20 Hours in America: Part I 

After Bartlet gives a campaign speech at an Indiana farm, Josh, Toby and Donna are left behind by the presidential motorcade and must work their way across the state with the help of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Christopher Misiano

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (created by), Aaron Sorkin

Stars:

Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Lowe	...	Sam Seaborn
Dulé Hill	...	Charlie Young
Allison Janney	...	C.J. Cregg
Janel Moloney	...	Donna Moss
Richard Schiff	...	Toby Ziegler
John Spencer	...	Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford	...	Josh Lyman
Martin Sheen	...	President Josiah Bartlet
Ron Silver	...	Bruno Gianelli
John Amos	...	Percy Fitzwallace
Amy Adams	...	Cathy
NiCole Robinson	...	Margaret Hooper
Renée Estevez	...	Nancy
Joan MacIntosh	...	Meredith Walker
Valorie Armstrong	...	Mrs. Harrison

Storyline

After Bartlet gives a campaign speech at an Indiana farm, Josh, Toby and Donna are left behind by the presidential motorcade and must work their way across the state with the help of the farmer's daughter and, later, a teenage campaign volunteer, enduring many setbacks along the way. Josh and Toby obsess and bicker over how best to play the president's intellectualism, viewed by many as snobbery, against Republican opponent Robert Ritchie's "regular guy" persona, while Donna must keep them on track and communicate with the real Americans they encounter along the way. Back at the W.H., the president deals with a terrorist attack at an Iowa college swim meet, meets with Leo, Nancy and Fitzwallace to discuss how to handle the prospect of the U.S. and/or Israel being accused of a conspiracy in the assassination of Qumari defense minister Abdul Shareef, and interviews secretarial candidates, including a second round with Debbie Fiderer; the wandering party finally arrive at a city with an ...

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

In most of the episodes involving Air Force One - the usual pilot for Air Force One is Col. Gantry - but in this episode, Bartlet (Martin Sheen) tells one of the secretarial candidates the plane is flown by an Air Force General, and in another scene - the General's voice is overheard.

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Goofs

At the gas station where Donna, Josh and Toby wait for a ride after the truck runs out of diesel, there is a sign on the counter that reads "No credit cards - cash or checks only." The cash register displays logos for MasterCard and Visa, implying that those cards are in fact accepted.

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Quotes

Sam Seaborn: [on his answering machine] Hi, it's Sam. I'm sleeping for a few hours right now so you can leave a message, or if you really need me you can shout into the machine, and I'll wake up.
Josh Lyman: SAM!

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Connections

References Lost in Space (1965)

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Soundtracks

I Don't Like Mondays
(uncredited)
Written by Bob Geldof
Performed by Tori Amos

User Reviews

Yuengling?

I'm fairly certain in part II of this episode, the beer on the table in the hotel scene with Josh and Toby is Yuengling. This beer was not distributed in Indiana until 2017.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 2002 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 23, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1