Aaron Sorkin has “loved” writing four television series, but he’s done with the medium after “The Newsroom” airs its final season this year.
In a Los Angeles Times interview published Saturday, but conducted last May, the Academy Award-winning writer made it “really clear” that he’s no longer interested in TV.
“I know the whole ‘never say never’ stuff, but I’m pretty certain I’m about to write my last three episodes of television,” Sorkin said.
“And I want to be really clear about this. Really clear about this,” Sorkin continued. “I’ve loved every minute I’ve spent in television. And I’ve had much more failure, as traditionally measured, than success in television. I’ve done four shows, and only one of them was the ‘West Wing.’”
Sorkin’s White House drama lasted seven seasons on NBC, winning two Golden Globes and over two dozen Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series — five times. His NBC follow-up, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” however, was canceled after one season. ABC’s “Sports Night” only lasted two.
The final six-episode season of “The Newsroom” premieres on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, and when the LA Times caught up with Sorkin shortly beforehand, he seemed to have changed his mind that on “never say never” stuff.
“All these months later, I still don’t see another series in my near future,” he said. “But, again, you never know. Maybe I’ll get another idea.”