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110-587: The West Wing is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House , where the Oval Office and offices of presidential senior personnel are located, during the fictional two-term Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet . The West Wing

220-750: A Golden Reel Award in the Best Sound Editing in Television: Short Form – Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement with the episode " The Ticket ". At the ALMA Awards , a Latino awards ceremony, the show won Best TV Series and Jimmy Smits (as Matt Santos) as Best Actor in a TV Series. At another Latino ceremony, the Imagen Awards , the show won Best Primetime Series with Smits nominated for Best Actor in Television. Despite slipping ratings and

330-507: A legal drama . There have been notables films that have been labeled as political dramas such as Thirteen Days and The Ides of March . A famous literary political drama which later made the transition to film was Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men . Election Day Part I The seventh and final season of the American political drama television series The West Wing aired in

440-461: A DC school for their kids, and dealing with the White House household staff. Vinick slips back into anonymity with too much time on his hands, and his staffers come to realize he is plotting another run for the presidency. Santos is trying to figure out how to get his vice-presidential choice confirmed, and makes a surprising offer to Vinick: be the new administration's Secretary of State. The episode

550-565: A Drama Series (in 2000 and 2001), and Christopher Misiano won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2003. The West Wing 's only Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series was in its first season, when Rick Cleveland and Aaron Sorkin shared the award for " In Excelsis Deo ". Political drama Dramatists who have written political dramas include Aaron Sorkin , Robert Penn Warren , Sergei Eisenstein , Bertolt Brecht , Jean-Paul Sartre , Howard Brenton , Caryl Churchill , and Federico García Lorca . In

660-403: A budget of $ 2.7 million per episode. The West Wing is noted for developing the " walk-and-talk "—long Steadicam tracking shots showing characters walking down hallways while involved in long conversations. In a typical "walk-and-talk" shot, the camera leads two characters down a hallway as they speak to each other. One of these characters generally breaks off and the remaining character

770-524: A critical analysis of the show's political views can present a worthwhile learning experience to the viewer. While it aired, The West Wing offered viewers an idealist liberal administration that provided a sort of catharsis to those on the left who felt that their political beliefs were largely forgotten or ignored in the era of the Bush administration. Writer Hédi Kaddour remarked that The West Wing "show[ed] what [liberals] would have liked to have seen and had:

880-495: A different American administration, closer to our desires as people more or less on the left." One of the stranger effects of the show occurred on January 31, 2006, when The West Wing was said to have played a hand in defeating a proposal backed by Tony Blair 's government in the British House of Commons , during the so-called " West Wing Plot". The plan was allegedly hatched after a Conservative Member of Parliament watched

990-1207: A diminished capacity. Spencer died of a heart attack in December 2005. Hill (5 episodes), Channing (4 episodes), Schiff (11 episodes), Malina (13 episodes), and Moloney (13 episodes) are only credited for the episodes in which they appear. Janeane Garofalo initially joined the show for a three-episode arc as Louise Thornton, a media strategist hired by Matt Santos; however, she became a long-term recurring cast member. Other characters who returned in recurring roles were Ron Silver as Bruno Gianelli, campaign manager for Senator Vinick. Other guest stars returning to recurring roles include Teri Polo as Helen Santos, Patricia Richardson as Vinick's chief of staff Sheila Brooks, Lily Tomlin as presidential secretary Deborah Fiderer , Karis Campbell as Santos' secretary Ronna, Allison Smith as Leo's daughter, Mallory, Kathleen York as Andrea Wyatt, Melissa Fitzgerald as Carol, Renée Estevez as Nancy, and Peter James Smith and William Duffy as Ed and Larry and all White House staff . Oliver Platt returned in his recurring role as Oliver Babish, having previously appeared back in 2001. In March 2006, it

1100-805: A discussion with writer Eli Attie at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics . In 2016, Sorkin and the cast reunited to mark the 10th anniversary of the show's finale at the ATX Festival . In 2021, cast members reunited virtually as part of the Stars in the House series. In 2024, the Paley Center for Media in New York hosted an exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the show's premiere, which cast member Janel Moloney wrote about attending. Sorkin had previously marked

1210-455: A fear the show would be axed, NBC announced in March 2005 that The West Wing would be returning for a seventh season. The change from Wednesdays to Sundays cost the show approximately 30 percent of its audience; the first two episodes of the season garnered the series' lowest ever ratings and Deseret News said the move of time slot sealed the show's fate. In January 2006, it was announced that

