Producer John Wells: A West Wing reboot would "tarnish" its legacy because the U.S. is too polarized

Variety

The mega-producer behind The West Wing and ER isn't interested in reviving his two biggest hits. "The West Wing is the one people pester us about constantly," Wells tells Variety. "I have continued to say no, we’re not going to do it. I don’t want to do it even though it’s the one that I think there are actually ways to do it. But not given the political climate now." Pointing out that Republicans and Democrats were fans of the original NBC political drama, Wells says: "The country is so polarized right now I think announcing that we were going to try to do any version would greatly tarnish what it was. Because I think it would be assumed to be a liberal screed rather than an opportunity to do what it was originally designed to be. We had our moments of standing on a soapbox, but for the most part it was about the sacrifices people made to be in government, and how difficult it was to get things done, how compromise was required. It was about service and the ideal of who we’re supposed to be as a country. This is a fraught time to try to enter into that conversation. I think it would be a very bad idea to try to go back in now.” Wells also emphasizes he's not interested in an ER revival, noting that Shonda Rhimes and others have picked up the "medical show banner." But there is one of his hit shows that he would revive: Southland. “That one finished too soon,” he says. “I would love to do that (show) again. We’ve tried a couple of times. It’s going to be hard because everyone’s a star now.”