Shook the Spot

Tonight's about getting back into Grey's Anatomy and seeing whether Six Degrees is as good as its promising premiere. But to harp on Studio 60 a little bit more, I think it might be helpful to relive this clip, from the second season finale of The West Wing, in which President Bartlet decides to seek another term after disclosing he has M.S. (The frequent comparisons between the two shows are justified because they share even more than their creator: hourlong dramas cast in the same shadows and Romantic temperament, featuring the same cast members and even the same title cards. Studio 60 is The West Wing Goes to Hollywood.) Anyway, do you like this scene? To me — and I'm sure Yo, It's . . . would agree — the clip represents one of the great moments in television of the past decade . . .



In the same vein, there's the scene preceding that one, with Bartlet cursing the Almighty in, of all things, Latin and lighting up a cigarette in the National Cathedral. (Look, it's not every day you hear God called a "feckless thug" on TV.) Or there's this classic scene from the campaign trail and the memorable exchange . . .

Josh: "We changed time zones? We changed time zones? We changed time zones?"
Kid: "It's a common mistake."
Josh: "Not for the U.S. government!"

I'm reminded of the line from this week's Studio 60, in which Matthew Perry gives Harriet some coaching . . .

Harriet: "What did I do wrong?"
Matt: "You asked for the joke."
Harriet: "What did I do at the table read?"
Matt: "You asked for the butter."

Anyone who winced at that is being unfair. There's little on network television that comes close.