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1320-409: A federal prosecutor, as he feels it would be wrong to dishonor his brother's memory. C.J.'s tenure as Chief of Staff becomes more stressful as she deals with the war between Russia and China over Kazakhstan . The presidential race tightens up when Vinick's lead is dampened by an accident at a nuclear plant he had championed. Leo suffers a heart attack and dies on the night of the election, reflecting

1430-681: A kiss, which forces them to confront their feelings for each other. Vinick, on the other hand, has a cold, and is feeling pressure from the Republican National Committee to make a rightward turn in his campaign and play to the Republican base. This makes Bruno fear that he is going to be fired. President Bartlet summons both candidates to the White House so he can advise them that he is ordering tens of thousands of U.S. troops into Kazakhstan. Before he meets with either presidential candidate, he meets with Leo McGarry, whom he has also called to

1540-657: A massive heart attack. During an exhausting and adrenaline-filled night, the electoral votes come in as the Santos and Vinick campaigns wait anxiously. C.J. breaks the news of Leo's death to President Bartlet, and the news hits the airwaves less than an hour before polls close on the West Coast. After Santos and Vinick win their home states of Texas and California respectively, the two campaigns agonize over whether to mount legal challenges before final results are announced in Nevada and Oregon. In

1650-405: A particular argument may be obscured by the viewer's opinion of the character. Beavers also noted that characters with opposing viewpoints were often set up to be "bad people" in the viewer's eyes. These characters were assigned undesirable characteristics having nothing to do with their political opinions, such as being romantically involved with a main character's love interest. In Beavers' opinion,

1760-488: A political drama, especially in its critically acclaimed second season and fifth season . Races for political office, including state's attorney , governor , and even a Presidential run, move in and out of the show's narrative and the story of its main character, Alicia Florrick. However, Alicia's primary profession as a litigator for the most part takes precedence in the narrative, and so the show more often focuses on her cases and related office politics, making it primarily

1870-468: A ritualistic and social significance that enhanced the relevance of the political issues being examined. Shakespeare is an author of political theatre according to some academic scholars, who observe that his history plays examine the machinations of personal drives and passions determining political activity and that many of the tragedies such as King Lear and Macbeth dramatize political leadership and complexity subterfuges of human beings driven by

1980-412: A second co-producer with Robert W. Glass as an associate producer. Glass left the production team after only five episodes. Julie Herlocker joined as Associate Producer beginning with episode six. Osborn and Reno departed after nine episodes. Paul Redford served as a story editor throughout the first season. Lawrence O'Donnell worked as executive story editor for the second half of the season. With

2090-503: A short essay, " The West Wing as a Pedagogical Tool". She concluded, "While the series' purpose is for-profit entertainment, The West Wing presents great pedagogical potential." The West Wing , in her opinion, gave greater depth to the political process usually espoused only in stilted talking points on shows like Face the Nation and Meet the Press . However, she noted that the merits of

2200-533: A single episode. Most episodes follow President Bartlet and his staff through particular legislative or political issues. Plots can range from behind-closed-doors negotiating with Congress to personal problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, from which Josh suffers during the second season. The typical episode loosely follows the President and his staff through their day, generally following several plots connected by some idea or theme. A large, fully connected set of

2310-464: A sitcom on which he began to develop his signature dialogue style of rhythmic, snappy, and intellectual banter. Fellow executive producer and director Thomas Schlamme championed the walk and talk , a continuous shot tracking in front of the characters as they walk from one place to another that became part of The West Wing 's signature visual style. Sorkin's hectic writing schedule often led to cost overruns and schedule slips, and he opted to leave

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2420-487: A story editor. The fourth season marked the temporary departure of Hissrich. Misiano and Graves became co-executive producers alongside Falls. Attie was promoted to executive story editor and Debora Cahn became a staff writer. The fourteenth episode of the season saw Redford promoted to supervising producer and Kanaskie, Ward and Attie promoted to co-producers. The fifth season saw the departure of both Sorkin and Schlamme as executive producers. Schlamme remained attached to

2530-445: A theatre 'of, by, and for the people'. In this guise, political theatre has developed within the civil societies under oppressive governments as a means of actual underground communication and the spreading of critical thought. Following the war there was an influx of political theatre, as people needed to discuss the losses of the war. Often political theatre has been used to promote specific political theories or ideals, for example in

