Good news for the recently extremely unpopular drama The West Wing – if there’s ever a major party for 2006’s cancelled TV shows, The West Wing might get a nice glossy invite.
The once popular, never not-boring show has been struggling in the ratings for some time now, and NBC decided it’s time had come, albeit several seasons too late.
This comes at a good time for The West Wing, though, as it found itself in quite the pickle when one of the show’s stars, John Spencer, passed away unexpectedly. Spencer died in real life of a heart attack at the age of 58. A future story-line involving him had already been set up in a flash forward, leaving little to no natural way to write around it.
NBC cancelled The West Wing (DVDs) after seven seasons of Oval Office
angst, after the network recorded its worst-ever season ratings-wise. Kevin Reilly, NBC entertainment president said of the fate of The West Wing:
"There’s a point when you look at the ratings and say, it feels like it’s time."
The West Wing will bow out in May, as the successor of strangely avuncular President Josiah Bartlet – played by Martin Sheen – is announced. But The West Wing is not the only show to feel the wrath of NBC; Law And Order and Las Vegas have both been shifted around, while Joey continues to sit on the bench look a bit confused and a bit fat.
A recent episode of The West Wing was a publicity stunt designed to boost
ratings. The premise was a debate between the shows two presidential
candidates or, as we like to call them, Senator Bail Organa from Star Wars and Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce from M*A*S*H. The episode was filmed live, with the intent of giving it
the unparallelled zest of a real political debate. Some of the topics
debated were "health insurance", "war", and the always riveting "oil".
Unfortunately for the show’s writers and actors – but fortunately for
the business of television repair – the gimmick didn’t work. It was so
boring that hundreds of people ripped out the plug and threw their
television sets through their windows and into their driveways, streets,
windshields and Venetian-like canals. Come to think of it, maybe that just happened in our office. The exact same thing happened here after the
Rodney King trial. After The West Wing live debate though, we did
learn that it’s not that statement making when you aftermath your own
office. Next time the rage takes over we’ve all agreed to trash a
Krispy Kreme, except Todd, he’s eyeing the janitor’s new push-broom.
hecklerspray‘s furious temper aside, if you love The West Wing,
you’d better let it know soon. Of course this whole cancellation
business makes NBC the John Wilkes Booth to The West Wing‘s Abraham
Lincoln. Now we just have to convince ABC to Lee Harvey Oswald it’s
Commander In Chief show, and quickly too, as our editor can’t wait
to smash a mechanical doughnut sprinkler.
Read more:
Update 5: ‘West Wing’ Canceled After Seven Seasons – Forbes
[story by Shawn Lindseth]
Ron says
Cancellation of the WEST WING
NBC continues to live up to its latest reputation as being the worst rated network on television by canceling one of the best shows on television. When you are poorly run that’s what you do.
NBC = NOTHING BUT CRAP
Soon NBC’s ratings will fall behind PBS and each towns local cable station, if it hasn’t already.
Continue to put out garbage NBC and soon you may join DUMONT on the scrap heap of television Networks.