When they announced that the Speaker of the House would be taking over for President Bartlet on “The West Wing,” I knew immediately it would be stunt casting. Little did I know how much of a stunt it would be.
John Goodman. First “King Ralph,” and now this.
I guess I should be pleased, since this whole “President’s daughter gets kidnapped plunging the world into chaos” thing does inject some juice into the show. But unlike J.J. Abrams’ stuff on “Alias,” this feels like a stunt and nothing more. A cool stunt, but a stunt. We’ll see.
NBC Exec: “Listen, Aaron, the White House thinks The West Wing needs to appeal to Republicans. They’ve had enough caring and humor and fairness to both sides. What we need is to replace the cast and make them more, let’s say, patriotic if you know what I mean. The show should be about what the people want, like being tough on the terrah and making jobs through tax cuts and guv’ment being too big. You think you could get rid of Bartlet as President for us. That is, without violence. We wouldn’t want to give anyone ideas for real life now. You can do that for us, right?”
Aaron: “I’ve got just the idea for you.”
NBC Exec: “I knew you’d come through for America.”
Aaron: “But you’ll have to write it yourself starting next season.”
Has WW been renewed? Sadly, I won’t be surprised if it isn’t. A bit of irony, too, given the new Rob Lowe show advertised during WW last night.
Don’t know whether it’s been renewed, but Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme left the show last week.
I knew Sorkin was stepping aside… and in that story link, Arthur, down near the bottom it says that “in January, NBC reached a renewal deal with Warner Bros. … to keep ‘West Wing’ on the air for at least two more seasons.”
As for John Goodman’s character, he looks like a Republican LBJ.
the idea of the West Wing without Sorkin gives me a kind of sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. not that it can’t still be done right, but the thought that it probably won’t be.
the only thing that could save me from hating everything about this would be the announcement of the return of Sports Night… oh dreams dreams dreams…