March 28, 2002
I was watching the teaser scene for this week's West Wing just now. The president (played by Martin Sheen) is doing quickie 60-second interviews with various morning shows. After the Philadelphia station goes to commercial, he spends a few seconds bantering with the morning show anchor. One of the cameras is still active as he makes a comment about how a likely competitor in the next election is "a .22-caliber mind in a .357 Magnum world."
The staffer prompting him through the interviews notices the light's still on. "We were still hot. They have it on B-roll."
Martin Sheen gave a great "oh shit" look. It's the little things like that make make a show well-acted.
Update, end of the same show: Damn. I completely missed that. As the president's getting ready to give a speech, the White House coumminucations director talks to him quickly about how well the gaffe worked: Everybody and their brother is doubting the other guy's intelligence, and the president is unscathed because it was an accident. Then she tells the president she's been going over the interview: "I noticed that after each interview, the anchors wanted to talk about Ritchie [the potential opponent] and each time you took a pass. Until Philadelphia. Mr. President, did you know the green light was on?"
And again, Martin Sheen does a good job, this time giving her what I would call a "purposefully blank" look. The character had planned it. And if I'd been paying closer attention I'd have noticed it.
To whoever wrote that episode: Well done!
