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Season 2
Season 2
Number of episodes 22
Original airdates October 5, 1999 to
May 16, 2000
Home cinema release November 5, 2002[1]
September 30, 2008[2]
Season chronology
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Season 1 Not applicable

Season 2 of Sports Night consists of 22 episodes. It originally aired from October 5, 1999 to May 16, 2000 on ABC. It was first released on DVD on November 5, 2002.

Plot[]

Episodes[]

Series
number
Season
number
Image Title Directed by Written by Original
air date
Production
code
24 1 Special Powers "Special Powers" Thomas Schlamme Aaron Sorkin October 5, 1999 2-01
Casey tries to find the courage to ask Dana on a date. Jeremy and Natalie have a fight after Natalie is offered a job in Galveston. Isaac is back at work, but the stroke appears to be affecting his job performance.
25 2 When Something Wicked This Way Comes "When Something Wicked This Way Comes" Robert Berlinger Aaron Sorkin October 12, 1999 2-02
There's a rumour going around that the network is bringing in a ratings consultant to rejig the show. Isaac shocks everybody by announcing that not only is the rumour true, it wasn't the network's idea — it was his. He introduces Sam Donovan (William H. Macy) to the staff, but nobody trusts him. Dana decides that Casey, who hasn't been on even one date since the breakup of his marriage to Lisa, should date other people for six months before they begin a relationship with each other. Dan attends a Democratic Party fundraiser, and subsequently tries to track down Hillary Clinton to clarify his comments on education funding after learning that he got two words confused and told her the opposite of what he really meant.
26 3 Cliff Gardner "Cliff Gardner" Robert Berlinger Aaron Sorkin October 19, 1999 2-03
Sam Donovan's presence has everyone on edge. Dana considers leaving the show, because she feels like she's being held responsible for the show's problems. A meeting with network executives escalates into a crisis which has the team on the verge of quitting, but Sam deftly defuses the situation.
27 4 Louise Revisited "Louise Revisited" Marc Buckland Teleplay:
Miriam Kazdin &
Aaron Sorkin
Story:
Aaron Sorkin
October 26, 1999 2-04
Jeremy gets nervous when he discovers that Natalie is writing to his sister Louise. The network sets up a web poll to ask whether Dan or Casey is cooler, and Casey asks Jeremy to help him manipulate the votes. Dana goes out for dinner with an old high school friend, and nobody (not even Dana) can figure out why she took off her underwear in the middle of dinner.
28 5 Kafelnikov "Kafelnikov" Robert Berlinger Matt Tarses &
Bill Wrubel
November 2, 1999 2-05
After meeting an attractive woman (Jayne Brook) and learning that she's a psychologist, Dan obsesses over whether she was interested in dating him or taking him on as a therapy client. Jeremy accidentally blacks out the entire studio while trying to run Y2K tests on the production board.
29 6 Shane "Shane" Robert Berlinger Kevin Falls &
Matt Tarses &
Bill Wrubel
December 7, 1999 2-06
The Vatican has declared that Hell isn't real, and Natalie struggles to understand why she should bother being a good person if there's no eternal punishment for sin. Casey interviews an old friend, baseball player Shane McArnold, but Dana won't let him clean up the tape to bury Shane's bigoted comments about New York City. After Dan and Jeremy spend over an hour recording and rerecording a ten-second commercial voiceover because Dan can't say Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Dan thinks he may need therapy after all.
30 7 Kyle Whitaker's Got Two Sacks "Kyle Whitaker's Got Two Sacks" Dennie Gordon Tom Szentgyorgyi and
Aaron Sorkin
December 14, 1999 2-07
Dana is beaming with pride after her brother Kyle, a professional football player, gets two sacks in a game on Monday Night Football. Dana sends Casey to Ohio to investigate an imminent steroid scandal, not knowing that her brother is one of the players involved. Jeremy is nervous about firing an incompetent employee in the video library who happens to be J.J's cousin.
31 8 The Reunion "The Reunion" Dennie Gordon Kevin Falls and
Aaron Sorkin
December 21, 1999 2-08
Kyle is coming to town after his suspension is announced, and Dana's pretty much ready to kill him. Everyone is shopping for their office Secret Santa gifts, and Casey is mystified when Isaac says he wants a cheese grater. With the turn of the millennium just days away, the team is still struggling to decide who to name as the athlete of the 20th century.
32 9 Pixley Robinson "A Girl Named Pixley" Dennie Gordon David Walpert December 28, 1999 2-09
Jeremy is nominated for a sports journalism award that Natalie knows he's not going to win. After fighting Dana's dating plan, Casey finally goes out on a date with a girl named Pixley, and Dana begins to have second thoughts.
33 10 The Giants Win the Pennant, the Giants Win the Pennant! "The Giants Win the Pennant, the Giants Win the Pennant!" Pamela Dresser Matt Tarses and
Aaron Sorkin
January 11, 2000 2-10
Dan wants to do a feature report on the Shot Heard 'Round the World, but Isaac refuses to be interviewed for it even though he was at the game. Dan thinks Isaac is embarrassed about his speech having been slowed down since the stroke, but in reality Isaac is embarrassed to admit that he missed the home run because he was in the bathroom. Dana is even more freaked out when Casey goes on a second date with Pixley.
34 11 Chuck Kimmel "The Cut Man Cometh" Alex Graves Teleplay:
Bill Wrubel and
Aaron Sorkin
Story:
Bill Wrubel
January 18, 2000 2-11
Dan's perennially disapproving father (Peter Riegert) is in town for a visit. The team is preparing to cover a heavily hyped boxing match, but must contend with an annoyingly dense on-site reporter who insists on being addressed as "Cut Man". The match ends in less than a minute, because the underdog goes down for the count on the very first punch, and the team has to improvise to fill the whole hour. Dana and Casey argue about the dating plan.
35 12 The Sweet Smell of Air "The Sweet Smell of Air" Alex Graves Teleplay:

