'West Wing' will be very different show

If you'd told me a year ago that Aaron Sorkin would leave "The West Wing," I would have been a lot more upset than I am today.

Sorkin is not only the creator and executive producer of the show, but he had his hand in every script. If he didn't write them himself, he rewrote them. There's not a show on TV that's more the vision of one man than this one.

But that vision has become somewhat clouded this season. Once truly must-see TV, "West Wing" no longer is.

Both Sorkin and fellow executive producer/director Thomas Schlamme are exiting the series, leaving it in the hands of executive producer John Wells — who is also the creator and executive producer of "ER" and "Third Watch." It's been no secret that Wells and Sorkin haven't gotten along. Nor is it a secret that executives at both the studio (Warner Bros.) and the network (NBC) have been frustrated with Sorkin's work habits — he's often still working on the end of an episode while the first part is actually shooting.

In a prepared release, NBC President Jeff Zucker and Wells praised Sorkin. (Wells called Sorkin and Schlamme "irreplaceable," which he'd better hope isn't true.) And Sorkin was effusive in his praise, saying, "This has been the experience of any writer's dreams. I had the best job in show business for four years, and I'll never forget that. I'm indebted to a cast, crew and staff whose world-class talents were exceeded only by their tireless dedication to the show and endless generosity of spirit."

But, after three years of plaudits and ratings success, "The West Wing" is a show in some trouble. Due in part to competition from "The Bachelor," its ratings have dropped almost a third this season. And at least part of that is because the show has been considerably less compelling than it once was.

With Sorkin bailing out, "The West Wing" will definitely be a different show next season. Whether it will be a better show remains to be seen. But, frankly, something had to be done to inject some life — and a bit less sanctimony — into the program.

'THE BACHELOR' VISITS UTAH: Tonight's installment of "The Bachelor" will feature The Canyons ski resort as Andrew Firestone brings one of the three female finalists to Utah for a date. (It was all taped weeks ago, of course.)