For Serious West Wing Fans Only
While we are greatly enjoying The West Wing in syndication, the joy will lessen soon as I sense we are nearing the point where we began watching the show a couple years ago. All the twists will no longer be a surprise. And meanwhile over on the brand new weekly episodes, someone apparently turned off all the lights when Aaron Sorkin left, and I mean literally. The set is lit like a winter morning in Seattle. So I’ve decided that the best way for the cast to continue without Sorkin is to start again from the very beginning. They should film all the episodes again — except with a catch. The male-female roles should be swapped: Stockard Channing gets to be President and Martin Sheen gets to be First Gentleman. Janel Moloney and Bradley Whitford should swap and Josh can ask the naive questions while Donna acts all superior. Remember the scene where Ainsley Hayes, played by Emily Procter, meets the President while she’s dressed in a bathrobe, drink in hand, and singing? Put Rob Lowe in her place. And Ainsley gets to be the supportive friend of a prostitute (male or female?). C.J. and Toby should switch places, or maybe C.J. and Danny, the reporter. Margaret and Leo can swap. You get the idea. And the lines should stay exactly the same. It’s a mind exercise on gender roles. I think it’d be fascinating for many key scenes. Not only that, I think the actors, superb as they are, would completely pull it off and sell it.