The West WingcreatorAaron Sorkinis no stranger to thoughts of rebooting the beloved political drama, especially given fans' continued enthusiasm for the show nearly two decades after its conclusion. But after a visit to the White House in celebration ofTheWest Wing’s 25th anniversary last week, Sorkin reports that he’s now seriously considering a revival.
The West Wing
Speaking toVarietyafter the 25th anniversary celebration ofThe West Wing— which included an official tour of the White House and a formal ceremony in the Rose Garden with remarks by First Lady Jill Biden — Sorkin discussed his past hesitation regarding aWest Wingreboot.“I suspect that a new president would have a hard time living up to people’s memories of Martin,“he said, in reference to actor Martin Sheen’s legendary portrayal of President Jed Bartlet in the show. Sorkin also added that the viewers might not want to see a new cast in the Oval Office, given their attachment to the rest ofThe West Wing’s original, unforgettable ensemble.
However, Sorkin also confessed that, during his time at the White House, he received several ideas for new episodes ofThe West Wingthat now has him lending significant weight to the prospect of a reboot. The show’s idealistic aspirations would be an especially valuable message in today’s political climate, even though Sorkin admits that they might be difficult to abide by. But the emotional resonance and impact ofThe West Wingis also what has contributed to its long-lasting legacy, as Sorkin and other cast members mentioned in their speeches at the White House celebration. A clip of their homage to the spectacular legacy ofThe West Wingcan be viewed below:
“Because part of it is being idealistic, it does need to feel like it’s taking place in the world that we live in for it to work. It does need to feel like our world. So, it would be hard, but as Brad Whitford, as Josh Lyman, says in the Season 3 premiere, ’20 Hours in America,’ ‘it’s gonna be hard,’ and Toby says, ‘it’s the hard that makes it good.’”
What aWest WingReboot Might Look Like
AWest Wingreboot in the modern political climate may pose some unique challenges. Part of the show’s appeal was its bipartisan portrayal of politics, in which Republicans and Democrats often found middle ground on policy issues. But Sorkin has previously stated that, if he were to makeThe West Wingtoday,viewers would no longer see a “reasonable” Republican Party. Other concerns include the prospect of a second Trump presidency, which, according to Sorkin,might make a reboot of the show feel like nothing more than a response to the nightly news. And then, of course, there’s the show’s signature idealism, which seems harder and harder to depict given the current state of — well, everything.
The West Wing Cast: Where They Are Today
The West Wing is widely hailed as one of the best political shows ever made. Here’s a look at where the old cast are today.
However, if Sorkin manages to overcome these challenges in aWest Wingreboot, viewers may have the perfect antidote to the endless horror of the 24-hour news cycle. Although reboots and revivals have been teased before byWest Wingcast members, Sorkin’s official embracing of the idea certainly lends a lot of credibility to the prospect of a genuine return to the Oval Office.
