Could history be repeating itself? Buzzfeed is reporting that Aaron Sorkin may be contemplating walking away from the HBO series The Newsroom. If you are having a sense of déjà vu, that could be because Sorkin famously left his hit NBC drama The West Wing after four seasons at the helm.
The story doesn’t suggest that Sorkin is dealing with a hostile studio situation (which was largely the case with his West Wing departure). Rather, the story hints that Sorkin may be running short on ideas for a third season, which, when coupled with the several film projects Sorkin has in development, may spell the end of his day-to-day involvement with Newsroom.
Sorkin has gone on the record saying that HBO has offered to renew the series for a third season, and the network seems happy with how it has performed during its second season. The show has rebounded from a string of unfavorable reviews during its inaugural year to gain some critical praise this season. When asked by Buzzfeed why the series has yet to be renewed, an HBO spokesperson would only say the network was currently in talks regarding a deal for a third season.
Should Sorkin decide to leave, that wouldn’t necessarily mark the end of the series. West Wing lasted for three additional years after Sorkin left (although the show was accused of a decline in quality for two of the three years).
