Martin Sheen
Sorkin Similarities
January 27, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Before he became the architect of the fictional Bartlet presidency by creating The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin designed a slice of the fictional Shepherd presidency in The American President.
The American President shows us the end of the first term of democrat Andrew Shepherd, a widower whose wife died before the election that sent him to the White House.
The most notable link between The American President and The West Wing is Martin Sheen.
In The American President, Sheen plays Shepherd’s Chief of Staff, A.J. Macinerney.
In The West Wing, Sheen plays President Bartlet.
Anna Deavere Smith is another link between the two stories.
She plays Press Secretary Robin McCall in The American President.
She has a recurring role on The West Wing -- Dr. Nancy McNally, National Security Advisor.
Joshua Malina also has roles in both Sorkin stories.
In The American President, Malina has a minor role -- an associate of President Shepherd’s environmental activist girlfriend, Sydney Ellen Wade, played by Annette Bening.
Malina replaced Rob Lowe in The West Wing. When Lowe’s character of Sam Seaborn runs for Congress, Malina’s character of Will Bailey replaces Sam as Deputy Communications Director.
In West Wing canon, the last real president acknowledged in dialogue is President Nixon. However, one scene takes place outside the Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University Hospital. The West Wing does not directly reference Reagan as a U.S. president.
We also do not know whether President Shepherd is part of the post-Nixon history of The West Wing.
david@davidkrell.com
Before he became the architect of the fictional Bartlet presidency by creating The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin designed a slice of the fictional Shepherd presidency in The American President.
The American President shows us the end of the first term of democrat Andrew Shepherd, a widower whose wife died before the election that sent him to the White House.
The most notable link between The American President and The West Wing is Martin Sheen.
In The American President, Sheen plays Shepherd’s Chief of Staff, A.J. Macinerney.
In The West Wing, Sheen plays President Bartlet.
Anna Deavere Smith is another link between the two stories.
She plays Press Secretary Robin McCall in The American President.
She has a recurring role on The West Wing -- Dr. Nancy McNally, National Security Advisor.
Joshua Malina also has roles in both Sorkin stories.
In The American President, Malina has a minor role -- an associate of President Shepherd’s environmental activist girlfriend, Sydney Ellen Wade, played by Annette Bening.
Malina replaced Rob Lowe in The West Wing. When Lowe’s character of Sam Seaborn runs for Congress, Malina’s character of Will Bailey replaces Sam as Deputy Communications Director.
In West Wing canon, the last real president acknowledged in dialogue is President Nixon. However, one scene takes place outside the Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University Hospital. The West Wing does not directly reference Reagan as a U.S. president.
We also do not know whether President Shepherd is part of the post-Nixon history of The West Wing.
The West Wing
June 25, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Two presidential candidates.
A moderate, republican United States senator from a western state in his golden years with decades of political experience.
A fortysomething, ethnic, democratic congressman with just a few years on his national political resume.
John McCain and Barack Obama?
No.
Arnold Vinick and Matthew Santos.
The last years of The West Wing gave us a fictional presidential race featuring two television heavyweights. Senator Arnold Vinick from Santa Paula, California, played by Alan Alda. Congressman Matthew Santos from Houston, Texas, played by Jimmy Smits.
In this parallel political universe, Vinick and Santos want to succeed President Jed Bartlet, the liberal, Nobel Prize winning economist from New Hampshire who built a political life -- congressman, governor, President of the United States. Martin Sheen plays Bartlet.
Santos' team enjoyed the leadership of Bartlet's former Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, played by Bradley Whitford. Josh sees the congressman's incredible political intuition and convinces him not to retire from politics as originally planned.
A novice at presidential campaigns, Santos proves himself to be a quick learner.
But Vinick throws fear into the democratic side, particularly Bartlet's Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, played by John Spencer.
He knows that Vinick has the invaluable ability to connect with voters at the grass-roots level.