David Handelman and
Kevin Falls &
Matt Tarses and
Aaron Sorkin
Story:
David Handelman

January 25, 2000 2-12
Sports Night is offered an exclusive interview with Michael Jordan, but the team struggles to accept the strict conditions attached: they can't ask him about sports at all, but only about his new line of cologne. The Michael Jordan interview was only offered to them out of the perception that they would be the only one of the major sports networks desperate enough for the ratings to agree to Jordan's conditions, but Sam tells Isaac and Dana that they are not. Casey is invited to speak to Charlie's class, but can't figure out what to talk about.
36 13 Dana Get Your Gun "Dana Get Your Gun" Alex Graves David Walpert February 1, 2000 2-13
Natalie and Jeremy fight over going to a nightclub. Dan has the night off, but the substitute anchor is morose and keeps making comments on the air to his girlfriend instead of reading the teleprompter. Dana is conflicted after she inherits an antique Revolutionary War gun.
37 14 And the Crowd Goes Wild "And the Crowd Goes Wild" Alex Graves Teleplay:
Tom Szentgyorgyi and
Aaron Sorkin
Story:
Tom Szentgyorgyi
February 8, 2000 2-14
Jeremy and Natalie's breakup begins to impact the show after Jeremy asks for his stuff back. Casey is temporarily blinded from an eye test, and Dan takes the opportunity to play practical jokes on him. After a riot breaks out at Madison Square Garden, Natalie objects to the show turning over its film of the event to the police.
38 15 Celebrities "Celebrities" Robert Berlinger Aaron Sorkin February 29, 2000 2-15
After being excluded from a staff game night because Natalie was organizing it, Jeremy goes to a bar and befriends Jenny (Paula Marshall), but panics when he realizes that she's a porn actress. Isaac is upset that he can't remember the lyrics to a song from a Broadway show.
39 16 The Local Weather "The Local Weather" Timothy Busfield Teleplay:
Aaron Sorkin
Story:
Aaron Sorkin and
Pete McCabe
March 7, 2000 2-16
Dan decides to skip his therapy appointment, but spends the entire length of a normal appointment in his therapist's office explaining why. Jeremy e-mails Jenny to apologize for blowing her off, but then meets up with her in person only to explain why he's not going to see her again. Casey tries to bribe the gang to watch a track and field event with him in the middle of the night.
40 17 Draft Day- Part I It Can't Rain at Indian Wells "Draft Day: Part I It Can't Rain at Indian Wells" Bryan Gordon Matt Tarses and
Aaron Sorkin
March 14, 2000 2-17
Casey and Dana compete with each other over their NFL draft predictions. Dan has a golf date with PGA star David Duval, but work might keep him from being able to go. Jeremy tells Natalie about Jenny, except for the part about her being a porn star. Casey and Dan are angry with each other and their professional relationship might be in trouble.
41 18 Draft Day Part II The Fall of Ryan O'Brian "Draft Day: Part II The Fall of Ryan O'Brian" Danny Leiner Teleplay:
Aaron Sorkin
Story:
Kevin Falls
March 21, 2000 2-18
Jenny is coming to visit the studio, but Jeremy is afraid of what Natalie will think of her. Dan makes Casey look foolish on the air.
42 19 April Is the Cruelest Month "April Is the Cruelest Month" Don Scardino Bill Wrubel &
Matt Tarses
March 28, 2000 2-19
Due to network cutbacks, the show's Olympic coverage is going to be limited and Natalie may be about to lose her job. Dan holds a Passover Seder and makes up for his inappropriate on-air behavior toward Casey.
43 20 Bells and a Siren "Bells and a Siren" Don Scardino Chris Lusvardi and
David Walpert and
Aaron Sorkin
April 4, 2000 2-20
Natalie gets a job interview with Saturday Night Live, but Dana wants everyone to undermine her confidence so that she won't get the job and leave the Sports Night team. Dan's publicist wants him to make a public appearance in New Jersey. Isaac is upset because his grandson has been scared of him ever since the stroke. Casey and Jeremy decide to investigate CSC's financial situation, but make an unsettling discovery in the process: the network might be up for sale.
44 21 La Forza del Destino "La Forza del Destino" Timothy Busfield Aaron Sorkin May 9, 2000 2-21
Everybody begins to plan what they'll do if CSC is sold and they lose their jobs. Dan and Casey debate a job with a television station in Los Angeles. Dana meets a mysterious stranger (Clark Gregg) who seems to be following the CSC bidding war unusually closely; his advice to Dana is to ask her staff, "Where are we going?"
45 22 Quo Vadimus "Quo Vadimus" Thomas Schlamme Aaron Sorkin May 16, 2000 2-22
Everyone prepares for the worst as the sale of CSC draws closer. Dan wants to go to Los Angeles, but Casey decides not to. Dan's decision is complicated when Rebecca returns and wants to get back together. An unforeseen bidder, Quo Vadimus, suddenly puts in a new bid for CSC. When Jeremy tells Dana that Quo Vadimus means "Where are we going?", she suddenly realizes that her mysterious new friend is Calvin Trager. She rushes out to find him and he confirms that he has bought CSC and plans to keep Sports Night on the air.

