A new (to me) favorite TV show

So, this past month or so, my family has been watching Sports Night on Netflix. Tonight, we watched the series finale. As usual when I reach the end of an excellent show - especially one that was canceled far too soon - I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was excellent, and it brought me much joy, laughter, and too many quotable lines to count. It also introduced me to many fine actors and actresses that I'd either never watched in much of anything before, or only seen in brief guest-starring roles. On the other hand, it's over! And far too quickly. It really deserved more.

It's a stellar cast: Peter Krause, Josh Charles, Felicity Huffman, Robert Guillaume, Sabrina Lloyd, and Josh Malina (who has recently shot up to being rather high on my list of favorite actors), as well as some excellent guest stars. It's not just for people who like sports a lot, either. I'm not a huge sports person, though I'll watch a game with my dad if it's a team in which I'm at least faintly interested. But my mom pretty much hates sports, and she looked forward to each new episode of this show.

It has its minor issues of course: some plotlines & character moments that were frustrating or that I didn't really like, and some dialogue that bordered on frankly ridiculous in its snappy Sorkin-ness. (That's especially noticeable when you watch a lot of it in a row, interspersed with episodes of The West Wing.) But overall, I would highly recommend it to anyone who might be looking for a show with a fantastic cast, great heart, hilarious dialogue, and wonderful characters.

Here's a video that someone made to celebrate the show. It's goofy and cute, but don't let that fool you: the show itself is a comedy, yes, but with many moving dramatic moments as well.