'West' May Be Forced To Wing It Next Season (WEST WING POLL, SHOULD IT STAY OR GO)

Metromix.com ^ | Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | Steve Johnson

[fight_truth_decay]

With Aaron Sorkin "voluntarily leaving" his show "The West Wing" and John Wells stepping in to replace him — a Very Bad Sign for the future of the slipping NBC White House series — it's probably now or never for the unveiling of my lyrics to the show's stately theme music. So here goes. It helps to read these while watching or, better, as I do, to sing them zestily aloud: "In D.C., there is a wing That's on the west side of a house It's not the east wing, or the south It's not the north wing, shut your mouth …" And that, despite years of trying to develop a second verse, is where I'm stuck. It's probably where I'll stay stuck because it's hard to imagine the series being worth much next season without Sorkin, it's creator, co-executive producer (with Wells) and writer of most of its scripts. Founding director Thomas Schlamme is leaving, too, It is indisputable that the series (8 p.m. Wednesday, WMAQ-Ch. 5) has developed a desperate air in the tail end of this season, throwing in unlikely, momentous events willy-nilly (Another White House shooting! A pending kidnapping!) in an attempt to either regain audience or mimic a daytime soap opera plot. What Wells is really known for, inside TV land, is being able to make the trains run on time. Sorkin's reputation is for holding up the trains as he pounds out the last few pages of a giddily literate script. Such indulgences were granted when the show was cleaning up in the ratings, winning three consecutive best drama Emmys, but this season, as the show has lost close to a third of its young-adult audience (mostly to "The Bachelor"), cost overruns apparently became more annoying. So prepare ye, "West Wing" fans, for a much more efficient television program next year, one where maybe the lows won't be so low, but the highs won't even come close. I'll be curious, yes, but I'll be a lot more interested in what Sorkin and Schlamme come up with next.

[rwfromkansas]

Right. You know very well that they never have Repubs be prez on these shows (the American President movie was a Dem of course). If they actually did...and didn't make us look bad...I would watch. If they would for once be fair even if it is a Dem prez, I would watch.

[Timesink]

Anyone have an idea for a grand finale ?

There's no need for a grand finale. Simply pull a "Law & Order" on them. Have another election where Bartlet LOSES, or a Watergate-type scandal that forces him out. Replace most of the actors, leave one or two for continuity, and start over with a REPUBLICAN Administration.

And, of course, hire writers that will treat the GOP Administration as honest and hardworking, just as the Bartlet Administration is portrayed.

[Mo1]

So, if you know any liberals, maybe you can ask then what happened to the V.P.. Maybe he dropped dead from a heart attack just before the President blacked out, for all I know.

Maybe he sent the VP out on the Fleet and doesn't remember ..

My sister is a lib .. I'll have to giver her a call tomorrow to see if she knows

[Timesink]

I checked it out last week. They've introduced a Republican (Matthew Perry) to whom CJ says, "You know, I hate you and everything you stand for." He's the only character with integrity.

He wasn't introduced. It was a two-week stunt casting gig. He may well never show up on the show ever again.

[Clint N. Suhks]

character assassination is a vicious final swipe of Republicans by Sorkin, may he rest in drug addicted pieces.

A men. But I wonder if the show turns Republican if it will have the same success as talk radio, Fox news…

I've never missed on episode though.

[patriciaruth]

"24" on FOX suffers from schizophrenia. They had a black President, but his Vice President is a conniving hawk who wants to preemptively nuke three Mid East countries and leads a cabal and coup against the Prez.

So, either the Democrats have a war hawk evil Vice President or the Republicans nominated and elected a black President.

Weird. Final fantasy show is next Tues at 9pm.

[patriciaruth]

Maybe he sent the VP out on the Fleet and doesn't remember ..

LOL!

However, I think his grief stricken cabinet members would have remembered.

[Clint N. Suhks]

He may well never show up on the show ever again.

Like the Repub lawyer...what's her name?

