Drat, series creator and frequent script writer Aaron Sorkin is leaving the West Wing at the end of this season. The West Wing is one of my favorite TV shows, though I've been a little behind this season after missing some episodes while in France and when I was TiVoless in NY. The article says there were "reports of tension between Sorkin and the studio that produces the show, Warner Bros. Television." The supposed tensions relate to production delays and budget overruns.
The conspiracist in me wonders if there isn't some political pressure as well. Warner Bros. Television is of course owned by media juggernaut AOL/Time Warner. But in looking up their campaign contributions for 2000 (as AOL and Time Warner) and 2002 (now merged), I find that they contribute more to Democrats. I guess the conspiracist in me is wrong.