The West Wing (1999–2006)

Inside the lives of staffers in the west wing of the White House.

Creator:

Aaron Sorkin

Stars:

Allison Janney, John Spencer, Martin Sheen

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 89 wins & 177 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Allison Janney	...	C.J. Cregg (154 episodes, 1999-2006)
John Spencer	...	Leo McGarry (154 episodes, 1999-2006)
Bradley Whitford	...	Josh Lyman (154 episodes, 1999-2006)
Martin Sheen	...	President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet (154 episodes, 1999-2006)
Janel Moloney	...	Donna Moss (149 episodes, 1999-2006)
Richard Schiff	...	Toby Ziegler (144 episodes, 1999-2006)
Dulé Hill	...	Charlie Young (136 episodes, 1999-2006)
NiCole Robinson	...	Margaret Hooper (105 episodes, 1999-2006)
Melissa Fitzgerald	...	Carol Fitzpatrick (100 episodes, 1999-2006)
Rob Lowe	...	Sam Seaborn (84 episodes, 1999-2006)
Joshua Malina	...	Will Bailey (79 episodes, 2002-2006)
Stockard Channing	...	Abbey Bartlet (69 episodes, 1999-2006)

Storyline

When the erudite Democrat Josiah "Jed" Bartlet is elected U.S. president, he installs his administration. He places confidants from his electoral campaigns in the White House. Each of these people play a significant role in the Washington power game: the Chief of Staff (Leo McGarry), his deputy (Josh Lyman), Communications Director (Toby Zeigler), deputy (Sam Seaborn, and later, Will Bailey), and press secretary (CJ Cregg). Also in key positions are the assistants of each of the power players. We follow these people through many political battles, as well as some personal ones. Also playing roles are the First Lady (Abigail Bartlet), the President's daughters (Elizabeth, Eleanor, and Zoey), and the personal aide to the President (Charlie Young). All make this series, which supposedly follows the political events (often paraphrasing historical reality) almost day by day, more than merely a political soap. The demands of office on each character show the personal sacrifice and the ...

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Plot Keywords:

president | white house | democrat | u.s. president | politics | 

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Taglines:

Jimmy Smits goes to Washington.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

NBC [United States] Warner Bros. [United Kingdom] (Flash only)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

West Wing

Filming Locations:

Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min 60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although she was mentioned several times in the first episode, Bartlet's eldest daughter Elizabeth is not seen on the show until episode 5.1, "7A WF 83429".

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Goofs

In a couple of instances, Secret Service agents are seen holding an umbrella for a protectee. In reality, Secret Service agents must keep their hands free at all times.

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Quotes

Reporter: Would the White House care to comment on the expected contrast between the high degree of organization and discipline in the Republican Convention and the Democrats' anticipated free-for-all?
Annabeth Schott: I believe the American people will be the beneficiaries, in that they will be presented with a clear choice: do they want to be governed by people who are animated, or animatronic?

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Crazy Credits

The special post-9/11 episode was broadcast without the regular opening credits. Instead, the episode began with the cast, out of character, speaking about the episode, followed by credits on a black screen.

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Connections

Referenced in The West Wing Documentary Special (2002)

User Reviews

The Best. Period

This is the finest show ever produced for TV. Each episode is a triumph. The casting, the writing, the timing are all second to none. This cast performs miracles.

The secret to this show is that it is, at heart, a comedy, even when tragic things are happening. That gives Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff et al. the room to work. And do they ever.

It works because it is deep, the characters are well-drawn. Early in the first season, CJ gets a root canal and walks around for the rest of the episode with cotton stuffed in her mouth, yelling things like" The Pwesident must be bweefed!" This has to be seen to be believed. It had me literally on the floor, laughing until I feared I would hurt myself. I don't know how many shows have tried cheap stunts like that and they are just that, cheap. On "The West Wing" it works because we know CJ, we know how unlike her, and yet like her, that moment is. And Toby's slow-burn reaction is pitch perfect.

Bravo.