Sorkin and Schlamme Leaving West Wing

[channe]

Those of us who have made The West Wing into a weekly religion were quite sad to hear that Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme will be leaving the show after this season, and that the writing duties will be taken up by a typical TV writing committee.

Sorkin, personal/drug/prostitution problems aside, wrote 'West Wing' like JMS: i.e., most every script for most every season.

Le sigh.

 

[AntonyF]

I was gonna say it's like JMS leaving B5... it just wouldn't work, and I think West Wing won't probably work. Then again, a show is more than its writer, it's the cast and crew too.

 

[taichidave]

True. Other shows have survived similar shake-ups.

Sadly, as far as the religion of West Wing goes, I kinda became an agnostic this season. I might've seen one episode.

 

[Mike G]

NO!! NO! NO! NO! CRUEL WORLD! WHERE WILL IT ALL END!? HAVEN'T I SUFFERED ENOUGH?!

 

[Strifeguard]

I'm none-too-sure if the West Wing will survive this. First off Sorkin really was the driving force behind the show. If you watch anything he's written, whether it's Sports Night, or The American President, you'll recognize in it the same great dialogue that makes The West Wing a good show. Without Sorkin, you lose the dialogue, and I'm no longer certain the show will be as entertaining.

Furthermore, we know that some of the actors on The West Wing have scrambled for money beforehand, so it's likely to happen again. The "ensemble" cast includes many high-paid regulars, so the show is an expensive one to maintain, yet it routinely ranks below ER and all 3 L&O incarnations on the ratings scale. Since the L&O series all have smaller casts, NBC is making significantly more money on these shows than on the West Wing. Don't get me wrong, The West Wing almost always finishes in the top 20 shows every week, I'm not saying it's without an audience.

Still, given the West Wing's high production cost, even a small dip in viewership (due, of course, to the lack of witty dialogue after Sorkin leaves) may be enough to make NBC "take the show in a new direction".

 

[A_M_Swallow]

Still, given the West Wing's high production cost, even a small dip in viewership (due, of course, to the lack of witty dialogue after Sorkin leaves) may be enough to make NBC "take the show in a new direction".

Possibly by basing the story on the Whitehouse under Clinton and Kennedy. Introduce the DD story, staring the intern of the week. Possibly set by the Camp David swimming pool.

 

[hypatia]

Ah, I just got back and there are so many people itching to start more political debates. :roll:

Will the thread be closed now?

 

[Strifeguard]

Possibly by basing the story on the Whitehouse under Clinton and Kennedy. Introduce the DD story, staring the intern of the week. Possibly set by the Camp David swimming pool.

I was thinking something more along the lines of a Minnesota-style election. Bartlett resigns due to his MS getting worse, so a member of the WWE is called up to run for president and *surprise* wins!!!

Since WWE is owned by UPN this may be problematic, so WWE star may be exchanged for one of the Playboy Bunnies that stared in Fear Factor. She'll run as "the people's candidate" and will fall out of her dress during a speech, the usual puns and general mayhem will follow.