2640-484: A vice presidential prospect. Meanwhile, Santos and Josh clash over Barry Goodwin's place in the transition, Santos is not happy when he is pushed to become a kingmaker in the race for House Speaker, and Bartlet and the staff reminisce about Leo in the Residence. The transition is speeding ahead, and Matt and Helen Santos are overwhelmed by almost everything about their new lives – including Secret Service protection, choosing

2750-511: A year after his character experienced a nearly fatal heart attack on the show. Martin Sheen gave a brief memorial message before " Running Mates ", the first new episode that aired after Spencer's death. The loss of Spencer's character was addressed beginning with the episode " Election Day ", which aired on April 2, 2006. In an interview on the first season DVD, Bradley Whitford said that he was originally cast as Sam, even though Aaron Sorkin had created

2860-492: Is inaugurated and President Bartlet leaves office. It is revealed that Santos plans to try to make Governor Eric Baker the vice-president through the Twenty-fifth Amendment and Bartlet pardons Toby in the last hours of his presidency. On Rotten Tomatoes , the season has an approval rating of 95% with an average score of 8.5 out of 10 based on 20 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "A contentious race for

2970-430: Is a general tenor to The West Wing universe that cannot be called anything other than smug." The hosts of socialist podcast Chapo Trap House are frequent critics of Sorkin and have called The West Wing an "expression of the patronizing self-entitlement of liberals." On the other hand, some Republicans have admired the show since its inception, even before the departure of Sorkin and the show's resulting shift toward

3080-515: Is engaged and tells her parents she should get married very soon because otherwise she will be a visibly pregnant bride. The president fires Toby and addresses the nation as Toby is led from the White House. Santos must face the challenge of visiting a Black family in Los Angeles whose child was shot by a Latino police officer. Josh finally visits Toby and goes from being angry at Toby's accurate bluntness to somber as he realizes Toby's view that Santos

3190-601: Is in serious trouble. Elections are underway in Kazakhstan, but Russia and China teetering on the brink of an oil war in Central Asia is the least of Bartlet and C.J.'s concerns as they face a nuclear reactor in California on the verge of a meltdown. While agonizing over whether to evacuate nearby citizens and release radioactive steam into the atmosphere, the Santos and Vinick campaigns stare each other down, trying to avoid being

3300-451: Is not cut out to be President has some merit. C.J. must manage a crisis between China and Kazakhstan. Will must go through Ellie's wedding guest list in a painful, protracted negotiation. C.J. realizes that she barely has any time left in office and decides to try to solve the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, along with the crisis between Russia and China over Kazakhstan. Adding more to her stress level,

3410-450: Is set two weeks before the inauguration and the Bartlet administration staff is preparing to leave the White House. Most are seeking jobs in the Santos administration or the lucrative private sector. C.J. is offered two jobs she is interested in - one to manage a billionaire's philanthropic foundation and one as a high-ranking counselor in the Santos administration. C.J.'s relationship with Danny

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3520-501: Is suffering because he feels she is not taking it seriously. C.J. also visits Toby for the first time since his dismissal and considers whether she should urge President Bartlet to pardon him before leaving office. Will Bailey is offered a job with the DCCC to help get Democrats elected but finds himself becoming interested in one apparently unwinnable congressional seat in Oregon. President Santos

3630-419: Is the big issue and that Santos should head there immediately. Santos' press coverage in California is trumped by Vinick holding a til-they-drop press conference outside the nuclear plant. Vinick, whose hand is broken by constant handshakes, has a stroke of luck when Bruno discovers Santos' briefcase in a holding room. Vinick and Bruno must make a difficult decision: do they use its contents against Santos, or take

3740-416: Is then joined by another character, who initiates another conversation as they continue walking. These "walk-and-talks" create a dynamic feel for what would otherwise be long expository dialogue, and have become a staple for dialogue-intensive television show scenes. In its first season, The West Wing garnered nine Emmys, a record for most won by a series in its first season. In addition, the series received

3850-587: The Democratic Party , in some cases as part of campaign ads and fundraisers, including Joe Biden 's 2008 primary campaign , the 2008 Barack Obama campaign , the 2012 Barack Obama campaign , Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown 's 2012 campaign, the 2014 Democratic Party of Wisconsin campaign in support of Mary Burke , the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign , the 2020 Joe Biden campaign , and the Wisconsin Democrats 2022 Midterms campaign. In 2024, they supported

