Aaron Sorkin Can't Stop Thinking About Reviving THE WEST WING: "I Miss It"

Aaron Sorkin still has The West Wing on his mind, and it sounds like he hasn't completely ruled out returning to the White House for another round of political drama.

The acclaimed writer admits he thinks about reviving the beloved NBC series pretty much every day, even if bringing it back would come with some serious challenges.

During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sorkin was asked whether he'd ever consider bringing back The West Wing, which ran from 1999 to 2006 and remains one of the most celebrated television dramas ever made.

His response was encouraging for fans hoping to see the series return. “There’s probably a couple of seconds every day when I think about it.”

Of course, Sorkin understands that making a new version of The West Wing in today's political climate wouldn't be easy. He admitted that “it would be very, very tricky to do in the current environment,” but also acknowledged that it “would be fun” and simply added, “I miss it.”

I would absolutely love to see what Sorkin could do with a West Wing revival. The original series is one of my all-time favorite shows. It's just so damn good. The witty writing, the fantastic characters, the performances, and the way the stories unfold made it something special.

What I love most about the show is how hopeful it was. It reminds me of a time when politics felt more civilized, when people with opposing views could actually sit in a room, debate their differences, and work toward something together.

Sure, the series presented an idealized version of Washington, but that was part of what made it so great. It showed us what government could look like when intelligent, passionate people genuinely wanted to make things better.

I'd be incredibly interested to see how Sorkin would approach that same optimism in today's political landscape.

The original series featured an incredible ensemble led by Martin Sheen as President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, alongside Allison Janney as press secretary C.J. Cregg, Richard Schiff as communications director Toby Ziegler, Rob Lowe as deputy communications director Sam Seaborn, John Spencer as chief of staff Leo McGarry, Bradley Whitford as deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman, Dulé Hill as presidential aide Charlie Young, and Stockard Channing as First Lady Abbey Bartlet.

When asked how President Bartlet might react to the current state of American politics, Sorkin was careful about speaking for his fictional president.

“I’d like to take a little time before I put words in Jed Bartlet’s mouth. I’ll just say that I don’t think his reaction would be dissimilar to most of our reactions to what’s going on right now.”

Sorkin isn't the only person interested in returning to The West Wing. Whitford and Hill recently said that they'd happily reunite for another project if Sorkin decided to write it. “I’ll work him,” Whitford said of Sorkin. “I think there could be a limited series of some kind.”

Hill was equally enthusiastic about the possibility, saying, “I think if he writes it, then we all will be there … It would be a lovely thing to hopefully steer the collective consciousness of our society back toward humanity and connectivity and understanding.”

I think I’d want more than a limited series to really dive into things. Give Sorkin a compelling story, maybe bring back some familiar faces, introduce a bunch of new characters, and let that incredible dialogue do its thing.

Sorkin is currently promoting his latest film, The Social Reckoning, a follow-up to his 2010 movie The Social Network, with Jeremy Strong taking on the role of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

For now, a West Wing revival remains something Sorkin is thinking about rather than an actual project in development. Still, knowing that the show's creator misses working on the show and that members of the original cast are interested in returning gives fans something to be excited about.

Would you like to see The West Wing return with the original cast, or would you rather see Sorkin introduce an entirely new administration?