History Series / SportsNight

The single camera {{dramedy}} about an Creator/{{ESPN}}-style sportscast (see ''Series/SportsCenter'') created and (mostly) written by Creator/AaronSorkin went off the air after just two seasons on [[Creator/AmericanBroadcastingCompany ABC]] from 1998 to 2000, but it remains a cult favorite and an influential example of the form.

The single camera {{dramedy}} about an Creator/{{ESPN}}-style sportscast (see ''Series/SportsCenter'') created and (mostly) written by Creator/AaronSorkin went off the air after just two seasons on Creator/{{ABC}} from 1998 to 2000, but it remains a cult favorite and an influential example of the form.

The show's core cast consisted of Creator/PeterKrause (''Series/SixFeetUnder'', ''{{Series/Parenthood}}'') as Casey [=McCall=], Creator/JoshCharles (''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'' and ''Series/TheGoodWife'') as Dan Rydell, Creator/FelicityHuffman (''Series/DesperateHousewives'') as Dana Whittaker, Creator/SabrinaLloyd (''Series/{{Sliders}}'') as Natalie Hurley, Creator/JoshuaMalina (''Series/TheWestWing'') as Jeremy Goodwin and Creator/RobertGuillaume (''Series/{{Benson}}'', ''Series/{{Soap}}'') as Isaac Jaffee, all of whom worked at a fictitious cable sports channel patterned after ESPN. (Characters on the show often referred to real-life athletes, teams, other television channels, Broadway musicals and various pop culture references in an attempt at verisimilitude.)

* Workplace banter that introduces the week's major problem or theme
* Slapstick gags or more banter that fulfilled the show's half-comedy billing
* A sudden twist into the serious realm at about the halfway mark
* One of the characters (usually Dana) flying off the handle for no good reason
* Primary plot problem resolution
* If subplot is present, a comedic or sentimental subplot resolution that points up a DoubleAesop

During the first season, ''Sports Night'' employed a LaughTrack, with mixed results. Because Sorkin disliked the LaughTrack, it was gradually dialed down during the season, and disappears entirely for the second. At the beginning of season one, the LaughTrack points up the structure by cackling riotously for the first 12 minutes and then staying oddly silent throughout the latter acts.

** Numerous mentions of ESPN, the top rated sports channel in the show's universe. (At one point Disney bids for Continental Corp., which freaks the ''Sports Night'' staff out as they would sell off or be forced to divest CSC.)

** The dance sequences from ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' are mentioned in relation to Jenny's fake job as a choreoanimator.

* SorkinRelationshipMoment

* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: ''Sports Night'' is always concerned about being the third-place show (behind ''SportsCenter'' and ''Fox Sports News'').

* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Sports Night is always concerned about being the third-place show.

* SoccerHatingAmericans: Subverted: Dan has to talk about UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer, but has absolutely no knowledge of the league. When he challenges Natalie to name one team, Natalie and some extras list half a dozen on the Eastern Coast alone, revealing Dan as the only one in the office who doesn't follow MLS.
---> '''Dan''': I know we promised you soccer highlights, so let me just tell you that Columbus beat Miami 1-0, Dallas beat San Jose 1-0, Chicago beat Colorado 1-0, and New England beat Kansas City 2-1 in an offensive slugfest. A modest proposal-- make the nets bigger.
---><<after a toss to a live baseball look-in>>
---> '''Casey:''' Make the nets bigger?
---> '''Dan:''' You got a better idea?
---> '''Casey''': Yes.
---> '''Dan''': What?
---> '''Casey''': How about a smaller net and no goalie?
---> '''Dan''': I like it.
---> '''Casey''': Yeah, like basketball.

---> '''Dan''': I know we promised you soccer highlights, so let me just tell you that Columbus beat Miami 1-0, Dallas beat San Jose 1-0, Chicago beat Colorado 1-0, and New England beat Kansas City 2-1 in an offensive slugfest. A modest proposal-- make the nets bigger.//
---><<after a toss to a live baseball look-in>>//
---> '''Casey:''' Make the nets bigger?//
---> '''Dan:''' You got a better idea?//
---> '''Casey''': Yes.//
---> '''Dan''': What?//
---> '''Casey''': How about a smaller net and no goalie?//
---> '''Dan''': I like it.//
---> '''Casey''': Yeah, like basketball.//

---> '''Casey'': Yes.//
---> '''Dan'': What?//

---> '''Dan''': I know we promised you soccer highlights, so let me just tell you that Columbus beat Miami 1-0, Dallas beat San Jose 1-0, Chicago beat Colorado 1-0, and New England beat Kansas City 2-1 in an offensive slugfest. A modest proposal-- make the nets bigger.
---><<shortly after>>
---> '''Casey''': How about a smaller net and no goalie?
---> '''Dan''': I like it.
---> '''Casey''': Yeah, like basketball.

---> Dan: I know we promised you soccer highlights, so let me just tell you that Columbus beat Miami 1-0, Dallas beat San Jose 1-0, Chicago beat Colorado 1-0, and New England beat Kansas City 2-1 in an offensive slugfest. A modest proposal-- make the nets bigger.

---> Casey: How about a smaller net and no goalie?

--->[shortly after]

* SoccerHatingAmericans: Subverted: Dan has to talk about association football, but has absolutely no knowledge of the sport. When he challenges Natalie to name one team, Natalie and some extras list half a dozen on the Eastern Coast alone, revealing Dan as the only one in the office who doesn't follow the sport.

While the structure of the episodes were similar, ''Sports Night'' was written with wit and intelligence, and presented a number of non-cliché plot problems for the audience to think about. Even cliché plot problems -- as when Jeremy dates a porn star in a HookerWithAHeartOfGold plot -- were presented with true feeling for the characters and a deft touch that never felt cloying or aged.