Aaron Sorkin has not announced a revival of “The West Wing,” but the possibility remains a regular part of his thinking.

Asked by Entertainment Weekly whether he might bring back the NBC political drama, Sorkin said, “There’s probably a couple of seconds every day when I think about it.”

The creator acknowledged that returning to the series would present significant challenges. He said “it would be very, very tricky to do in the current environment,” while also admitting that it “would be fun” and adding, “I miss it.”

Those comments leave the door open without establishing that a new version is in development. Sorkin expressed interest and affection for the series, but he did not announce a format, story, cast, platform or production timetable for a possible return.

A White House Ensemble That Still Has Willing Players

“The West Wing” aired on NBC from 1999 to 2006. Its ensemble was led by Martin Sheen as President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet and included Allison Janney as press secretary C.J. Cregg, Richard Schiff as communications director Toby Ziegler and Rob Lowe as deputy communications director Sam Seaborn.

John Spencer played chief of staff Leo McGarry, while Bradley Whitford appeared as deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman. Dulé Hill portrayed presidential aide Charlie Young, and Stockard Channing played First Lady Abbey Bartlet.

At least two members of that cast have already indicated that they would be willing to participate if Sorkin moved forward. Whitford and Hill told Variety last month that they were open to returning.

“I’ll work him,” Whitford said of Sorkin. “I think there could be a limited series of some kind.”

Hill placed the decision firmly with the show’s creator. “I think if he writes it, then we all will be there,” he said. Hill added that a return could be “a lovely thing” that might help steer society’s “collective consciousness” toward “humanity and connectivity and understanding.”

Whitford’s reference to a limited series offers one possible format, but the source material does not establish that Sorkin has adopted that idea or begun developing it.

What Would President Bartlet Say Now?

Sorkin was also asked how Sheen’s fictional president might respond to the current state of U.S. politics. Rather than immediately speaking for the character, he emphasized that he would need to consider the question carefully.

“I’d like to take a little time before I put words in Jed Bartlet’s mouth,” Sorkin told Entertainment Weekly. “I’ll just say that I don’t think his reaction would be dissimilar to most of our reactions to what’s going on right now.”

The answer reflects one of the central complications surrounding any prospective return: Sorkin is thinking about the character and the present political moment, but he has not disclosed a storyline or said what Bartlet’s place in a revival would be.

For now, Sorkin’s immediate public focus is his latest movie, “The Social Reckoning.” He is making the press rounds for the film, which is a follow-up to 2010’s “The Social Network” and features Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg.

ShowBiz Take

There is a meaningful difference between nostalgia and an active television project, and Sorkin’s comments remain on the nostalgia-and-possibility side of that line. Still, the fact that he thinks about “The West Wing” every day—and that Whitford and Hill have publicly volunteered their interest—keeps the prospect from feeling entirely abstract.

The biggest signal is also the biggest caveat: Sorkin misses the series and believes revisiting it could be enjoyable, yet he sees the current environment as making that task “very, very tricky.” Until he moves from contemplation to writing or development, talk of a revival remains just that.

What Happens Next?

No revival has been confirmed, and Sorkin has not revealed whether his daily thoughts about “The West Wing” will become a limited series or any other production. The next decisive step would have to come from him—an assessment Whitford and Hill appear to share. For the moment, President Bartlet’s potential return remains an idea Sorkin has not been able to leave behind.