06/10/2024

Actors Fitzgerald and McCormack—who played Carol Fitzpatrick and Kate Harper, respectively, on The West Wing (1999–2006)—deliver an entertaining history of the show grounded in extensive interviews with its stars, writers, and crew. The authors recount how creator Aaron Sorkin largely improvised his pitch for The West Wing after realizing that what he had assumed was a friendly dinner with ER producer John Wells was actually a development meeting. Elsewhere, Fitzgerald and McCormack explain that the show’s signature walk-and-talk shots stemmed from pilot director Thomas Schlamme’s efforts to recreate the hustle and bustle he witnessed while visiting Bill Clinton in the Oval Office, and that Glenn Close confessed to feeling nervous about keeping up with the show’s frenetic production schedule when guest starring as a Supreme Court nominee. The insider stories amuse, and meditations on the show’s legacy highlight its influence on real-life politicos (Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow quips, “We accept that our day-to-day is Parks and Recreation... but we always aspire to be The West Wing”). This will be catnip for fans of the show. Agent: Matt Latimer, Javelin. (Aug.)

Mary and Melissa succeed so brilliantly in capturing what it was like to be part of The West Wing. From the casting process to the table reads to our final night of filming, What’s Next is packed full of details, anecdotes, and secrets from behind the scenes. This is the book The West Wing deserves. –Allison Janney
 
“Dedication to service has always played a key part in The West Wing, and now it’s a key part of What’s Next. Full of a hopeful optimism, it’s a celebration of the past as well as an inspirational look to the future. What’s Next is the book we all need right now. –Dulé Hill
 
“Mary and Melissa have brought me back to those glorious days on the West Wing set with What’s Next.  A perfect storm of talented people lucky enough to find each other in a seminal moment of television history: this wonderful book remembers the 17 hour days and 80 hour weeks and the grind and glory of the impossible pursuit of excellence. We formed a tribe that adored each other and respected each other and elevated each other to heights we could not ever reach alone. What a joy to read from the memories of all our perspectives that bring us right back to stage 23 on the Warner Bros. lot.” –Richard Schiff
 
“What an amazing time to take a deep dive into the Bartlet administration! Any West Wing fan will adore this book, as will anyone who admires brilliant television and all that it takes to make it. Run and buy What’s Next for all the West Wingers in your life!” –Janel Moloney
 
“Being part of The West Wing was more than the creative experience of a lifetime. It was a show that celebrated public service and was a reminder that we don’t just get a democracy, we have to make one every day. I’m so proud of my West Wing family who continue to use the attention the show gave us to hold this country up to its spectacular, unfulfilled promise. And I’m so grateful to Melissa and Mary for highlighting the causes that are so important to each of us and how you can help. A joy and a MUST READ for all the Wingnuts out there!!!” –Brad Whitford
 
“What’s Next is the highest level of access you can get to The West Wing without a background check. I co-hosted a podcast about the show and there’s tons of stuff in here I didn’t know. Mary and Melissa take you inside the writers’ room, on the cast-and-crew road trips to Vegas, and behind the scenes of the series we all love. Buy the book and skip the chapter about Brad.” –Josh Malina

"What’s Next offers a complete look at the making of one of TV’s most acclaimed dramas.” –Parade

"West Wing’ alums give ‘backstage pass’ to beloved drama in new book... includ[ing] behind-the-scenes cast moments, photos and anecdotes from specific episodes of the show and real-life political encounters." –The Hill

"[This] lively, engaging booktakes a deep dive into the series, including its origin, creators, casting, key episodes from itsseven seasons, and more... Fans of the series (aka “Wingnuts”) will enjoy these on- and off-camera stories, and those who have never watched anepisode will find out what they’ve missed." –Booklist

“An entertaining history of the show grounded in extensive interviews with its stars, writers, and crew…the insider stories amuse, and meditations on the show’s legacy highlight its influence on real-life politicos.” —Publishers Weekly

2024-06-12
A celebration of all thingsWest Wing from a pair of former cast members.

As the Trump presidency battered the norms of American democracy and Covid-19 forced citizens to nest indoors, the White House TV drama, which originally aired from 1999 to 2006, enjoyed a second life as a tribute to steady leadership. Fitzgerald and McCormack, who played assistant press secretary and deputy national security adviser, respectively, strive to evoke the show’s upbeat, pro–public service spirit throughout this book, dishing anecdotes about the series and spotlighting the charitable endeavors of its cast and crew. The authors gained excellent access to key figures on the show, from creator Aaron Sorkin (who wrote the foreword) to stars like Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, and Alison Janney, down to the Steadicam operator (a crucial role on a program infamous for its “walk-and-talks”). There’s plenty of insider trivia—e.g., Eugene Levy was once a candidate to play grumpy communications director Toby, Hal Holbrook was in the running to play President Jed Bartlet, and Sheen financed regular cast-and-crew trips to Las Vegas. The authors dedicate chapters to a handful of episodes especially beloved by the show’s fans (aka Wingnuts) and explore the show’s legacy since its end among creative and political communities. (Lin-Manuel Miranda notes cases where he unconsciously borrowedWest Wing patter forHamilton.) The book is mainly hagiography, with participants celebrating the close-knit family vibe on the set and lamenting low points like the death of John Spencer, who played Bartlet’s chief of staff; touchy subjects, like Lowe’s departure over salary, are handled gently, almost apologetically. A nonpartisan history of the show remains to be written, but this is satisfying on its own terms, determinedly refusing to see “government” as a four-letter word.

A gauzy but thorough exploration of a prestige-TV standard-bearer.