Combined with years of political experience, his brand-name quality in politics, and savvy campaign skills, Vinick will be a tough competitor.
For his running mate, Vinick chooses the conservative governor of West Virginia to shore up the conservative base -- Ray Sullivan, played by Brett Cullen.
Santos stays close to home and selects Leo McGarry, a terrific administrator with unparalleled political knowledge, wisdom, and instinct.
The presidential campaign arc of The West Wing features a live debate and a Democratic National Convention with ballots, unlike the scripted infomercials with which we've become familiar.
Santos wins the nomination of his party after a rousing, inspiring, and honest speech to the delegates encouraging them to vote for who the believe will do the best job as president.
John Spencer's death in December of 2005 left a void in The West Wing. The writers constructed a plot line where Leo McGarry dies of a heart attack on Election Night. The device is not a terrific stretch as McGarry had major heart problems in a previous story line.
Santos wins the election. Dialogue indicates the president-elect will replace McGarry with Pennsylvania Governor Eric Baker, a candidate during the democratic presidential primaries, because of Baker's executive experience.
In a show of bipartisan unity, Santos asks Vinick to be Secretary of State because of his strategic thinking and strong relationships with the democratic corps.
The last episode of The West Wing takes place on Inauguration Day. Appropriately, Martin Sheen has the last word in the series. When his wife asks him what he's thinking about, he replies, Tomorrow.
david@davidkrell.com
Two presidential candidates.
A moderate, republican United States senator from a western state in his golden years with decades of political experience.
A fortysomething, ethnic, democratic congressman with just a few years on his national political resume.
John McCain and Barack Obama?
No.
Arnold Vinick and Matthew Santos.
The last years of The West Wing gave us a fictional presidential race featuring two television heavyweights. Senator Arnold Vinick from Santa Paula, California, played by Alan Alda. Congressman Matthew Santos from Houston, Texas, played by Jimmy Smits.
In this parallel political universe, Vinick and Santos want to succeed President Jed Bartlet, the liberal, Nobel Prize winning economist from New Hampshire who built a political life -- congressman, governor, President of the United States. Martin Sheen plays Bartlet.
Santos' team enjoyed the leadership of Bartlet's former Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, played by Bradley Whitford. Josh sees the congressman's incredible political intuition and convinces him not to retire from politics as originally planned.
A novice at presidential campaigns, Santos proves himself to be a quick learner.
But Vinick throws fear into the democratic side, particularly Bartlet's Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, played by John Spencer.
He knows that Vinick has the invaluable ability to connect with voters at the grass-roots level.
Combined with years of political experience, his brand-name quality in politics, and savvy campaign skills, Vinick will be a tough competitor.
For his running mate, Vinick chooses the conservative governor of West Virginia to shore up the conservative base -- Ray Sullivan, played by Brett Cullen.
Santos stays close to home and selects Leo McGarry, a terrific administrator with unparalleled political knowledge, wisdom, and instinct.
The presidential campaign arc of The West Wing features a live debate and a Democratic National Convention with ballots, unlike the scripted infomercials with which we've become familiar.
Santos wins the nomination of his party after a rousing, inspiring, and honest speech to the delegates encouraging them to vote for who the believe will do the best job as president.
John Spencer's death in December of 2005 left a void in The West Wing. The writers constructed a plot line where Leo McGarry dies of a heart attack on Election Night. The device is not a terrific stretch as McGarry had major heart problems in a previous story line.
Santos wins the election. Dialogue indicates the president-elect will replace McGarry with Pennsylvania Governor Eric Baker, a candidate during the democratic presidential primaries, because of Baker's executive experience.
In a show of bipartisan unity, Santos asks Vinick to be Secretary of State because of his strategic thinking and strong relationships with the democratic corps.
The last episode of The West Wing takes place on Inauguration Day. Appropriately, Martin Sheen has the last word in the series. When his wife asks him what he's thinking about, he replies, Tomorrow.