Matthew Perry, Aaron Sorkin, and the Mary Sue connection

Matthew Perry has signed to star in the new series from Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme. This is news worth cheering over; Perry was splendid in a guest star part on "West Wing's" fourth season. It was one of the few things I've seen him do where he wasn't doing his Chandler schtick ("Could this report BE any later?"). Which is great--I'm a fan--but based on things like "The Whole Nine Yards" I'd begun to suspect it's all he could do.

Interestingly, his two-episode "West Wing" debut has recently come to seem to me like a bizarre kind of fanfic that just happens to have been written by the real guy (Sorkin). They're full of continuity references and feature the appearance of a new character (Perry) in whom an established character (Donna) expresses romantic interest. And who then shows himself to possess unusual qualities by finding something out in one day that results in the resignation of the Vice President. Maybe I should just be glad the character's name wasn't Mary Sue.

I'm being a little snarky, but actually I like the episodes (he said, being loyal to his onetime TV fave). Even more interestingly, Perry's part on the new show would seem not to be much of a stretch of the imagination for Sorkin to write...

After lengthy negotiations, the former "Friends" star will join D.L. Hughley and Steven Weber in an untitled drama set behind the scenes at a fictional long-running sketch-comedy series in the mold of "Saturday Night Live."

Perry will play a genius comic writer who was forced out of his position as co-executive producer on the sketch show after a dispute with the network, UBS.

Hmm.