The West Wing Weekly 4.09: Swiss Diplomacy (with Kevin Falls and Eli Attie)
Dec 13, 2017
Kevin Falls, a veteran television writer and co-executive producer, joins Eli Attie, a former political staffer and writer, to dive into the creation of 'Swiss Diplomacy.' They discuss the unique challenges of this non-Sorkin script and share hilarious behind-the-scenes stories. The duo reflects on crafting complex plots, dealing with feedback, and the episode's bold political commentary. From character dynamics to real-life campaign anecdotes, they unveil the art of writing in the fast-paced world of political drama.
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Break-Glass Script With Sorkin’s Touch
- "Swiss Diplomacy" was a near-complete episode written by Kevin Falls and Eli Attie without Aaron Sorkin taking a writing credit.
- Aaron Sorkin still polished dialogue and issued last-minute rewrites during shooting, so his influence remained present.
Third Choice Turned Career Break
- Kevin Falls recounts being the third choice for Sports Night and then quickly hired to 'run the room.'
- That job led to his later key role shaping West Wing stories and running the writers' staff.
How Eli Got His First Big Script
- Eli Attie describes Kevin asking him to co-write the backup script John Wells requested, a major break for his TV writing career.
- They didn’t know the script would air, but Aaron later rewrote dialogue and complimented their work.