a master seminar for any aspiring actors reading this blog, I confess to including it for one scene that runs less than two minutes. Following a disastrous moment on live television, when Dan mistakenly says that a young runner’s father “used to take her to a neighborhood park all covered with cheese,” he confesses his blunder as the result of daydreaming about Rebecca, the corporate accountant on the 37th floor played by Teri Polo in a pre-“Meet The Parents” incarnation. Following weeks of unsuccessful flirting with the buttoned up woman of his dreams, Dan is able to charm Rebecca by toning down his bravado and showing something of himself. Their conversation by the elevator is a romantic classic, and required viewing for those who believe that chivalry is a dying art.

3. Cliff Gardner (Episode 2.3)
William H. Macy, who has the good fortune to be married to Felicity Huffman, changed the dynamic of Sports Night’s second season when he arrived as ratings consultant Sam Donovan. Though I believe that Sam was intended to be Aaron Sorkin’s subtle jab at ABC’s interest in “sexing up” the show’s romantic storylines, Macy’s work was never better than in this episode. When a group of ambitious network executives insists that the Sports Night team accept a list of critical changes, Sam Donovan takes the stuffy suits on a walking tour of the CSC studios, complete with a history lesson on how creativity requires contribution from a village of willing participants, not just the inventor. After dismissing the corporate team back to their ivory tower, Sam galvanizes the production team with the simple message, “Trust me. I won’t make fools out of you.” As the credits rolled when this first aired, I wanted to run through walls for Sam Donovan, and he was a dude with a bad mustache and a mustard sweater!

2. Eli’s Coming (Episode 1.19)
Since I recap House as part of Team GMMR, it is odd that this emotional chapter in the CSC time line featured Cuddy herself, Lisa Edelstein, in her recurring role as Bobbi Bernstein, fill-in anchor for the network. The story arc for Bobbi, as she insists that Dan acknowledge their romantic past, pays off in this episode alongside a number of game-changing moments for the Sports Night crew. In an effort to creatively deal with Robert Guillaume’s real-life stroke, Sorkin built this story around Issac’s mysterious disappearance following a flight back to New York City. In addition, the office attempts to rally around Dan following his discovery of Rebecca’s husband in her office. Josh Charles is at his best in this half-hour, projecting a sense of dread within Dan that foreshadows the fate of both Issac’s health and Rebecca’s marriage. If you have ever been jilted by a past love, Dan’s apology to Bobbi will give you closure for the heartbreak you suffered, even if you never received it from the guilty party.

1. Dear Louise (Episode 1.7)
As just the seventh episode produced by the masterful team of Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, it is hard to imagine that this could be the show’s creative peak. Despite a flood of witty and imaginative episodes that followed, this is the ultimate Sports Night sampler. Serving as a welcome mat to the world of CSC, this episode follows Jeremy’s efforts to write a letter to his sister Louise. How did Dana become the first female producer in cable sports history? What do Dan and Casey offer the viewer that other anchor teams do not? How can you not fall in love with Natalie? Those questions are answered, along with a host of others. In addition to being a standout piece of creative achievement, “Dear Louise” is also the stuff of TV trivia legend.

• West Wing fans, take note. This episode was the template for the political drama’s “The Stackhouse Filibuster” episode when C.J. writes a letter to her father against the backdrop of the day’s events.

• Desperate Housewives fans, take note. This episode featured Felicity Huffman’s first appearance dancing to K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s “Boogie Shoes” before she jumped on the bar in the DH episode, “They Asked Me Why I Believe In You”

• Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick fans, take note. This episode featured a recitation of the uproarious “bulging disc” faux pas from the pair’s ESPN SportsCenter era. If you have not seen that clip or read the story in their book, “The Big Show,” a simple viewing of this episode will tell you everything you need to know.

Though we were sadly left with just 45 episodes to savor, I know there are tons of other favorites to be mentioned. What are your Top 5? Who was your favorite character? Was it a coincidence that I failed to mention Ted McKinley’s role as Gordon, which I blame for the show’s demise? I cannot wait to read your comments!

— authored by Erik

How does Erik combat writer’s block?  He indulges in podcasts of the Adam Carolla Radio Show and reads Bill Simmons’ columns on ESPN.com.  The GMMR HOUSE & SURVIVOR scribe is an active participant in the economic recession, and is working on a pamphlet outlining the etiquette of handling Facebook requests from old boyfriends/girlfriends.

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