3960-699: The East Coast and another for the West Coast . The West Coast version of "The Debate" is the one used on the DVD. The season was released on DVD as a six-disc boxed set under the title The West Wing: The Complete Seventh Season by Warner Home Video being released first in Region 2 on September 11, 2006, and then in Region 1 on November 7, 2006. All episodes from the season are available to purchase and download to registered users of iTunes Stores in certain countries and in

4070-824: The Emmy Award record for most acting nominations by regular cast members (excluding the guest performer category) for a single series in one year. ( Hill Street Blues , L.A. Law , Game of Thrones , Succession and The White Lotus also hold that record). For the 2001–2002 season, nine cast members were nominated for Emmys. Allison Janney, John Spencer and Stockard Channing each won an Emmy (for Lead Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress respectively). The others nominated were Martin Sheen (for Lead Actor), Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill and Bradley Whitford (for Supporting Actor), and Janel Moloney and Mary-Louise Parker (for Supporting Actress). In addition, that same year Mark Harmon, Tim Matheson and Ron Silver were each nominated in

4180-657: The United Kingdom , is an example of a specific kind of political theatre called documentary theatre . John McGrath , founder of the Scottish popular theatre company 7:84 , argued that "the theatre can never 'cause' a social change. It can articulate pressure towards one, help people celebrate their strengths and maybe build their self-confidence… Above all, it can be the way people find their voice, their solidarity and their collective determination." The television series The West Wing created by Aaron Sorkin which focuses on

4290-561: The 1960s, during the Vietnam War , is a primary example of politically oriented Brechtian performance art in the United States. Their original productions of Kenneth Brown 's The Brig (c. 1964), also filmed, and of Jack Gelber 's controversial play The Connection and its 1961 film rely upon and illustrate the dramaturgy of Brechtian alienation effect ( Verfremdungseffekt ) that most political theatre uses to some extent, forcing

4400-473: The Democrats could nominate Mitt Romney . But after the news about Biden's decision and endorsement of Kamala Harris became public later that day, he communicated via cast member Joshua Malina 's social media profiles: "I take it all back. Harris for America!" Cast members have individually become active and jointly reunited in person and virtually to support several candidates and organizations associated with

4510-521: The Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2000 , 2001 , 2002 , and 2003 , tying Hill Street Blues , L.A. Law , Mad Men and Game of Thrones for most won in this category. Each of its seven seasons earned a nomination for the award. With its 26 total awards, The West Wing tied with Hill Street Blues as the drama with the most Emmy wins until Game of Thrones broke the record for most wins in 2016, with 38 total awards. The series shares

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4620-509: The Guest Actor category (although none won the award). This gave the series an Emmy Award record for most acting nominations overall (including guest performer category) in a single year, with 12 acting nominations. Twenty individual Emmys were awarded to writers, actors, and crew members. Allison Janney is the record holder for most wins by a cast member, with a total of four Emmys. The West Wing won at least one Emmy in each of its seasons except

4730-821: The Hallmark Hall of Fame Heritage Award at the Television Critics Association Awards and Alda received a nomination for Individual Achievement in Drama. Alda was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series , The Guild nominated the whole ensemble for the Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series award. Supervising sound editors Walter Newman and Thomas A. Harris, supervising dialogue editor Catherine Flynn, and dialogue and ADR editors Virginia Cook and Steffan Falesitch were nominated for

4840-490: The Josh character specifically for him. In the same interview, Janel Moloney stated she had originally auditioned for the role of C.J. and that Donna, the role for which she was eventually cast, was not meant to be a recurring character. Other actors were seriously considered for other roles, including Alan Alda and Sidney Poitier for the President, Judd Hirsch for Leo, Eugene Levy for Toby, and CCH Pounder for C.J. The series

4950-452: The President's son-in-law, Doug Westin, is rumored to be having an affair with his kids' nanny; a federal award of a major science project affects a U.S. Senate race in Kentucky; Danny Concannon ( Timothy Busfield ) makes his first appearance (outside of the season opener flash forward) since the fifth season to go on a date with C.J.; and Kate informs C.J. that a nuclear power plant in California

