A couple of weeks ago I was ready to dump Studio 60. It was The Wrap Party that did me in, because for me it was nothing more than a writers’ wank, an excuse to force a history lesson down our throats. To be frank, it pissed me off that Sorkin had the nerve.

But Nevada Day redeems the show. Sorkin was credited with the teleplay, but Mark McKinney got the story credit. The fact that some of the funny stuff in the episode was actually funny should not be considered a coincidence, as it was reportedly why Sorkin hired McKinney.

At the Geminis last week, McKinney mentioned that he had just spent the previous week shooting an episode, in front of the camera, playing a writer. That means: 1) the show is still in production and has not been cancelled, 2) the show is bound to get funnier, and with the addition of McKinney, even better.

Nevada Day does what Sorkin did so perfectly on Sports Night: illuminate the characters by putting them into weird circumstances together. It changes the dynamics between them and helps us to identify – or empathize – with them. It’s effective storytelling.

Now let’s get back to the behind-the-scenes stuff, if you please. I want to get inside that writers’ room again.

I read in the NYTimes today that The Fall appeared at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon. They only played a short set, apparently, but they’re still around. Screw the Rolling Stones.

I first discovered The Fall on some compilation album of English post-punk and neo-new wave bands, then picked up The Palace of Swords Reversed, which was, essentially, a greatest hits album of singles from the atonal band.

All be way of explaining why, as I do the laundry this morning, The Man Whose Head Expanded is playing on my internal soundtrack.

I attended the Vancouver gala of the Gemini Awards last night, which was interesting to say the least.

Sometimes I wish we Canadians would take ourselves a little more seriously, like the Americans do. Maybe then we’d do better at creating a star system that fawns over our local celebrities. Isn’t that the answer?

Not for guys like Mark McKinney. He’s resolutely Canadian, even while trying to make Studio 60 funny, which means being a bit self-deprecating.

Last night, McKinney was the star of the show, as he picked up a Gemini for best actor in a dramatic series (Slings & Arrows) to go with the Gemini he won two weeks ago for best individual performance in a comedy series (Robson Arms).

Read my take on McKinney’s career in this special, Gemini edition of Channel Changer.

As noted elsewhere, the new series from Chris Haddock, Intelligence, is in need of some viewers. Airing Tuesday nights on CBC, the smart, steeped-in-moral-grey show is quite something, and is worth the time.

Best, because Haddock starts his new show in the middle of the story, you don’t have to worry about getting into the program after a few episodes have already broadcast. You’ll piece things together as you go, I promise.

Haddock keeps producing shows for the CBC. I’m not quite sure what that means, yet, but it is significant.

Read my Channel Changer review of Intelligence over here.

This week’s Georgia Straight is an educational special issue, which was the perfect opportunity for me to talk to Lynda Brown, president of New Media BC and Gerri Sinclair, executive director of the new Masters of Digital Media program at Vancouver’s Great Northern Way Campus.

Read the article about the new grad program over here.