Ezra Klein: Four Congressmen

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January 18, 2007

Four Congressmen

I smell sitcom...

January 18, 2007 | Permalink

Comments

Good call. Here's my choice for the first three episodes:

1. THE FEUD: Bi-cameral beefing plagues the home as Representatives Bill Delahunt and George Miller have a disagreement with their Senate roommates Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin. Tensions stand to break-up not only a congressional alliance but friendships as well, as the two sides draw a line down the middle of their home, with one side reserved for the Representatives and the other side for the Senators.

2. ROCK THE HOUSE: Delahunt needs to make an impression on Speaker Pelosi in order to get some key legistlation passed. He quickly devises a plan to court the Speaker's attention at the Anual Congressional Disco. The one problem: Delahunt can't dance! Luckily, roomie Chuck Schumer comes to the rescue and teaches Delahunt some moves, just in time for the big social.

3. THE JOURNAL: The roomies find Dick Durbin's diary, which has a lot of nasty things written about his roommates. The roommates learn a powerful lesson in friendship and loyalty as Senator Durbin works hard to gain back the trust of his friends and colleagues.

So, anyone else have some ideas? How about a name for the show?

Posted by: Eric the Political Hack | Jan 18, 2007 7:16:51 PM

I smell congressman. Yuck.

Posted by: scarshapedstar | Jan 18, 2007 7:17:47 PM

I've never been a fan of the expression TMI, but I think I could have carried on with my life not thinking about Delahunt sleeping a few feet away from Schumer in his boxers and Dick Durbin's constipation.

Episode 4: Schumer empties the two cases of beer in the fridge and steals Durbin's rug. The site of Schumer with a full head of heard lets loose Delahunt's sexual feelings for Chuckie, which spin out of control when, one night he rolls over in bed, and spots...oh, forget it. I can't do this.

Posted by: davidmizner | Jan 18, 2007 7:34:53 PM

As I said on my own site, what bothers me the most is that Durbin and Schumer pay less for rent in D.C. than I do.

Posted by: August J. Pollak | Jan 18, 2007 8:01:34 PM

one bathroom and shared bedrooms? these guys are real cheapskates. sounds like military barracks for low-ranking enlisted folks.

i could handle sharing with Miller, don't know Delahunt, Durbin sounds iffy, and Schumer - not on your life.

Posted by: JimPortlandOR | Jan 18, 2007 8:41:36 PM

I think to be a good sitcom, you'd need there to be at least one house republican and one senate republican. Maybe throw in a mistress and a beleaguered aide. I really do think something good could be done with this premise. Get the guys from Frasier to team up with Aaron Sorkin. It would have to be multi-camera though.

Posted by: Greg | Jan 18, 2007 8:43:06 PM

Fred Willard beat us all, with his sit-com pilot he was pitching at the end of "A Mighty Wind".

If four Congressmen are funny, then nine Justices are hilarious.

Posted by: Davis X. Machina | Jan 18, 2007 9:21:50 PM

It's not a sitcom, it's clearly a reality show. In fact, I spent nearly half an hour trying to decide if it would be a good thing for the Democratic Party if that reality show were made, a la The Hills.

Posted by: Antid Oto | Jan 18, 2007 10:29:52 PM

A reality show? That might be even too bland for C-Span. I'm telling: Chuck Schumer dancing. It's gold.

Posted by: Eric the Political Hack | Jan 18, 2007 10:32:04 PM

I think it would make a clever sitcom if done by the people who did ones like Cheers.

Posted by: vwcat | Jan 18, 2007 11:03:59 PM

A reality show? That might be even too bland for C-Span.

No way! You don't think you could edit together 20 interesting minutes in the lives of four politicians every week? Come on. Even if it was an hour show and you had to find 42 minutes of material (or whatever), it would still be totally watchable. I know I'd be riveted.

Plus, I don't know about Miller and Delahunt, but I'm 100% positive that Schumer and Durbin would sign up for it tomorrow if you proposed it to them. Cameras following them around all day? That's their dream. This could begin filming within three weeks and be on the air by the summer. I'm starting to really want it to happen.

Posted by: Antid Oto | Jan 18, 2007 11:16:36 PM

Chuck Schumer dancing. It's gold.

Actual Chuck Schumer, definitely. C-grade sitcom actor playing Chuck Schumer, not really.

Posted by: Antid Oto | Jan 18, 2007 11:39:41 PM

I dunno. Judging by the article, it seems like it's more of a place to crash than an actual home (after all, these guys work a lot, travel, and don't even stay there on weekends). It makes me think there could be some really funny imagined situations, but I'm pretty sure that their average work week (at least what would be shown on television) would be pretty dull.

Then again, perhaps if we see the Senators pound beer and kill mice it could be half-way decent, or at least better than most of the reality show crap currently destroying my eyeballs.

My vote is still for a sitcom. Personally, I'd like see the creators of Strangers With Candy do it, with Amy Sedaris in the lead female role.

Posted by: Eric the Political Hack | Jan 18, 2007 11:44:46 PM

When you compare it to the lobbyists' and pundits' palaces, it's almost charming, but it does make the weekday life of a member of Congress look somewhat like an extension of studenthood. Or This Life. And it's not as if it's unusual: plenty of people living in DC (or NYC or LA or SF or etc.) do little more than crash and schlep in their small abodes.

I think to be a good sitcom, you'd need there to be at least one house republican and one senate republican.

But it's Man About The House or Three's Company: the upstairs flat is Democrats, and the downstairs is Republicans. Or the landlord is a Republican.

Posted by: pseudonymous in nc | Jan 19, 2007 2:17:44 AM

Or the landlord is a Republican.

Dude, you are a genius. I think we have a running antagonist.

Posted by: Eric the Political Hack | Jan 19, 2007 3:15:31 AM

This is sounding like That's My Bush. Ostenibly a sitcom about the Bush White House, it was actually more a parody of silly sitcom cliches.

Posted by: Greg | Jan 19, 2007 7:38:50 AM

If my memory isn't completely wrong, Al Franken has mentioned that he pitched this exact idea to network execs.

I can't remember why it didn't fly...

Seems at least as good as Big Brother or Real World.

Posted by: EZ | Jan 19, 2007 12:50:17 PM

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