5060-418: The United States on NBC from September 25, 2005, to May 14, 2006, and consisted of 22 episodes. The series changed time slots from Wednesdays at 9:00 pm to Sundays at 8:00 pm, and the series struggled in its new time slot against ABC 's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and CBS 's Cold Case . The seventh and final season principally follows Santos and Vinick on the campaign trail, while also addressing

5170-482: The White House allowed the producers to create shots with very few cuts and long, continuous master shots of staff members conversing as they walk through the hallways. These " walk and talks " became a trademark of the show. The final two seasons presented a narrative change, with the focus of the show divided between plots in the West Wing with President Bartlet and his remaining senior staffers and plots revolving around

5280-450: The White House gives The West Wing narrative focus during a final season that bids a heartfelt farewell to President Bartlet while thoughtfully exploring the dynamics of campaigns." PopMatters said the final season "recovered its sense of humor". David Hinckley of the Daily News praised the character of Bruno Gianelli as a "brilliant (...) shark of a campaign manager" and commended

5390-510: The White House where they met President Joe Biden before participating in an outdoor anniversary celebration with First Lady Jill Biden . In his remarks, Sorkin referred to Biden's decision not to run for reelection on July 21, 2024, as a " West Wing moment." Before the news about Biden had broken that day, Sorkin had written an op-ed in The New York Times comparing Bartlet's decision to run for reelection to Biden's dilemma, and suggested

5500-457: The White House. Bartlet's meeting with Leo is more personal as he shares his concerns about the consequences of his decisions, with Leo back in his old role as the President's closest confidant. This was John Spencer's last appearance. With the election two weeks out and both candidates polling even in California, both the Santos and Vinick campaigns scramble to the state to try to gain free media from public events. Toby advises Josh that California

5610-402: The aftermath of the space shuttle leak investigation. The Bartlet administration's last year in office is featured, but not prominently. Toby admits to leaking the story about a military spacecraft and President Bartlet is forced to fire him. Later, Toby refuses to name his recently deceased brother as the source of the classified information, despite being urged to by his ex-wife, his lawyer and

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5720-561: The airing of the show was delayed for about a year due to the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal . According to the DVD commentary, Sorkin intended to center the show on Sam Seaborn and the other senior staff with the President in an unseen or a secondary role. However, Bartlet's screen time gradually increased, and his role expanded as the series progressed. Positive critical and public reaction to Sheen's performance raised his character's profile, decreasing Lowe's perceived significance. In addition,

5830-723: The audience to take a "critical perspective" on events being dramatized or projected on screen(s) and building on aspects of the Theatre of Cruelty , which developed from the theory and practice of French early surrealist and proto- absurdist Antonin Artaud . In American regional theatre, a politically oriented social orientation occurs in Street theatre , such as that produced by the San Francisco Mime Troupe and ROiL. The Detroit Repertory Theatre has been among those regional theaters at

5940-511: The award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series . Martin Sheen , as President Bartlet, was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Allison Janney , as C.J., was nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. Mimi Leder was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the episode "Election Day" and Audio mixer Edward J. Greene and EFX mixer Andrew Strauber won

6050-493: The award for Outstanding Multi-camera Sound Mixing for a Series or Special for " The Debate ". Eli Attie and John Wells received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination in the Episodic Drama category for "Election Day Part II". Attie and Wells were nominated for the $ 15,000 Humanitas Prize in the 60-minute category for the same episode, which was also the submission that won the show an AFI Award that year. The show won

6160-810: The behavior of human beings as social and political animals. A new form of political theatre emerged in the twentieth century with feminist authors like Elfriede Jelinek or Caryl Churchill , who often make use of the non-realistic techniques detailed above. . During the 1960s and 1970s, new theatres emerged addressing women's issues. These theatres went beyond producing feminist plays, but also sought to give women opportunities and work experience in all areas of theatrical production which had heretofore been dominated by men. In addition to playwright, producers, and actors, there were opportunities for women electricians, set designers, musical director, stage managers, etc. The Living Theatre , created by Judith Malina and her husband Julian Beck in 1947, which had its heyday in

6270-595: The center. In his 2001 article "Real Liberals versus The West Wing ," Mackubin Thomas Owens wrote, ″Although his administration is reliably liberal, President Bartlet possesses virtues even a conservative could admire. He obeys the Constitution and the law. He is devoted to his wife and daughters. Being unfaithful to his wife would never cross his mind. He is no wimp when it comes to foreign policy—no quid pro quo for him." Journalist Matthew Miller wrote, "Although

