Desperate NBC Gets Sketchy

NBC has purchased two pilots about the backstage shenanigans at a Saturday Night Live-type sketch comedy show, because God knows just one could never adequately relay how boring a green room full of not-funny people in celebrity lookalike makeup could be. First was a half-hour still-untitled comedy from Tina Fey, from the point of view of the show's female head writer (where does she come up with her cuh-razy ideas?!), the other, a bidding war and $21 million later, an hour-long drama from Aaron Sorkin called Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip
(gee, I wonder if there will be long tracking shots of people with accute verbal diarrhea speed-walking down hallways?) The New York Post smells a Clash of the Titans, with Lorne Michaels in the Harry Hamlin Perseus role, holding Tina Fey's severed snakehaired head in the face of Sorkin's monstrous, sea-dwelling Kraken (phew, that was one geeky-assed run-on metaphor):

There is a legitimate question about who had the idea first.

Sorkin mentioned a behind-the-scenes-at-"SNL" show during a 2003 interview on the "Charlie Rose" show.

"I hope it's going to be what 'Larry Sanders' did with . . . talk shows," he said then. "I would like to do that with late-night sketch comedy — with 'Saturday Night Live' in other words."

Also two years ago, Fey signed a new deal with "SNL" that included specifics about starring in a prime-time series for NBC.

Last week, Lorne Michaels, the head honcho at "SNL" and producer of the new Fey series, declined a request from The Post to talk about the Sorkin series — an indication that he was already upset about the competing series.

Meanwhile, Fey and her husband had their first baby last month — an arrival that may have played a role in the network's decision.

In an e-mail yesterday, an NBC spokesman said: "We're proceeding with the Tina Fey comedy and are excited about it." But he could not answer questions about whether the network intended to air two series based on "SNL."

Being the snoopy little shit I am, I hopped right onto Studio System to see what I could find out about the two series. The Sorkin show had some interesting development notes:

DEVELOPMENT: Originally in development for 2004-2005, project rolled over to 2006-2007 once NBC became attached after a bidding war.
NBC made a 13-episode commitment, including the pilot.
Deal terms between NBC and Warner Bros. TV include guaranteed production of the pilot; a spot on the 2006-2007 schedule between 9 pm and 11 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; and a four and a half-year commitment between network and studio instead of the usual seven.
Should NBC decide not to order the project to series, it would pay Warner Bros. TV a mid-seven figure penalty.

From the sounds of that deal, I think Michaels can once again kiss his primetime pet project goodbye, and bury the frisky little fighter in the backyard alongside The Tracy Morgan Show.

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