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October 14, 2004
Martin Sheen's West Wing Dilemma
by Daniel R. Coleridge
TV Guide Online
The real-life showdown between Dubya and Kerry happens next month, but The West Wing's timetable for presidential elections is, of course, different. They've got more complicated considerations than Washington politics, like actors' employment contracts!
Just to catch you up: Back in 1999, NBC's White House drama launched almost two years into President Josiah Bartlet's first term. In Season 4, Bartlet (aka Martin Sheen) defeated James Brolin to score himself a second term. Presidential fever heats up again in Season 6 (beginning Oct. 20 at 9 pm/ET) when various guest stars — including Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda — start surfacing as candidates for Sheen's Oval Office digs. The decision as to when Sheen will pass the torch rests entirely in the star's hands, though.
"This is the last year of Martin's contract, and he has to decide what he wants to do next," says executive producer John Wells. "It would be our preference to do the election next season. But if Martin tells me around Christmastime that he doesn't want to do any more beyond this season, we may accelerate that. We may choose to speed up [the election], we may choose to do something else. We haven't made any plans yet for if he doesn't [come back]. We're in full denial!"
Meanwhile, here's what else Wells has in store for your fave West Wingers...
New Job for C.J. Cregg: "In Episode 2, Leo McGarry suffers a major heart attack and is unable to continue as the chief of staff," Wells reveals. "The president, while considering Josh and Toby for the part, comes to the conclusion that the best person for it is C.J. Allison Janney is wonderful. She's so talented and I think she'd reached the point where she'd answered questions in the press-briefing room about as many times as she could. So it's great to see a talented actress having a whole other meal to dig into. She's [also] not too busy for love, but a little too busy right at the beginning of this season...."
Leaving the White House: Just before the holidays, Josh will become so disillusioned with the vice-president's campaign that he'll quit the White House. "Leo talks Josh into finding his own Democratic candidate, the way Leo found Bartlet," Wells explains. "Josh will run a long-shot campaign for [Jimmy Smits' character]." And as for Donna, she'll go to work for the Veep's campaign.
Whoa! You know what that means: Since Josh will no longer be Donna's supervisor at the White House — where employee fraternization is verboten — these two will finally be free to date! "They're at odds but could have a relationship if they wanted to," Wells concedes. "We love those two characters and we love their interaction, so people who are interested in that romantic possibility will enjoy this season."
More laughs: "The show needs to be more enjoyable and have the buoyancy it had before 9/11," Wells says, promising "it's going to be funny again."
Posted by Jo at October 14, 2004 07:21 AM