6380-542: The core cast. Numerous secondary characters , appearing intermittently, complement storylines that generally revolve around this core group. Each of the principal actors made approximately $ 75,000 per episode, with the established Sheen receiving a confirmed salary of $ 300,000. Rob Lowe left the series in the fourth season, reportedly because he did not get a salary increase. Disparities in cast salaries led to very public contract disputes, particularly by Janney, Schiff, Spencer, and Whitford. During contract negotiations in 2001,

6490-446: The daughter of his irresponsible brother who took off shortly after the mother became pregnant. Santos, after finding out about his niece, has been financially supporting her and her mother because he knows his brother never will. After chastising Vinick for jumping to conclusions and expressing his dismay that Vinick would stoop so low, he angrily leaves, while a guilt-ridden Vinick is left in the room. The episode opens late at night on

6600-662: The day before election day. Various campaign staff hook up, and Josh and Donna sleep together twice. Election day brings stress in both campaigns: Josh is convinced he is finding problems in exit poll data, while the Vinick campaign worries that the data shows them losing in key places. West Virginia is unexpectedly called for Vinick and the traditionally Republican South Carolina is called for Santos. The episode closes with Annabeth finding Leo unconscious in his room, her screaming for help, and Secret Service agents closing in calling over their radio, "He's down, he's down!" Leo McGarry has died of

6710-640: The death of actor John Spencer . Santos wins the election, and the last few episodes show the final days of the Bartlet administration and Santos' transition. In the series finale, Santos is sworn in as president. The seventh season had star billing for thirteen major roles, with twelve of these filled by returning main cast members from the sixth season. Jimmy Smits is the only actor to appear in all 22 episodes. Sheen (12 episodes), Alda (12 episodes), Janney (17 episodes), Whitford (19 episodes), McCormack (12 episodes), Chenoweth (10 episodes), and Spencer (7 episodes) are credited for all 22 episodes, despite appearing in

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6820-431: The departure of Parnell, Caddell, and Herlocker and the temporary absence of O'Donnell. Director Christopher Misiano became a supervising producer, Patrick Ward joined the series as an associate producer, and Eli Attie joined the writing staff as a staff writer. Redford was promoted to producer. With the thirteenth episode of the third season director Alex Graves became an additional supervising producer and Attie became

6930-541: The departure of original crew member Llewellyn Wells. Debora Cahn was promoted to co-producer with the fourteenth episode. The seventh season saw Noah and O'Donnell promoted again, this time becoming additional executive producers. Attie became a supervising producer. Hissrich returned to his role as producer for the final season. Multiple story arcs on The West Wing span several episodes and entire seasons. In addition to these long-running narratives, each episode contains smaller storylines that usually begin and end within

7040-516: The end, both states break for Santos, who gives his election night speech as the President-elect. Leo's funeral brings back fond memories and old friends, including Amy Gardner, who urges Josh to consider appointing a Congresswoman from Florida Vice President; Ainsley Hayes, who approaches C.J. about a job in the Santos administration; Danny Concannon, who tries to rekindle his relationship with C.J.; and Bob Russell, who fruitlessly offers himself as

7150-534: The episode " A Good Day ", in which Democrats block a bill aimed at limiting stem cell research, by appearing to have left Washington D.C. but actually hiding in a congressional office until the Republican Speaker calls the vote. A number of episodes referred to a practice of the administration having one day each year on which they accepted meetings with people or groups who would not normally receive an audience with high-level White House staffers, referring to

7260-448: The episode "riveting, and astonishingly brave" with "dazzling exposition of the central political argument of our time: whether free markets deliver better life chances, and a more virtuous society, than economies controlled by government." The season was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006 , winning two. The show was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series for the seventh year running. Alan Alda , as Senator Vinick, won in

7370-465: The event as "Big Block of Cheese Day". The name came from the fact that President Andrew Jackson had a large wheel of cheese placed in the White House from which the public were invited to eat during a reception, while discussing issues of the day with politicians. In 2014, the White House announced that it was to host an online Q&A with Obama administration officials and staff, called a Virtual "Big Block of Cheese day", on January 29, 2014. The event

