July 25, 2003
'West Wing' Returns with New Writing Team
Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - NBC's White House drama "The West Wing (news - web sites)" returns for a fifth term of office this fall with executive producer John Wells replacing series creator Aaron Sorkin as commander-in-chief of the Emmy-winning show.
But NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker promised Tuesday that the transition from Sorkin to Wells and his new writing team would be seamless, with viewers noticing little difference in the show except for perhaps less of the dialogue "banter" that was a hallmark of Sorkin's writing style.
Zucker said Wells, who also executive-produces the NBC hits "ER" and "Third Watch," personally wrote the scripts for the first two episodes of the new season.
"I don't think there's a huge change in the show," Zucker told critics and TV journalists gathered for NBC's presentation at the annual Television Critics Association press tour.
"Whatever is gone with not having that small talk and small banter, I think that what John has brought to these first two scripts is some incredible, emotional moments," Zucker said. "Where you might miss a little of the small talk in the hallway, you're going to be quite taken with how gut-wrenching and emotional it is."
"West Wing" seems set for a riveting start. The season finale in May ended with President "Jed" Bartlet (Martin Sheen (news)) temporarily handing over the reins of power to a political rival played by John Goodman (news) in the midst of a crisis sparked in part by the apparent kidnapping of Bartlet's daughter.
Sorkin and a second executive producer of the show, Thomas Schlamme, stepped down from the series in May to pursue other projects.
Although the series stumbled in the ratings last season, "West Wing" has earned the Emmy Award for best television drama for the past three years and is nominated again this year. It also achieved the rare feat of winning the prestigious Peabody Award twice.
NBC is owned by General Electric Co.
