John Smith

So I guess 20 years is the answer.

So I guess 20 years is the answer.

So I guess 20 years is the answer.

Well, West Wing was this incredible gift of being able to write a great character drama that was about things that mattered. And I think that they, you know, the show managed to give people a window into domestic politics, was slightly rose-colored window, but it was nonetheless.

Well, West Wing was this incredible gift of being able to write a great character drama that was about things that mattered. And I think that they, you know, the show managed to give people a window into domestic politics, was slightly rose-colored window, but it was nonetheless.

Well, West Wing was this incredible gift of being able to write a great character drama that was about things that mattered. And I think that they, you know, the show managed to give people a window into domestic politics, was slightly rose-colored window, but it was nonetheless.

Absolutely. And I wanted to do on a foreign policy level what we had done on a domestic policy level. And I also wanted to do... I wanted to sort of take us out of foreign policy conversations that consisted of us and the enemy, us the bad guy, or us and the Brits, or Chinese, as though millions of people are a single hive mind and they just aren't. And I wanted to

Absolutely. And I wanted to do on a foreign policy level what we had done on a domestic policy level. And I also wanted to do... I wanted to sort of take us out of foreign policy conversations that consisted of us and the enemy, us the bad guy, or us and the Brits, or Chinese, as though millions of people are a single hive mind and they just aren't. And I wanted to

Absolutely. And I wanted to do on a foreign policy level what we had done on a domestic policy level. And I also wanted to do... I wanted to sort of take us out of foreign policy conversations that consisted of us and the enemy, us the bad guy, or us and the Brits, or Chinese, as though millions of people are a single hive mind and they just aren't. And I wanted to

maybe give people a clearer sense of how decisions are made that can, you know, put one in a war footing or how those things kind of get unpacked in the way that we saw them on the Western getting unpacked in the offices where people are trying to figure out how to articulate something and what's the actual goal and what are the Differences of opinion in the backstage of that world.

maybe give people a clearer sense of how decisions are made that can, you know, put one in a war footing or how those things kind of get unpacked in the way that we saw them on the Western getting unpacked in the offices where people are trying to figure out how to articulate something and what's the actual goal and what are the Differences of opinion in the backstage of that world.

maybe give people a clearer sense of how decisions are made that can, you know, put one in a war footing or how those things kind of get unpacked in the way that we saw them on the Western getting unpacked in the offices where people are trying to figure out how to articulate something and what's the actual goal and what are the Differences of opinion in the backstage of that world.

Well, as soon as I finished The West Wing, I tried to do some sort of pilot that was about foreign aid workers or foreign correspondents. I actually pitched a show that was based in an embassy, and the attitude was, it's not going to work. There had just been one that was set in the embassy in London and disappeared after three episodes. It was not very good.

Well, as soon as I finished The West Wing, I tried to do some sort of pilot that was about foreign aid workers or foreign correspondents. I actually pitched a show that was based in an embassy, and the attitude was, it's not going to work. There had just been one that was set in the embassy in London and disappeared after three episodes. It was not very good.

Well, as soon as I finished The West Wing, I tried to do some sort of pilot that was about foreign aid workers or foreign correspondents. I actually pitched a show that was based in an embassy, and the attitude was, it's not going to work. There had just been one that was set in the embassy in London and disappeared after three episodes. It was not very good.

So it was always something that was in my mind. And then when I got the job on Homeland, I was so excited that like that was a way to do it. Right. That was a conversation about foreign policy, whether or not it was based in the war on terror and based, you know, kind of around the. conflicts that came out of those two wars, it was a foreign policy conversation.

So it was always something that was in my mind. And then when I got the job on Homeland, I was so excited that like that was a way to do it. Right. That was a conversation about foreign policy, whether or not it was based in the war on terror and based, you know, kind of around the. conflicts that came out of those two wars, it was a foreign policy conversation.

So it was always something that was in my mind. And then when I got the job on Homeland, I was so excited that like that was a way to do it. Right. That was a conversation about foreign policy, whether or not it was based in the war on terror and based, you know, kind of around the. conflicts that came out of those two wars, it was a foreign policy conversation.

And I loved writing that show, but it was a very dark show. It was a very dark show. And coming out of that, I really wanted to try to figure out if there was a way to sort of have a... a less wrenching conversation only because, you know, it can be hard to watch. Like there's torture in that show.

And I loved writing that show, but it was a very dark show. It was a very dark show. And coming out of that, I really wanted to try to figure out if there was a way to sort of have a... a less wrenching conversation only because, you know, it can be hard to watch. Like there's torture in that show.