7480-888: The fictional Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet is widely considered one of the best TV shows of all time, having won three Golden Globe Awards and 26 Primetime Emmy Awards , including the award for Outstanding Drama Series , which it won four consecutive times from 2000 to 2003. Yes, Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister were British political satire sitcoms . Other television series that have been classified as political dramas include Borgen , Boss , Jack & Bobby , The Bold Ones: The Senator , Commander in Chief , House of Cards ( British and American versions), Madam Secretary , Designated Survivor , Spin , Ingobernable , Scandal , Billions , The Looming Tower , and The Mechanism . The Good Wife can also be considered

7590-439: The first to turn the crisis into a political issue – all the more complex as, decades ago, Vinick lobbied for the plant's construction, while Santos has spoken about the dangers of nuclear power. When the news comes out, the election becomes, in Josh's words, "too close to call." When new polling puts Santos and Vinick neck-and-neck nationwide, the Santos campaign staff are elated – Josh and Donna so much so that they end up sharing

7700-506: The forefront of political comedy, staging plays like Jacob M. Appel 's Arborophilia , in which a lifelong Democrat prefers that her daughter fall in love with a poplar tree instead of a Republican activist. In 2014, Chicago's Annoyance Theater produced Good Morning Gitmo : a one-act play by Mishu Hilmy and Eric Simon which lampoons the US Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay . David Hare 's play Straight Line Crazy focuses on

7810-587: The formality and volume of chatter in the West Wing, under-represents the number of people involved in a decision, and over-idealizes its occupants. Former Senate aide Lawrence O'Donnell and former White House aide and presidential campaign speechwriter Eli Attie were both longtime writers on the show (O'Donnell for seasons 1–2 and 5–7, Attie for seasons 3–7). Former White House Press Secretaries Dee Dee Myers and Marlin Fitzwater and pollsters Patrick Caddell and Frank Luntz also served as consultants, advising

7920-403: The four were threatened with breach of contract suits by Warner Bros. However, by banding together, they were able to persuade the studio to more than double their salaries. Two years later, the four again demanded a doubling of their salaries, a few months after Warner Bros had signed new licensing deals with NBC and Bravo . John Spencer died of a heart attack on December 16, 2005, about

8030-461: The high road and return it? The briefcase contains evidence that suggests that the Congressman may be supporting an illegitimate child. Vinick asks to meet with Santos, whereupon the Congressman angrily denies the accusation. When Vinick, still refusing to believe Santos, continues to push Santos, Santos shocks him with the revelation about the child's true parentage. The girl is actually his niece, and

8140-592: The history of theatre, there is long tradition of performances addressing issues of current events, especially those central to society itself. The political satire performed by the comic poets at the theatres had considerable influence on public opinion in the Athenian democracy . Those earlier Western dramas, arising out of the polis , or democratic city-state of Greek society, were performed in amphitheaters, central arenas used for theatrical performances, religious ceremonies and political gatherings; these dramas had

8250-597: The immediate repercussions of Toby's confession, including co-opting Will Bailey into his job, and White House Counsel Oliver Babish questions Toby until his lawyer intervenes. Josh struggles with the necessity to "clean house" on the Santos campaign, firing dozens of inexperienced staffers, including one man who has been close to Santos during his entire career. Kate Harper tangles with both the National Security Council and intelligence agent Frost as tensions rise between Russia and China. Ellie Bartlet reveals that she

8360-435: The life of Robert Moses , played by Ralph Fiennes , the controversial urban planner who worked in New York . Kitchen sink realism or kitchen sink drama was a movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film, and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as " angry young men " who were disillusioned with modern society. It used a style of social realism to depict

8470-699: The lives of working class Britons, and to explore controversial social and political issues ranging from abortion to homelessness. The film It Always Rains on Sunday (1947) is a precursor of the genre, and John Osborne 's play Look Back in Anger (1956) is an example of an early play in this genre. The Iraq War is the focus of some recent British political drama; for example, Stuff Happens , by David Hare . David Edgar and Mark Ravenhill also satirize contemporary socio-political realities in their recent dramatic works. Banner Theatre in Birmingham , England, in

8580-607: The lust for power. For example, they observe that class struggle in the Roman Republic is central to Coriolanus . Historically in Soviet Russia , the term political theatre was sometimes referred to as agitprop theatre or simply agitprop , after the Soviet term agitprop . In later centuries, political theatre has sometimes taken a different form. Sometimes associated with cabaret and folk theatre, it has offered itself as

