Is "Studio 60" in trouble?

I’m sort of shocked to be writing this, but yes, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” is in trouble.

And if I’m this shocked, I can only imagine what the executives at NBC are thinking.

“Studio 60” is easily the year’s most hyped new show; but it has now lost 32 percent of its audience since the premiere (according to “Variety”).

So what’s going on?

Honestly, I don’t know…

The first place I could look for an answer is the competition—and it is fierce with “CSI: Miami” and “Monday Night Football—but I’ve got to believe there’s something more at work here.

Here are a few questions…

Was “Studio 60” too hyped before its premiere? Yes, it was. When people who are interested in the show get sick of watching the promos, that’s too much. People may have been turned off by the incessant reminders.

Is NBC over-saturating the market with the show? Yes. Constant re-runs on Bravo and USA (which NBC-Universal owns) only water down the original airing.

Was the show marketed wrong? Yes. Every promo tried to mention every star instead of just focusing on the heart of the show—Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford. I would’ve made a big deal about the two of them (especially Perry) “coming home” to NBC.

Has TV passed Aaron Sorkin by? Maybe. “The West Wing” was a drama where his preachiness wasn’t so obvious. In the confines of a show about a comedy, his liberal views tend to bang you over the head. Maybe people just don’t want that anymore.

“Studio 60” fans shouldn’t worry. NBC is not going to pull the plug anytime soon (They can’t afford to.), but they’re going to have to take some action if they want to keep this one around. My suggestion would be to give it a shot Wednesdays at 10, when “Kidnapped” goes off the air. That would put two “SNL”-inspired shows on the same night, but since they’re so different, I think it could work.

In the meantime, if you’re not watching “Studio 60,” I highly recommend it—especially if you’re a Nielsen family.