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This fall, two new TV shows -- "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" -- are
actually about two other TV shows. But they're not alone. Through the
years, there have been dozens of shows about TV, covering everything from
the news ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show") to chat ("The Larry Sanders Show") to cartoons ("The Simpsons").
But although these shows of shows are sometimes good, what about the shows
within those shows? Below is our look at some of the most memorable -- and
some of the most forgettable.
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The Show: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
The Show Within the Show: "WJM-TV Evening
News" Created By: James L. Brooks and Allan
Burns What It's About: And now the news
... Fun Fact: In the opening credits, the two
joggers are "Moore" creators Brooks and Burns, while the man Mary is
having lunch with was her then real-life husband Grant Tinker,
co-founder of MTM Productions, the company that produced the
show. Would We Watch It If It Was a Show Without a
Show? If we lived in Minneapolis ... in the '70s ... yeah,
sometimes.
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The Show: "Home Improvement" The Show
Within the Show: "Tool Time" Created
By: Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor What It's
About: Sponsored by Binford Tools, "Tool Time" shows
handymen and handywomen how to be more handy around the
house. Fun Fact: Had her agent not told her to
pursue movie roles instead, the original "Tool Time" girl would've
been Ashley Judd. Which
would've meant it would've been Ashley, and not Pam Anderson (who took
her place) on "Baywatch," "V.I.P." and that tape with Tommy Lee. The horror, the
horror. Would We Watch It If It Was a Show Without a
Show? No, we're not very handy.
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The Show: "South Park" The Show Within
the Show: "Terrance and Phillip" Created
By: Terrance and Phillip What's It
About: Two Canadian comedians amuse themselves and their
audience by farting. Fun Fact: According to
Wikipedia.org, when pronounced in French, the letters "P" and "T,"
which appear on Phillip and Terrance's T-shirts, "sound like péter,
which is slang for 'fart'." "T.P." are also the initials of "South
Park" co-creator Trey Parker.
Would We Watch It If It Was a Show Without a
Show? Not after seeing their TV movie, "Not Without My
Anus."
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The Show: "Sports Night" The Show
Within the Show: "Sports Night" Created
By: Aaron
Sorkin What It's About: This sports news
show is kind of like ESPN's "SportsCenter" but with less shots of
guys getting hit in the family jewels. Fun Fact:
Obviously someone who likes the show-within-a-show motif, Sorkin is
also the creator of the upcoming "Studio 60 on the Sunset
Strip." Would We Watch It If It Was a Show Without a
Show? Nah, we like "SportsCenter" better (more nut
shots).
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