Is Studio 60 supposed to take place some time in the future? I just watched the pilot again and noticed in the opening monologue the character asks the audience who has been watching the show since it premeried in 1996. He then states that they are starting they're twentieth year. 1996 to 2006 isn't twenty years.

I am not sure you are talking about what I researched.

The show takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show, similar to NBC's Saturday Night Live. The show-within-a-show, also called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, is run by writer Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and producer Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford).

quote:

The pilot alludes heavily, and makes reference to the film Network. In early development, Studio 60's fictional network NBS was called UBS, as was the corporation in Network.

As is typical for Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, the crew contains a number of people linked to their previous shows (Sports Night and The West Wing). Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Evan Handler and Timothy Busfield all have a history with The West Wing. Busfield directed two episodes of Sports Night as well. The show's first guest host (appearing as herself) is Felicity Huffman, who starred in Sports Night and did a guest spot on The West Wing.

Sorkin drew from his own experience as a writer in creating the characters. In episode 3, "The Focus Group", Ron mention that "Nobody can write 90 minutes of television every week by themselves, they'd be dead by the sixth show". Sorkin is known for having single handedly written a majority of the episodes during the first four seasons of The West Wing.

Yes, that's the show. If you listen to the opening monologue of the show within a show, the character says they're starting their 20th year, but he also says the show started in 1996. It doesn't compute.

LARRY (VO)
How many of you have been watching Studio 7 since high school?

APPLAUSE and CHEERS


LARRY (VO) (CONT'D)
How many since junior high?

FADE IN:

INT. SOUNDSTAGE - NIGHT

We're in the moments before a life broadcast. And audience of 400 is seated on three sides of a huge thrust stage with several playing areas that can be dressed for various sketches as well as an area for the house band.

Network PAGES wearing blazers man the aisles and we'll start to notice the logo of UBS, the United Broadcasting system.

LARRY, with a pleasant and easygoing manner, is doing the warm-up.

LARRY
How many have been watching since the show went on air in 1986?
CHEERS and APPLAUSE--

LARRY (CONT'D)
(to a GIRL in the audience)
You weren't born in 1986

We can't hear what the GIRL says, 'cause she's not mic'd.

LARRY (CONT'D)
Hm?
(beat)
No, excuse me pal, I'm trying to hit on your girlfriend.

LAUGH from the AUDIENCE...

LARRY (CONT'D) Those are re-runs on Comedy Central you're talking about, this is the real thing. It's our 20th season, we're very proud of that...

early draft of the Studio 60 pilot script

That makes more sense, but I'm sure I heard him say 1996.