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January 25, 2004
TV mailbag
By Taylor Michaels
Chicago Tribune
- Is there any chance we will see Rob Lowe back as Sam Seaborn on "The West Wing" now that his series "The Lyon's Den" appears to have gone belly up? --Gary Taylor, Saginaw, Mich.
I haven't spoken to Lowe about this, but I'd say the chances of him rejoining "Wing" as a regular are remote at best, even if NBC officially cancels "The Lyon's Den."
Lowe says he left the NBC White House drama simply because there wasn't enough for his character to do, although there reportedly were some major salary issues as well. While "The West Wing" has taken a hit in the ratings recently, most people chalk that up to the unexpectedly strong competition from ABC's "The Bachelor," not Lowe's departure - which means, in turn, that "Wing" producers are not likely to give the actor more money or screen time to return.
It bears remembering, too, that "The West Wing" originally was conceived with Lowe's character at the center of the action. It can't have been easy for the actor to watch colleague Martin Sheen and his less well-known co-stars such as Allison Janney as they quickly grabbed the lyon's -- oops, sorry, lion's share of the spotlight.
Posted by Jo at January 25, 2004 02:16 PM