Matthew Perry, a good thing on 'Wing'
Show has picked up steam with new season
 |
Matthew Perry (top center) plays a Republican lawyer and adviser on "The West Wing." Wednesday, Milo O'Shea (bottom) guests as a Supreme Court justice.
Story Tools
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
|
Follow the news that matters to you. Create your own alert to be notified on topics you're interested in.
Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions.
|
|
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Ten things we like about "The West Wing" although series creator Aaron Sorkin has left the White House building:
1. It still has a sense of humor. The gifted Sorkin is gone but his witty spirit lingers: "Do people keep cliche thesaureses around for times like this?" one frustrated character asked after a deluge of sympathy.
2. It still has a sense of history. It weaves details of America's government and politics into stories without breaking the dramatic thread. Want to learn how a president surrenders power? This is the place.
3. It's less preachy than before. The Bartlet administration remains liberal and makes no bones about its position on hot-button issues such as gun control, but the soapbox isn't pulled out as often.
4. It cast Gary Cole as the new vice president (the old one was driven out by scandal) and looks to be making the most of his ability to play charming but morally suspect types.
5. It has more romance, but not too much. Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) and a colleague (Mary-Louise Parker) shared a passionate kiss in his West Wing office but ended it there. A little soap opera, like a little soapbox, goes a long way in a fine drama.
6. It's still cinematic. Thomas Schlamme, who was the principal director and who left with Sorkin, imparted a style of urgent energy that remains. On the flip side and also unchanged: poignant shots of characters framed by White House windows (OK, a studio set), symbolic glimpses of power and responsibility.
7. It let first lady Abigail Bartlet (Stockard Channing) really stand up to her husband. He told her he wouldn't seek a second term because of health problems, then did. He ordered an assassination that endangered their family. No wonder she voted to move out.
8. Its female characters remain as dedicated and tough as the men. What president, or fella for that matter, wouldn't want a C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) or Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) in their corner?
9. It's more linear. Sorkin had a clever way of backing into issues that made the action seem casually authentic but rendered it, at times, tough to follow. The loss of a bit of reality for clarity is fine.
10. It's very good to its guests. John Goodman as the acting president and William Devane as a vice presidential contender were swell in meaty roles. So was Matthew Perry of NBC's "Friends," who guest-starred last season and who's back again -- and delighted to be.
"I actually sought out the job on 'The West Wing' because I was such a fan of the show," Perry said. "Actors look for good writing ... and 'West Wing' in my opinion is the best writing in dramatic television."
Show is 'as good as it was'
Gary Cole (left, with Richard Schiff) has joined the "Wing" cast as the new vice president.
|
|
Perry, an Emmy nominee for his work last season on the drama, plays Joe Quincy, a Republican attorney working as an associate counsel to the Democratic Bartlet administration.
In Wednesday's episode (9 p.m. EST, NBC), the White House attempts to trade on Quincy's close ties to the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice, played by Milo O'Shea.
The justice's health has raised doubts about his ability to continue serving but, as a lifetime appointee, he is untouchable. That's where Perry's character comes in.
"The powers that be at the White House see an opportunity to put their own chief justice on the bench, but they have to be very delicate about it," said Perry.
It's an episode not just about power but about the longtime relationship between the chief justice and Perry's character.
Perry, who worked on the drama in the old and new regimes (John Wells, an original executive producer with Sorkin and Schlamme, is running the show now) feels it hasn't lost a step.
The series suffered a drop in viewership and critical esteem last year but still managed to claim its fourth consecutive best-drama Emmy. Ratings are moving up: It's averaging 14.7 million viewers for the season so far and is tied for 12th place among all prime-time shows, compared to its 13.5 million average last season and No. 24 ranking.
"I think 'West Wing' is as good as it was ... which is an amazing accomplishment given the genius of Aaron Sorkin," Perry said. "I would say it's slightly more of a team effort over there."
Sorkin's word was law and his words themselves, crafted with rhythmic grace, were never changed. But the writers in charge now are talented and the cast consistently impressive, said Perry.
He worked most closely this time with Richard Schiff, who plays communications director Toby Ziegler.
"He's a talented and nice man, and he made it fun. Maybe Richard Schiff and I will go on the road together and do a little vaudeville or something," he said, jokingly.
Perry, of course, has to play out his obligation to "Friends," which is filming its 10th and final season. He looks at the two NBC shows as bookends, with one the best-written comedy and the other the best among dramas.
"The West Wing" is a series "that makes you think and entertains you simultaneously," he said. "What's better than that?"
Copyright 2003 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
