Chris Matthews Can't Cameo in New Aaron Sorkin HBO Pilot

His MSNBC overlords weren't too keen on the idea.

Photo Removed
Complex Original

Blank pixel used during image takedowns

Photo Removed

It makes sense that Aaron Sorkin would want Chris Matthews to appear in his pilot for More As This Story Develops, the new HBO project about a cable news host. After all, not only does Jeff Daniels's host owe a good debt to Matthews's former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, but Sorkin has used real-life political reporters in past projects. (Think: Helen Thomas in The American President.) Unfortunately, this match made in pundit heaven won't take place.

Vulture reports that Matthews's MSNBC bosses were unhappy with the portrayal of cable news in the pilot, and felt that the script for More As This Story Develops "skewered" left-leaning media. As such, they forbade him from making an appearance.

It's both bad and good news: bad because Matthews is such an overblown caricature, that he should appear on HBO, and good because it means Sorkin's script doesn't pull punches. Hopefully, More As This Story Develops goes to series sometime later this year.

[via Vulture]

Latest in Pop Culture