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February 08, 2005
Saunders: 'West Wing' votes for Prez
by Dusty Saunders
Rocky Mountain News
Alan Alda or Jimmy Smits - who would get your vote for president?
You won't have a chance to cast your ballot on The West Wing. The presidency will be decided by Executive Producer John Wells and his stable of writers - even though some critics have advocated having an interactive vote for fans of the NBC series, which has developed a new dramatic energy to go along with its additional cast members.
Alda, now a regular, is playing Arnold Vinick, a liberal California Republican senator (keep in mind, The West Wing is fiction). Smits portrays Matt Santos, a Democratic congressman from San Antonio.
The multi Emmy-winning series will end its sixth season in late spring with two episodes devoted to the Republican and Democratic national conventions, which will nominate Vinick and Santos.
Cast member Gary Cole as vice president Robert (Bingo Bob) Russell, a former Colorado congressman, is still around as a potential candidate. But in the world of political make-believe, do you really think Wells and his script crew would "nominate" Cole over Smits?
Plans call for the presidential campaign to begin in September, followed by the election (November sweeps quickly come to mind), with inauguration ceremonies and other activities taking place in early 2006.
Since the two-term presidency of Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) has had an obvious liberal bent during the series' six-year run, odds overwhelmingly favor Smits.
And wouldn't an Alda win force major cast changes? The long-time characters portrayed by Allison Janney, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff presumably wouldn't be around in a Republican White House.
Still, Wells insists no decision has been made about the presidential winner. He told critics recently the series is scripted "as an unfolding series of events."
"We didn't exactly know where the show was going until we were fortunate enough to get Jimmy and Alan to agree to do the series. Now we're discovering about the characters as we go forward to the final episodes of the season."
Wells, a graduate of Cherry Creek High School, added that an Alda victory wouldn't necessarily mean current cast members will be written out of the series.
While Wells and his crew are mapping fall election plans, NBC has yet to approve the campaign trail, because the network has not officially renewed the series.
"There's no doubt in my mind we'll be back next season," Wells says. "We're in the process of negotiations right now."
Like all Hollywood-style wheeling-and-dealing scenarios, money is the stumbling block. NBC has to negotiate an expensive licensing fee with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television, which, in turn, have to work out contracts and salary demands of the series' huge, ever-expanding cast.
In addition to adding Alda and Smits, The West Wing has several new recurring characters, including Patricia Richardson (Home Improvement) and Steven Root (NewsRadio) as Alda's staff members, and Teri Polo as Smits' wife.
While The West Wing no longer provides the top 10 audience ratings figures it once boasted, viewership remains solid - and of even more importance, upscale. The series continues to draw elite advertisers who want to reach educated, wealthy viewers. So look for a renewal announcement before month's end.
Regarding audience figures, Wells debunks the widely-held theory that most of the series' viewers are overwhelmingly Democratic who agree with the story line's politics.
"That's a misconception," Wells says. And I can prove it by our mailbag and e-mail response every week. People watch because they're interested in the issues. The West Wing is a show that appeals to people who can't get this kind of conversation anyplace else in network TV drama.
Wells claims The West Wing gets mail from numerous Republican politicians - most of whom argue their points of view. One "fan," according to Wells, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), argues against the series' stance on environmental issues.
With most of the discussion surrounding Alda and Smits, there's a tendency to ignore the current White House resident, who's fighting multiple sclerosis. Signed through the current season, Sheen indicates he'll be back for the seventh.
"Bartlet will have a lot to say about the nominee and then go out and work for the candidate and the Democratic agenda. Bartlet will not go out quietly," Sheen says.
Posted by Jo at February 8, 2005 10:09 AM