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September 23, 2003
John Wells at the helm of West Wing
BY ANDY SMITH
Journal Television Writer
Providence Journal
The West Wing executive producer John Wells has a tough act to follow.
So tough, he said, that he feels like Ethel Merman's understudy in Gypsy.
Suddenly, Merman is stricken with the flu, and at intermission the audience hears a disembodied announcement that "Miss Merman's part will now be sung by John Wells." Everyone groans.
Actually, Wells is replacing Aaron Sorkin, creator and writer of The West Wing. The show begins its fifth season tonight at 9 p.m. on NBC (Chs. 7 and 10).
On screen, The West Wing is still working through a story line begun in the Sorkin era.
President Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) daughter has been kidnapped by terrorists.
Not trusting himself to make the right choices when his daughter's life is on the line, Bartlet temporarily resigns from office, leaving the presidency in the hands of the Republican Speaker of the House, played by John Goodman.
In a conference call with TV critics, Wells didn't want to give away too many plot details. But don't get used to John Goodman as president.
"He'll be around for a little while -- I don't want to say how long," Well said. "But Martin Sheen is a great president, and we plan to have him running the country again."
Indeed, Wells said one of the show's priorities this season is restoring the authority of President Bartlet, who's been battered by one crisis after another.
It's not just President Bartlet who's had problems. It's been a tough year for The West Wing, too.
Critics started taking pot shots, particularly over a Bartlet re-election campaign that generated little suspense. Ratings dropped 21 percent, partly due to competition from The Bachelor.
Rob Lowe exited, complaining he was being left out of the big story lines.
In May, Sorkin, who wrote practically every word of the show, announced he was leaving, too. Supposedly, NBC was pressuring him about late scripts, mounting expenses and declining ratings.
That left Wells, one of The West Wing's original producers, in charge.
Wells said there will inevitably be some changes -- but not radical ones. "We're not going to change who the Bartlet adminstration is," he said.
(The phone conversation was held before The West Wing won its fourth consecutive Emmy as Best Drama Series. The show may have had its problems, but Emmy voters are a very loyal constituency.)
Wells said he remains friendly with Sorkin -- as a matter of fact, he had lunch with him the day before the phone interview. Wells added that he "begged" Sorkin to write the first few episodes of this season, but Sorkin said no.
"Nobody wanted Aaron to continue doing the show more than I did," Wells said.
Sorkin was a one-man band when it came to writing The West Wing scripts. Now Wells, who is also a producer for ER and Third Watch, has assembled a team that includes veterans from ER, China Beach, Sex and the City and Once and Again.
Wells said viewers will probably hear less of the long speeches that were a Sorkin trademark.
"Aaron did that exceedingly well, and few people can do it that well," Wells said. "It's a wonderful technique he developed as a playwright. If we can do it really well, you'll see it. If not, then you won't. My guess is that you'll see it less often."
The new season will see some new characters, including a new Vice President (Gary Cole), and a previously unseen presidential daughter (Annabeth Gish).
Wells said the upcoming season should provide more insight into the fictional First Family's personal life.
And although the Bartlet administration will not change its political spots, there will be more room on the show for conservative viewpoints.
The world has changed since 9/11, Wells said, and the show has to reflect that.
"My sense is that the country is more divided now over major issues than it's been in a long time, and the more we can reflect that, the more interesting it is for our audiences," he said.
Posted by Jo at September 23, 2003 11:40 PM