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The Best Episodes of Sports Night Season 1

Genres:ComedyDrama
Network:ABC

Every episode of Sports Night Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Sports Night Season 1!

The offbeat cast and crew of a sports news show deal with professional, personal, and ethical challenges while functioning in a pressure-cooker work environment.
Episodes
23
Avg. Rating
8.1
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
7.8
8.4
7.8

Filter By Season (2)

  • The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee
    8.6/10(211)
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    #1 - The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee

    Season 1 Episode 11

    Aired 12/15/1998

    Casey appears on _"View, The" (1997)_ and the team follows the story of seven college football players who are suspended for refusing to play under the Confederate flag.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: David Walpert, Matt Tarses, Bill Wrubel, Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • What Kind of Day Has It Been
    8.5/10(178)
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    #2 - What Kind of Day Has It Been

    Season 1 Episode 23

    Aired 5/4/1999

    Casey's son comes to visit, and Dana takes a group photo with her new camera. Season One Finale.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • The Apology
    8.4/10(254)
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    #3 - The Apology

    Season 1 Episode 2

    Aired 9/29/1998

    The network is upset when a newly-published magazine interview reveals that Dan is in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Mary Pat Shelby
    8.4/10(197)
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    #4 - Mary Pat Shelby

    Season 1 Episode 5

    Aired 10/20/1998

    Natalie does a pre-interview with a volatile football player and things get out of hand.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Tracey Stern

    Comments

    0
  • Eli's Coming
    8.3/10(186)
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    #5 - Eli's Coming

    Season 1 Episode 19

    Aired 3/30/1999

    Isaac is late coming back from vacation, Bobbi Bernstein returns, and Steve Sisco visits Rebecca.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Rebecca
    8.2/10(175)
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    #6 - Rebecca

    Season 1 Episode 14

    Aired 1/26/1999

    Dan obsesses over a woman who works in the building, and everyone worries about Isaac's job.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
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  • The Sword of Orion
    8.2/10(163)
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    #7 - The Sword of Orion

    Season 1 Episode 18

    Aired 3/23/1999

    Jeremy's parents are getting divorced, and Dan eagerly awaits Orlando Rojas' return to baseball.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: David Handelman, Aaron Sorkin, Mark McKinney

    Comments

    0
  • Thespis
    8.1/10(187)
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    #8 - Thespis

    Season 1 Episode 8

    Aired 11/17/1998

    Dana worries about her Thanksgiving turkey, Isaac worries about his pregnant daughter, and the ghost of Thespis wreaks havoc on the set.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Sally
    8.1/10(170)
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    #9 - Sally

    Season 1 Episode 16

    Aired 2/23/1999

    Gordon stands Dana up, and Casey's missing his favorite shirt.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Rachel Sweet

    Comments

    0
  • The Head Coach, Dinner and the Morning Mail
    8.0/10(179)
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    #10 - The Head Coach, Dinner and the Morning Mail

    Season 1 Episode 6

    Aired 10/27/1998

    A distracted Natalie keeps forgetting things, while Jeremy tries to shield her from her hate mail.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Matt Tarses

    Comments

    0
  • Dear Louise
    8.0/10(183)
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    #11 - Dear Louise

    Season 1 Episode 7

    Aired 11/10/1998

    Jeremy writes a letter to his sister Louise, flashing back over the day's events, including Dan's problems with writer's block and Isaac's problems with his daughter's new boyfriend.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, David Walpert

    Comments

    0
  • Shoe Money Tonight
    8.0/10(182)
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    #12 - Shoe Money Tonight

    Season 1 Episode 10

    Aired 12/8/1998

    Dan and Casey are Atlantic City-bound after the broadcast, Natalie and Jeremy have a fight, and Isaac discovers he's shrinking.

    Director: Dennie Gordon

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Napoleon's Battle Plan
    8.0/10(155)
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    #13 - Napoleon's Battle Plan

    Season 1 Episode 22

    Aired 4/27/1999

    When Dana and Gordon get engaged, Casey has no plan and Dan's compelled to reveal a secret.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • The Quality of Mercy at 29K
    7.9/10(184)
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    #14 - The Quality of Mercy at 29K

    Season 1 Episode 9

    Aired 12/1/1998

    The team anchors a broadcast from Mt. Everest, Dana sees a Broadway show, and Dan tries to find a worthy charity.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Bill Wrubel, Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Small Town
    7.9/10(176)
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    #15 - Small Town

    Season 1 Episode 13

    Aired 1/12/1999

    Dana, Gordon, Casey, and a woman from Gordon's office go on a double-date, leaving Natalie to produce the show and Dan to contend with a replacement anchor.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Paul Redford

    Comments

    0
  • Dana and the Deep Blue Sea
    7.9/10(167)
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    #16 - Dana and the Deep Blue Sea

    Season 1 Episode 15

    Aired 2/9/1999

    Gordon invites Dana to go snorkeling, and Dan begs Jeremy to talk him up to Rebecca.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • How Are Things in Glocca Morra?
    7.9/10(159)
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    #17 - How Are Things in Glocca Morra?

    Season 1 Episode 17

    Aired 3/9/1999

    The show is held up when a tennis match goes longer than expected, putting a damper on Dana and Gordon's dinner plans.

    Director: Marc Buckland

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Rachel Sweet

    Comments

    0
  • Ten Wickets
    7.9/10(156)
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    #18 - Ten Wickets

    Season 1 Episode 21

    Aired 4/13/1999

    Casey is still rattled from the bomb scare, Jeremy tries to understand a cricket story, and Rebecca makes her decision about Dan.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: Matt Tarses, Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Pilot
    7.8/10(243)
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    #19 - Pilot

    Season 1 Episode 1

    Aired 9/22/1998

    Dejected by his divorce and the state of sports, Casey contemplates leaving "Sports Night". Natalie has a crush on an applicant for an associate producer position.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • The Hungry and the Hunted
    7.8/10(198)
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    #20 - The Hungry and the Hunted

    Season 1 Episode 3

    Aired 10/6/1998

    Jeremy gets his first big producing break - a hunting segment. Natalie tries to get Casey interested in Dana during the run-up to one of Luther Sach's dinner parties.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Intellectual Property
    7.8/10(186)
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    #21 - Intellectual Property

    Season 1 Episode 4

    Aired 10/13/1998

    Casey's jealousy over Dana and Gordon leaves him kicking fire hydrants and hearing phantom flies. Dan faces repercussions from the network for his birthday present to Casey.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Smoky
    7.8/10(164)
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    #22 - Smoky

    Season 1 Episode 12

    Aired 1/5/1999

    Dan decides that it's time Casey started dating again, so long as he stays away from Sally Sasser. Isaac fears for his job.

    Director: Robert Berlinger

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin

    Comments

    0
  • Ordnance Tactics
    7.7/10(153)
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    #23 - Ordnance Tactics

    Season 1 Episode 20

    Aired 4/6/1999

    A bomb scare clears the building, Jeremy tries to break up with Natalie, and the network starts pressuring Dana.

    Director: Alex Graves

    Writer: Aaron Sorkin, Paul Redford

    Comments

    0

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee" is the best rated episode of "Sports Night" season 1. It scored 8.6/10 based on 211 votes. Directed by Robert Berlinger and written by David Walpert, Matt Tarses, Bill Wrubel, Aaron Sorkin, it aired on 12/15/1998. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "What Kind of Day Has It Been".