When Aaron Sorkin began writing The West Wing, the president was supposed to be a background character, a palpable presence that hovered over the plot but rarely made an actual appearance. Then, in the series’ opening episodes, Martin Sheen ambled on screen, charmed the audience with his intellectual idealism and leading-man aura, and everything changed.
It will be interesting to see if something similar occurs when George Washington makes his first appearance on Turn, AMC’s new Revolutionary War drama. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) stars as Abraham Woodhull, a Long Island farmer who risks his life and family to gather intelligence on the British in his hometown and nearby New York City. Thus far, Washington has been mentioned only in passing, mostly in derogatory fashion after his troops were swept out of New York in 1776 and the Continental Congress contemplated relieving him of command
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