And then the corporations will not hesitate to pull their dough

For any of the rest of you who are following the fortunes of "Studio 60, Media Life magazine has a short article you might want to read. It's true there's been "a hefty drop" in the ratings in the first few weeks.

But what really seems to alarm people is that "Studio 60" loses viewers at the half hour mark. I've seen that mentioned in almost every story on the ratings I've read and I'm not sure how to explain it.

When I watch a show I'm in for the half, in for the hour, even when it isn't this one. I have noticed that a problem Aaron Sorkin had in his later seasons of "The West Wing" has carried over to "Studio 60," though.

His act breaks suck. If they're supposed to leave a viewer metaphorically on the edge of his seat so he has to come back, they're usually too low-key. I'm not saying this is a flaw in his writing-even though, much as I admire him, I wouldn't want to say he's flawless.

But it may be a flaw when it comes to writing for commercial network television. I'd love to see what he could do with a show on Showtime or the like where act breaks aren't a necessity. When he leaves me with a weak act break I'm always coming back, because I know he's Sorkin and I know he's got a goody bag. But what about everybody else?

If I had to guess-and it is only a guess, albeit a semi-educated one-I'd say it's because he overwrites and the act breaks have to be found catch as catch can in the editing room. Again, pure speculation, but it doesn't seem totally unlikely based on what I know about Sorkin and the way he works.

Which I would never want to change, BTW-I'm the guy who, when Sorkin's drug bust was made public, said,

"Smokes crack and he wrote "The West Wing, "Sports Night" and "The American President?" Get me the name of his dealer."

But seriously folks, the good news is that in a survey of "media planners and buyers"-the folks who buy commercials-in response to the question:

Do you think the show will bounce back up eventually? Just under a third of respondents think not, agreeing with the statement: "It has a strong (if somewhat incompatible) lead-in in "Heroes" and still sank. I think the second-half viewer drain is pretty telling. I'm not sure how long this show, which is pretty expensive, will last."

...the largest share, 46 percent, see "60" regaining audience. It's just going to take time. They agreed with the statement: " 'Studio 60' could be a slow builder. It’s smart, it’s got great acting, and critics love it, so they’ll be pounding people to watch. Once 'Monday Night Football' is done at midseason, it could find some new devotees who’ve been catching it online or on TiVo."

Emphasis mine. Please God I do hope so.