In case you were sleeping and missed it (like me), NBC announced January 22 that the current season of The West Wing will be its last. The series’ final episode is scheduled to air May 14,2006.
Nice way to honor the memory of actor John Spencer, too, NBC (although the network said the cancellation decision was made before Spencer’s untimely death in December 2005).
And here’s what I really don’t get: NBC has apparently fallen from first to fourth in the network wars, but West Wing has always been and, according to the most recent data I could immediately find, continues to be extremely popular with affluent (read: rich) viewers — a coveted demographic in today’s more-competitive-than-ever TV marketplace.
“In general [rich] viewers respond to high production values, sophisticated dialogue and story lines and a unique point of view,” said Alan Wurtzel, NBC’s president of research and media development, in a 2005 interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Hello? Bueller? Anyone?