Production[]

Credits[]

Cast[]

Starring

  1. Josh Charles as Dan Rydell (22 episodes)
  2. Peter Krause as Casey McCall (22 episodes)
  3. Felicity Huffman as Dana Whitaker (22 episodes)
  4. Joshua Malina as Jeremy Goodwin (22 episodes)
  5. Sabrina Lloyd as Natalie Hurley (22 episodes)
  6. and Robert Guillaume as Isaac Jaffe (22 episodes)

Special appearance

  1. Peter Riegert as Jay Rydell ("The Cut Man Cometh")

Special guest star

  1. Paula Marshall as Jenny (3 episodes)

Guest starring
Returning guest stars:

  1. Kayla Blake as Kim (22 episodes)
  2. Greg Baker as Elliott (22 episodes)
  3. Timothy Davis-Reed as Chris (22 episodes)
  4. Jeff Mooring as Dave (22 episodes)
  5. Ron Ostrow as Will (21 episodes)
  6. Robert Mailhouse as J.J. ("Cliff Gardner")
  7. Brenda Strong as Sally Sasser ("The Sweet Smell of Air")
  8. and Teri Polo as Rebecca Wells ("Quo Vadimus")

New guest stars:

  1. William H. Macy as Sam (6 episodes)
  2. Jayne Brook as Abby (4 episodes)
  3. Tim DeKay as Ray Mitchel (2 episodes)
  4. Megan Ward as Pixley (2 episodes)
  5. Clark Gregg as the Stranger (2 episodes)
  6. Bari Hochwald as Tasker ("Cliff Gardner")
  7. Richard Steinmetz as Shane McArnold ("Shane")
  8. Charlie Finn as Corbin ("Kyle Whitaker's Got Two Sacks")
  9. Eric Bruskotter as Kyle ("The Reunion")
  10. Cress Williams as Steve Sarris ("Dana Get Your Gun")
  11. Spencer Garrett as Peter Sadler ("And the Crowd Goes Wild")
  12. Derek Webster as Oscar ("The Local Weather")
  13. Alanna Ubach as Catherine ("Bells and a Siren")
  14. and Nadia Dajani as Tina Locke ("Kyle Whitaker's Got Two Sacks")
  15. and Tom Cavanagh as Howard ("The Giants Win the Pennant, the Giants Win the Pennant!")
  16. and Allen Garfield as Chuck Kimmel ("The Cut Man Cometh")
  17. and John de Lancie as Bert Stors ("April Is the Cruelest Month")

