Art Imitating Life...If Only!

Throughout the years of America’s Donald J. Trump debacle, we have found solace re-watching “The West Wing”. Aaron Sorkin’s show depicted a president we could admire, supported by people we wish were really running our government; people with integrity, honor, intelligence and enough self-confidence to consider differing opinions and sometimes even admit when they might be wrong. In other words, the diametric opposite of the cowardly, blindly allegiant MAGA regime we have in power now!

More recently however, we have been engrossed by a less appreciated past work from Mr. Sorkin, about stellar TV programming. That is HBO’s “The Newsroom”. This show gave us a look at the inside workings and risk- takings of a major TV news network, as it balanced personalities, the importance of researching and reporting the truth, with the fiscal and often politically oppositional goals of their corporate sponsors.

Infuriatingly, “The Newsroom” stands out that much more when compared to the disgraceful, morally feckless actions of CBS’ sacrifice of Stephen Colbert and now ABC’s betrayal of Jimmy Kimmel, in their misguided hopes that Trump would look on them more favorably. Spoiler alert…he doesn’t respect weakness! It will be hard for us to avoid watching anything on TV related to CBS, Paramount, Disney, ABC and ESPN…but we will try! President Jed Bartlett and Will McAvoy will make it easier.