Aaron Sorkin Open to 'West Wing' Revival: 'I Miss It' — SkimNews
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- Aaron Sorkin told Entertainment Weekly he thinks about reviving 'The West Wing' 'a couple of seconds every day,' saying it 'would be fun' and 'I miss it,' but cautioning it would be 'very, very tricky to do in the current environment.'
- 'The West Wing' aired on NBC from 1999 to 2006, created by Sorkin, with Martin Sheen as President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet, Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg, Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler, Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, John Spencer as Leo McGarry, Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman, Dulé Hill as Charlie Young, and Stockard Channing as First Lady Abbey Bartlet.
- Sorkin declined to put words in Bartlet's mouth about today's U.S. politics, telling EW he'd 'like to take a little time,' though he said Bartlet's reaction 'wouldn't be dissimilar to most of our reactions to what's going on right now.'
- Bradley Whitford told Variety he'd push for a comeback — 'I'll work him' — and floated 'a limited series of some kind' as the right format.
- Dulé Hill said the cast would show up if Sorkin writes it, framing a return as a chance to 'steer the collective consciousness of our society back toward humanity and connectivity and understanding.'
- Sorkin is currently doing press for 'The Social Reckoning,' a follow-up to 2010's 'The Social Network' starring Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg.
Why it matters: A 'West Wing' return hinges entirely on Sorkin picking up a pen; his 'very, very tricky' caveat signals real hesitation about putting idealistic liberal characters on screen in today's political climate. With Whitford and Hill publicly lobbying for a limited series, the infrastructure and appetite are already in place if Sorkin commits.
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