It wasn't so long ago that we were writing about how Studio 60 was flagging because the sketches in the show-within-a-show were painfully unfunny. Shortly after we wrote that piece, Aaron Sorkin's series proved us wrong: Several episodes avoided showing sketches entirely, yet sucked even worse than before. Meanwhile, Tina Fey's 30 Rock made its sketches intentionally stupid yet got better and better. Studio 60 disappeared off NBC's schedule in February with six episodes yet to air, pulled in favor of The Black Donnellys (which itself flopped and was canceled in favor of The Real Wedding Crashers).

Well, for those Sorkin fans who won't be satisfied speculating about the master's theatrical adaptation of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Studio 60 returns on May 24, which just happens to be the day after May sweeps — the day that NBC's failed prestige project can't hurt NBC's bottom line. By then, it's widely expected, NBC will have announced that the show won't return next year. It'll be truly sad to watch a series that once had such promise — Aaron Sorkin! Bradley Whitford! Amanda Peet! Mark McKinney! — as it shuffles off into oblivion. That's why we won't be watching.

'Studio 60' Returning in May [Zap2It]
Related: The Aaron Sorkin Show [NYM]