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Aaron Sorkin in talks to reboot The West Wing (following new administration)

Scullibundo

Scullibundo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,688
https://deadline.com/2019/01/richard-schiff-the-west-wing-reboot-aaron-sorkin-1202531082/

Good news for fans of The West Wing — a reboot might be on the horizon. Actor Richard Schiffrecently revealed that he has talked to show creator Aaron Sorkin about bringing the popular drama back to television.

Aaron has said he wanted it to happen," Schiff said on his appearance on the Popcorn Talk Network's I Could Never Be. The Emmy winner who played Toby Ziegler on the series said that Sorkin "might go with a new administration, in which case, you know, some of us might show up as consultants…it makes no sense, maybe one or two of us to be in the White House."
During the interview, he shared his ideas for what could happen in the reboot. "I've pitched it to Aaron. He loved it," he said. "I don't think it should be in the White House. I think that's overcooked. My image of a show in the White House now is something like House of Cards, which is more apropos for the current administration — and Veep."
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Sorkin was talking about this a year ago and st the time was taking about Sterling K Brown as POTUS.
 

rude

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,812
Sorkin is undeniably talented, but I find his dialogue insufferable now.
 
Taki

Taki

Attempt to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,308
If it doesn't take place in The White House, where could it be? Capitol Hill?
 
ImTheresaMay

ImTheresaMay

Banned
Jan 15, 2018
523
User Warned: Hostility towards other members
The West Wing is the embodiment of everything wrong with American liberalism.

Fuck that show and anyone who likes it.
 

Sloane

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,244
The guys from West Wing Weekly seemed pretty certain it's never going to happen but anything is possible these days I guess. Could be awful, could be fantastic, who knows. I'd give it a shot.
 
klonere

klonere

Banned
Nov 1, 2017
3,439
I wonder who he's gonna line up to play the good Republicans who just want to get things done but also have principles they stick by!!!!!
 
DBT85

DBT85

Resident Thread Mechanic
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Oct 26, 2017
16,280
I csnt believe it's taken this long for someone to do something with either US or UK politics being what they are right now. It's a goldmine.

I enjoyed all of The West Wing, The Newsroom and Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister.
 
OP
OP
Scullibundo

Scullibundo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,688
Wonder how many episodes Sorkin would write himself. He certainly wouldn't be doing the output he used to during his bender years.
 
chaobreaker

chaobreaker

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,543
If it's anything like the Newsroom, it's going to be a series of milquetoast centrist examination of past events with all snarky Sorkin dialogue you could ever want.

That's the last thing the world needs after this current administration.
 
Wafflinson

Wafflinson

Banned
Nov 17, 2017
2,084
C.J. for President tbh. She has aged the best of the original cast if they were going to bring someone back.

Also, Allison Janney is a national treasure.
 

Sloane

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,244
Wafflinson said:
C.J. for President tbh. She has aged the best of the original cast if they were going to bring someone back.

Also, Allison Janney is a national treasure.
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Sorkin said he would want Sterling K. Brown as president, which could be fantastic, but the guy's already in This Is Us for the forseeable future. President should be a new character imo.

Scullibundo said:
Wonder how many episodes Sorkin would write himself. He certainly wouldn't be doing the output he used to during his bender years.
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I'd imagine, IF it actually happened, it would be a 13 episode season or something.
 
Randdalf

Randdalf

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,167
I think if they did it, and wanted to do something different, the president would be a Republican and the long term arc of the series would be about replacing them with a Democratic president. Although perhaps that might end up being too similar to the election plotlines in the later seasons of the original series.
 
Arkestry

Arkestry

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,920
London
The only writers I want going anywhere near a political show at the moment are Armando Ianucci and Chris Morris, to be honest.
 
Arkestry

Arkestry

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,920
London
Carn said:
Yeah! But I believe he already told that he is done with politics for a while because reality has become stranger than fiction. But maybe a few years down the line; I mean, Brexit, and Trump, that should be enough material for a whole new series of The Thick of It, and a follow-up to Veep.
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Yeah, I don't disagree with him, to a degree. I just don't think anyone else can really get across the cruel stupidity of it all at the moment.
 
RiOrius

RiOrius

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,081
I'd be curious to see where he takes it in a post-Trump world. The original The West Wing was pretty optimistic: political opponents as well-meaning individuals who simply disagreed on policy, but had sound reasons (most of the time). Then The Newsroom started to hammer the Obama-era GOP as the American Taliban, too concerned with nationalism and bluster to actually govern.

Maybe he'll try to stay aspirational, depict how politics should be, but that just seems disingenuous in today's climate...
 
DBT85

DBT85

Resident Thread Mechanic
Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,280
chaobreaker said:
If it's anything like the Newsroom, it's going to be a series of milquetoast centrist examination of past events with all snarky Sorkin dialogue you could ever want.

That's the last thing the world needs after this current administration.
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As someone working in broadcasting, I kind of liked them taking a retrospective look at how a newsroom goes about reporting the news and how it should and shouldn't be done. Report the news, no adverts, no fear mongering, facts not speculation, etc.
 
ZackieChan

ZackieChan

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,056
In my veins...
Sorkin is still great, TWW is one of the best shows ever.
Though Schiff saying that a show called The West Wing shouldn't take place in the White House is a bit like George Costanza giving advice to George Wendt about where to set Cheers.
 
Lord Fagan

Lord Fagan

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,367
I mean, I'm not gonna say fuck anybody who liked it, but it had a pretty Pollyannish aftertaste that wasn't really my style.
 
Grug

Grug

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,645
Lord Fagan said:
I mean, I'm not gonna say fuck anybody who liked it, but it had a pretty Pollyannish aftertaste that wasn't really my style.
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I disagree about the Pollyanna stuff. A lot of the time the best laid plans in the show ended up derailed by tragedy or political machinations. In fact, the Bartlet presidency fizzles out with a whimper if anything.

Regardless though, the show was ultimately a prime time character based network drama with a political backdrop and an idealisation of and love letter to public service. And it was absolutely masterful at doing that.

Some edgy armchair critics have tried to retroactively savage it for failing to achieve objectives it never set out to achieve. It was never meant to be a cynical warts and all look at the political process nor was it meant to be a rallying cry to the left or a pure celebration of liberalism triumphing over evil again and again.
 
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whytemyke

whytemyke

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
3,786
If we're talking about bringing Sorkin back to TV then I would rather be stay away from the White House.

Give me a Sorkin show set on Wall Street or something.
 
Ichthyosaurus

Ichthyosaurus

Banned
Dec 26, 2018
9,375
Sorkin's wrong for this. His style is the complete opposite of what suits Trump, which is a dark comedy or a sinister 24 esque train wreck. This would work with an Obama show instead.

edit: Get the show runners from It's Always Sunny or Arrested Development.
 
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