Sports Night

When it comes to Sports Night (1998-2000), ABC dropped the ball. Long gone were the days when promising, but under-performing shows could be nurtured and given a chance to find their audience: ABC juggled the critically acclaimed show in its lineup, thereby ensuring that audiences would not be able to find it, and the rest, as they say, is history. Compared to this, the annoying and intrusive laugh track seems but a mild offense. Presented here in a complete 46-episode compilation on six discs, Aaron Sorkin's (The West Wing) workplace comedy revolving around a late-night sports news show features an ensemble cast that includes Peter Krause as cock of the walk anchor Casey McCall, Josh Charles as his more insecure junior anchor Dan Rydell, Felicity Huffman as brassy producer Dana Whitaker, Joshua Malina as the sports-challenged new staff member, Sabrina Lloyd as a sweet assistant producer, and Robert Guillaume as the bedrock network liaison. Off-camera rivalries, jealousies and office romances propelled the series which garnered three Emmys and other prestigious prizes. While the cast sometimes strain to keep the screwball pace, and several attempts to address topical issues are ham-handed (an anchor's on-air mea culpa about substance abuse is particularly cringe-worthy), Sports Night will be remembered as one of the great, lost shows of the '90s. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)