Co-starring

  1. Suzanne Kellogg as Alyson (14 episodes, 8 uncredited)
  2. Darren Foreman as Jack (6 episodes)
  3. James Edson as Mike Greenway (2 episodes)
  4. Rose Colosanti as Billi (2 episodes)
  5. Mary Ostrow as a female patient ("Kafelnikov")
  6. Dafidd McCracken as a male patient ("Shane")
  7. Brad Tanenbaum as an Intern ("Kyle Whitaker's Got Two Sacks")
  8. Susan Leslie as Karen ("Draft Day: Part I It Can't Rain at Indian Wells")
  9. Amy Powell as Kelly ("Draft Day: Part I It Can't Rain at Indian Wells")
  10. John Kidd as Aaron ("Draft Day: Part II The Fall of Ryan O'Brian")
  11. James Goss as the Commissioner ("Draft Day: Part II The Fall of Ryan O'Brian")
  12. Kelly McNair as Woman ("La Forza del Destino")
  13. Mary McCann as Woman #2 ("La Forza del Destino")

Crew[]

Producers

  1. Brian Grazer - Executive Producer (22 episodes)
  2. Ron Howard - Executive Producer (22 episodes)
  3. Tony Krantz - Executive Producer (22 episodes)
  4. Aaron Sorkin - Executive Producer (22 episodes)
  5. Rob Scheidlinger - Executive Producer (22 episodes)
  6. Thomas Schlamme - Executive Producer (22 episodes)
  7. Kevin Falls - Co-executive Producer (22 episodes)
  8. John Amodeo - Supervising Producer (22 episodes)
  9. Matt Tarses - Producer (22 episodes)
  10. David Walpert - Co-producer (22 episodes)
  11. Bruce Chevillat - Co-producer (22 episodes)
  12. Stephen Putnam - Associate Producer (22 episodes)

Writers

  1. Aaron Sorkin - Creator, Head Writer, Writer (17 episodes)
  2. Matt Tarses - Producer, Writer (6 episodes)
  3. Bill Wrubel - Executive Story Editor, Writer (4 episodes)
  4. Kevin Falls - Co-executive Producer, Writer (4 episodes)
  5. David Walpert - Co-producer, Writer (3 episodes)
  6. Tom Szentgyorgyi - Writer (2 episodes)
  7. Miriam Kazdin - Writer ("Louise Revisited")
  8. David Handelman - Writer ("The Sweet Smell of Air")
  9. Pete McCabe - Writer ("The Local Weather")
  10. Chris Lusvardi - Writer ("Bells and a Siren")

Directors

  1. Robert Berlinger - Director (5 episodes)
  2. Alex Graves - Director (4 episodes)
  3. Dennie Gordon - Director (3 episodes)
  4. Timothy Busfield - Director (2 episodes)
  5. Don Scardino - Director (2 episodes)
  6. Thomas Schlamme - Director (2 episodes)
  7. Marc Buckland - Director ("Louise Revisited")
  8. Pamela Dresser - Director ("The Giants Win the Pennant, the Giants Win the Pennant!")
  9. Bryan Gordon - Director ("Draft Day: Part I It Can't Rain at Indian Wells")
  10. Danny Leiner - Director ("Draft Day: Part II The Fall of Ryan O'Brian")

Other crew

  1. Bonnie Zane - Casting (22 episodes)
  2. Paula Rosenberg - Casting (22 episodes)
  3. Peter Smokler - Director of Photography (22 episodes)
  4. John Huneck - Director of Photography (3 episodes)
  5. Tho. E. Azzari - Production Designer (22 episodes)
  6. Janet Ashikaga - Editor (21 episodes)
  7. Rob Starnes - Editor ("Celebrities")
  8. Bruce Chevillat - Unit Production Manager (22 episodes)
  9. Keri McIntyre - First Assistant Director (15 episodes)
  10. Shawn Hanley - First Assistant Director (7 episodes), Second Assistant Director (15 episodes)
  11. Kristi "Kat" Anutunovich - Second Assistant Director (7 episodes)
  12. W.G. Snuffy Walden - Music (22 episodes)

References[]

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