The State Dinner (10 Nov. 1999)

While preparing for (and enduring) a state dinner for the newly-elected president of Indonesia, staff deal with a multitude of other problems: Josh and Mandy argue over the best way to ... See full summary »

Director:

Thomas Schlamme

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (creator), Aaron Sorkin,

Stars:

Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly, Dulé Hill

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Lowe	...	Sam Seaborn
Moira Kelly	...	Mandy Hampton
Dulé Hill	...	Charlie Young
Allison Janney	...	C.J. Cregg
Richard Schiff	...	Toby Ziegler
John Spencer	...	Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford	...	Josh Lyman
Martin Sheen	...	President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet
Stockard Channing	...	Abbey Bartlet
Lisa Edelstein	...	Laurie
Timothy Busfield	...	Danny Concannon
Janel Moloney	...	Donna Moss
David Rasche	...	Carl
Dennis Cockrum	...	Captain
John Kapelos	...	Seymour Little

Storyline

While preparing for (and enduring) a state dinner for the newly-elected president of Indonesia, staff deal with a multitude of other problems: Josh and Mandy argue over the best way to handle an FBI standoff with militants in Idaho; Leo (and eventually Bartlet) intervenes in a negotiations between the Teamsters Union and national reps for the trucking industry; Toby tries to convince an Indonesian cabinet member to release a friend of his, an activist or incites anti-government protests, from prison; Sam witnesses Laurie at work as a call girl, serving as the state dinner date for a big fund raiser; and a pre-season hurricane initially threatens the Atlantic Coast, and then moves out to sea, where it puts an entire naval fleet in peril.

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Plot Keywords:

state dinner | hurricane | prostitute | speech writer | press secretary | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

10 November 1999 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 18, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stockard Channing had only just met Martin Sheen and established that their two characters had three daughters when she shot her first scene with him.

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Goofs

Laurie, Sam's friend who is a call girl, is brought to the White House State Dinner by a major contributor. While the fact that he is a major contributor would help, the Secret Service would have run background checks on anyone who was invited to the White House and would potentially meet the President. Laurie was introduced as "Brittany" by the contributor, but would not have been admitted into the White House under a pseudonym. Additionally, Laurie says that she is told by the contributor what to wear but does not know where she's going until the "date". However, with the background check, Laurie would have had to provide certain information (likely birth date and social security number) in advance, something that her client would likely *not* have available for her.

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Quotes

Abbey Bartlet: You have a big brain, a good heart and an ego the size of Montana. You do, Jed.

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Connections

References First Blood (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Canon In D Major"
(uncredited)
Written by Johann Pachelbel
Performed by Johann Pachelbel

User Reviews

Abbie!

At a state dinner for the President of Indonesia, a fund raiser (David Rasche, SLEDGE HAMMER!) shows up with Sam's call girl friend as his date. Sam offers her $10,000 to not go home with him. And the debut of...Abbie Bartlet! Stockard Channing (GREASE, THE STOCKARD CHANNING SHOW) slides right in, and it's perfect. Danny openly flirts with CJ. Priceless. And the first of many quips at New Jersey's expense. Someone on the writing staff (perhaps New Yorker Sorkin himself) will take great delight over the coming seasons in Garden State roasting. At the end, the President talks to a bleeding sailor on a ship being battered by a hurricane.