Wes Mendell

Wes Mendell is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Judd Hirsch.

Personal history

Wes Mendell is the creator and former executive producer of Studio 60. He wrote for many of the great comedy performers, such as the Smothers Brothers, Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby. While Wes was generally regarded as a good showrunner and a good man, his policies are often stated to run counter to Matt and Danny's. For example, he refused to do a Christmas show while Matt insisted that they do, and he did not approve of Studio 60 staff dating each other, while Matt ultimately dates Harriet and Danny falls in love with his boss, Jordan.

Wes had a heart attack before the start of the 2001-2002 season of Studio 60. While he was recuperating, Danny and Matt had to act as executive producers, forcing them to plan the first show after the 9/11 attacks. The season premiere for the 2001 season featured a sketch that was considered offensive by conservatives who threatened a boycott. Bowing to the pressure, Wes issued an apology from his hospital bed which, in turn, resulted in Matt and Danny quitting the show.

By 2006 Wes's power had dwindled and the show's creativity was at an all time low. Furious with the network, and at himself, for bowing down to the FCC and the religious right, he tries (and fails) to get the last sketch Matt wrote for the show on the air. Refused by the representative from Standards and Practices, who fears it will offend conservatives, he hijacks the live broadcast of Studio 60 and rants an improvised tirade, similar to that shown in the film Network (which is commented on in the pilot itself), venting against bureaucratic control, the influence of special-interest groups in the censorship of the network, and the nature of the broadcast industry in general. This results in him being fired which is the catalyst that brings Matt and Danny back to the show.

On-air Tirade