This week on THE LEFT ... er ... WEST WING

TALK ABOUT REGIME CHANGE!

SORKIN SOARING FROM 'WING'

Writer has penned most of the show's episodes

from DailyVariety

By JOSEF ADALIAN


There won’t be a second term for Aaron Sorkin.


Emmy-winning scribe has informed Warner Bros. TV and NBC that this will be his final season with "The West Wing." He is expected to announce his decision this afternoon.


Move comes after a particularly tough season for "West Wing," now in its fourth year, which has seen a dramatic ratings decline in the wake of tough competition from ABC’s "The Bachelor" and Fox’s "American Idol"-fueled 9 p.m. Wednesday comedy block.


Sorkin has written most episodes of "West Wing" since the skein bowed. He still has another year left on his deal at Warner Bros. TV.


Fellow exec producer Thomas Schlamme is also leaving.

posted by James @ 2:57 PM 0 comments

LIFE ON MARS ...

TV Guide's Take: "On his first day at work, assistant White House counsel Joe Quincy (Matthew Perry) receives three pieces of information that lead to an unsettling discovery---and then to a scandal---when he pieces them together."


My Take ...

Okay, what chapped my buns about this episode wasn't the CONSTANT shots at Republicans during this episode (note, I actually enjoyed CJs having fun with Matthew Perry's character - she would have done that to anyone and did with Will Bailey - and Josh's comment "I better not have seen a smile back there" was completely natural).


It wasn't the subtle, yet INANE linking of driving SUVs to supporting terrorism. In fact, hey Aaron! You wanna show proof of supporting terrorism? How about DEMS refusing to allow drilling in ANWAR when there could be as much as 30 years of oil up there?! America could use this energy source and thus not be dependent on foreign oil. Refusing to do that supports terrorism more than me driving my SUV.


So no, I can live with that plot point - stupid as it was.


It isn't even Sorkin's casual dismissal of Hollywood's influence over Washington Democrats. "I think it says the President and a bunch of Hollywood types want to put your kids in a small car so they can save the sky." "How did the Hollywood types get into this equation?" "I don't know. How do they ever?" How do they ever?! How about every time they open their checkbook and give MILLIONS to the DNC? How about everytime Jeanine Garafalo or Martin Sheen opens their collective mouth and claim that America is evil because we want to take down Saddaam Hussein before he sells WMD to OBL? And then moans and cries censorship because the American TV Audience doesn't appreciate it?! When do they ever?


Come Aaron, do you think we're stupid?!THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME.


What chapped my buns was Sorkin's careless tossing of a great character on the funeral pyre for ratings in the form of a scandal which brings down Vice President Hoynes. Hoynes, played to perfection by Jony Quest Alum Tim Mattheson, was a great character. He was crafty enough to always exploit any opportunity to improve his standing when it became his turn to run for the White House, but never completely at the cost of Bartlett's agenda unless he knew he was right. He would stand by his guns when he knew he was right, even if it cost. And that makes a good character.


Here's a character who was the front runner before Bartlett's character threw his hat into the Presidential ring. Who had power in the Senate. Who was, as Leo referred to him, a "titan" in his party. And Sorkin threw him away on a rookie mistake of calling his mistress from the White House.


And why? Because they needed to buy a week to the dramatic two part season finale.


Now wonder the ratings are slipping.

Next Episode:

05-07-03 · #422 "Commencement"

The White House goes into crisis mode when someone close gets kidnapped.


PS - THANKS to BE Warne for linking us at THE WEST WING CONTINUITY GUIDE!

posted by James @ 9:59 AM 0 comments

This week on The LEFT ... er ... WEST WING IS BACK!
That's right, the weekly commentary on the hit NBC propaganda tool known as THE WEST WING has returned after a lengthy absence in order to comment on the overt, and covert, left wing messages of series creator Aaron Sorkin.

Why did we come back? Well, first off, The Left Wing's son is now a growing toddler. So, by the time we finish watching the show, he's in bed! Which means that I can now watch the show and start my commentary's in peace. Secondly, since the Winds of War began blowing in Iraq, the Left has simply lost it's mind! And that means, sooner or later, Sorkin will become even more desparate to use his one hour dramatic series as a political campaign commercial for the DNC.

And that means there must be a fair and balanced response to social engineering, taxation with little representation, and the corrupt forces of political correctness. I'll also attempt to profile REAL Republicans, and not the one dimensional - evil and scheming - Republicans that Sorkin simply loves to portray to an America audience.

So, beginning with this week's episode, LIFE ON MARS, I'm going to do my best to comment of Sorkin's rantings against the great Republican movement.

So let the games begin!

UPCOMING EPISODE:
LIFE ON MARS 9/8pm 04/30/03
A seemingly benign press leak begins a day and night long journey that ends with the discovery of a scandal that affects the uppermost levels of the administration, though what the staff doesn't yet know is that this is merely the match that lights the fuse and that things are about to get considerably worse. Matthew Perry guest stars as a newly hired White House attorney who has the bad luck of discovering the problem. TV-PG

posted by James @ 2:19 PM 0 comments