[GOPrincess]

I confess to watching the show as I find the supporting characters entertaining, even though the politics and Martin Sheen leave me screaming at my TV set on occasion...talk about a guilty pleasure, this is the ultimate, LOL...so I can tell you that Vice President Hoynes (Tim Matheson) had just resigned as it was discovered by a new member of the White House Counsel's office (Matthew Perry, effective in a two-week guest role) that the V.P. had shared state secrets with a woman with whom he'd been having an affair. I was sorry to see Matheson go, he's done a good job in his limited appearances.

Although the show has some very good stuff which draws me back, the portrayal of the Speaker as this huge bossy-type guy, on top of the portrayal of the Republican Presidential candidate as a dimwit a year ago, was extremely annoying. On the other hand they had a very effective conservative character last season but she left to star in CSI and the person who came up with some of the ideas for that character, Peggy Noonan, was let go from the show :(.

[Timesink]

I'm not sure exactly when the shark was jumped. There are so many other leading candidates for that moment.

You left out another possibility: When all the GOP consultants that made sure Sorkin's wet dreams had reality checks - Peggy Noonan, Marlin Fitzwater, at least one other person - were kicked off the show because Sorkin decided they were "no longer needed."

However, you're spot on about the actual jump-the-shark moment being 9/11. In a single instant, the show no longer served its main purpose - giving Americans "a president they could trust" - because Americans finally realized they'd already had one for nine months. The real world became more interesting, and our White House turned out to have a better cast.

Other than Ari Fleischer - who I wish would be a lot more sarcastic and scathing in his press briefings a la CJ Cregg - a West Wing featuing people playing the real Bush White House staff would be far more interesting characters to watch. Especially if they made the SecDef and Secretary of State main characters.

[GOPrincess]

Quote from Kathryn Jean Lopez at NRO's "The Corner" (obviously she's got a guilty pleasure too):

"Leave it to West Wing: A Republican is more of a threat to free government than terrorists."

[Timesink]

Like the Repub lawyer...what's her name?

Ainsley Hayes. Who is no longer on the show because the actress that played her, Emily Proctor, realized TWW wasn't the stable bedrock drama on NBC's schedule that it's alleged to be. So she jumped to CSI: Miami.

In fact, Matthew Perry's character was written as Ainsley's replacement.

[FixitGuy]

Remember when the other Republican, Ainsley (whatever) the young blonde was hired. I was hopefull that she would have a large role

Alas, she had no role at all.

Even though I enjoy the show, they seem to really have it in for Pubbies

And yet tonight Martin invoked the 25th amendment and since the Vice Prez. had already resigned, Rosanne's husband, the House speaker, took over the seat of power.

Only Hollywood could dream up this stuff.

[GOPrincess]

"He may well never show up on the show ever again.

Like the Repub lawyer...what's her name?"

Ainsley Hayes...played by Emily Procter (currently of CSI MIAMI).

[Clint N. Suhks]

And, of course, hire writers that will treat the GOP Administration as honest and hardworking, just as the Bartlett Administration is portrayed.

I’m actually interested to see what the Speaker of the House does to the rest of Bartlett’s staff…how they interact or do they all get canned? Interesting scenario, I don’t know of one time in history the Speaker of the House has assumed commander in chief.

[FixitGuy]

Should have read furthur.

Thanks for the update on Ainsley.

[Timesink]

The really ugly thing is that the pseudo-Hastert character is played by John Goodman, who acts nasty to everyone.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Although the show has some very good stuff which draws me back, the portrayal of the Speaker as this huge bossy-type guy, on top of the portrayal of the Republican Presidential candidate as a dimwit a year ago, was extremely annoying.

Agreed and yet I go back every week. I’m looking forward the next season to see where this unique situation takes us. My wife and I are addicted…

[Timesink]

Sheen is gone. He resigned under the 25th Amendment.

Wait ... RESIGNED? The 25th does not require the president to resign. He simply declares himself unfit to serve, and someone else takes over until he's okay again and redeclares himself president. (Congress can declare him still unfit at that point if they believe him to be so.)

[Mo1]

so I can tell you that Vice President Hoynes (Tim Matheson) had just resigned as it was discovered by a new member of the White House Counsel's office (Matthew Perry, effective in a two-week guest role) that the V.P. had shared state secrets with a woman with whom he'd been having an affair. I was sorry to see Matheson go, he's done a good job in his limited appearances.

Yep .. sounds like the Dem Party to me