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November 09, 2001
Indecision 2000: ‘West Wing’-Style
Zap2it.com
LOS ANGELES — As the controversy over whether George W. Bush or Al Gore took Florida, and thereby the presidency, lurches toward a conclusion, a more pressing concern is on the minds of those interested in what is happening in the corridors of power.
Will Josh and Donna get together?
NBC's Wednesday-night smash hit "The West Wing," set in the White House during the fictional Bartlet (Martin Sheen) administration, continues to draw critical and audience support, making it perhaps the only thing about politics that millions of Americans universally enjoy.
But that pleasure is disrupted by worries over whether dimpled Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) — recovered from a bullet wound sustained in the season-ending cliffhanger — and his lissome blond assistant, Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) — who kept a tearful vigil in his hospital room — will realize what most of the show's fans already know, that they are madly in love with each other.
"Yes, will Josh and Donna..." muses series creator and chief scribe Aaron Sorkin. "Uh, I say, absolutely. (Producer) Tommy Schlamme says, 'Drag this thing out until season three.'"
Perhaps it could be this season's cliffhanger. "Yeah, maybe," says Sorkin. "That's a good idea. OK, I'm going to start taking notes as soon as we hang up the phone."
Sorkin isn't surprised that people care so passionately about Josh and Donna, as it isn't the first time the lines between reality and fiction have blurred a bit on "The West Wing."
"You want to hear about the lines being blurred?" he says. "Our production office got a phone call from a woman wanting to know Josh Lyman's e-mail address because she would like to send him a get-well card."
"What's amazing about that is she had to call Warner Bros. to get it. There's obviously some acknowledgement there that it's a TV show."
In the meantime, Sorkin is hoping to parlay the show's nine Emmy Awards, including one for best drama, into a field trip.
"I'd like to get the money for us to go to a foreign country and shoot an episode there," he says.
Any country in mind? "Well, you know, a lot of people here think there should be a world crisis in Saint Tropez. They'd like that. I'd love to go to China or Russia or a place not quite so glamorous but more visually interesting."
"You know what else, we probably shouldn't shoot the whole thing at EPCOT. Or you know what, I'd have no problem making this entire episode in Vegas."
Posted by Ryo at November 9, 2001 10:35 AM