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It'd be easy to say that '30 Rock' works and 'Studio 60' doesn't because Tina Fey is actually a comedy writer who doesn't just know how to write comedy, but knows *how* comedy writers write comedy.
Actually, no: that's pretty hard to say.
Anyway, comedy writers in teams are vicious bastards with a keen sense of the absurd. When they're working to strict deadlines, they resemble pack animals: artificially stimulated and sleep-deprived and willing to pounce on anything weak and defenceless. I find it hard to believe that Aaron Sorkin has ever been up at 4am trying to come up with something even more outrageous and unbroadcastable than his co-writers.
I was so afraid that after '60' got the full season, '30 Rock' would be abandoned. At least NBC isn't compounding its idiocy.