8690-619: The moniker has also been used by Republican critics of the show. Chris Lehmann, former deputy editor and regular reviewer for The Washington Post 's Book World section, characterized the show as a revisionist look at the Clinton presidency. However, criticism of the show has been made from the left as well. Cultural critic and Jacobin columnist Luke Savage has taken issue with the show's portrayal of "technocratic governance" as "exciting, intellectually stimulating, and, above all, honorable", and its attendant liberal elitism, saying, "there

8800-525: The organization Red Wine & Blue , Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey Jr. , Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, and the 2024 Kamala Harris campaign . While The West Wing is not completely accurate in its portrayal of the actual West Wing, former White House staffers and journalists have described the show as capturing its feel. President Gerald Ford 's daughter Susan made the comment "I can't watch [the show]. They turn left and right where you are not supposed to." Some West Wing veterans have said it exaggerates

8910-485: The rest of the main cast on the campaign trail for the 2006 election . The series was developed following the success of the 1995 theatrical film The American President , for which Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay, and in which Martin Sheen played the White House Chief of Staff. Unused plot elements from the film and a suggestion from Akiva Goldsman inspired Sorkin to create The West Wing . Sorkin said that

9020-479: The second season, Kevin Falls became a co-executive producer. Cleveland left the production team and Redford and O'Donnell were promoted to co-producer. Peter Parnell and Patrick Caddell became co-producers and Julie Herlocker and Mindy Kanaskie became associate producers. O'Donnell was promoted again to producer five episodes into the season and Hissrich joined him twelve episodes into the season. The third season saw

9130-483: The series as an executive consultant. John Wells remained the sole executive producer and showrunner. Co-executive producer Kevin Falls also left the show. O'Donnell rejoined the production team as a consulting producer. Wells also added Carol Flint , Alexa Junge , Peter Noah , and John Sacret Young as consulting producers. Andrew Stearn came aboard as a producer and Attie was promoted to producer. Cahn became story editor and Josh Singer replaced her as staff writer. With

9240-470: The series at the end of the fourth season, Wells assumed the role of head writer, with later executive producers being directors Alex Graves and Christopher Misiano (seasons 6–7), and writers Lawrence O'Donnell and Peter Noah (season 7). The West Wing has been regarded by many publications as one of the greatest television shows of all time. It has received praise from critics, political science professors, and former White House staffers and has been

9350-456: The series for never rushing the romantic character arc of Josh and Donna. As the fictional Election Day approached, Aleksandra Stankovic of The Harvard Crimson said that "a more complex, more mature West Wing, but one with no clear narrative resolution in sight" was evolving and that she welcomed the "restoration of narrative tension". Bill Brioux from the Toronto Sun agreed, stating that

9460-736: The series to Sundays at 8:00 pm for its seventh season, a move universally regarded as the beginning of the series' end (since NBC and the NFL had reached a deal for Sunday Night Football to return to the network in the fall of 2006), and the series finale aired on May 14, 2006. The West Wing took a large ratings hit with the move, which put it up against ABC 's Top 20 hit Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , and CBS ' Top 30 hit Cold Case in its timeslot. The show's legitimacy, political slant, and idealist representations of Washington, as well as its notable writing and film merits, have generated considerable discussion. In 2011, The New York Times reported

9570-489: The series. The regular directors were Misiano, Graves, Andrew Bernstein and Lesli Linka Glatter . DVDs for season seven were released first in the UK on September 11, 2006, and then in the US on November 7, 2006. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material, including two featurettes on " The Debate ". Two versions of "The Debate" were performed, one for

9680-516: The seventh series was "enjoying a creative renaissance" and had been "enlivened by the election storyline". Mike Duffy of the Detroit Free Press said that The West Wing had "rediscovered the vivid political zing in its farewell season"; however, Jeffrey Robinson from DVD Talk commented that the shift away from daily issues and operations in the White House meant "season seven did not feel like The West Wing ". One episode, " The Debate ",

9790-582: The seventh would be the final season. Kevin Reilly , entertainment president for NBC, said that after poor viewing figures for the "last couple of seasons [they reached] a point where you look at the ratings and you just say, 'it's time.'" The season was produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television . The executive producers were the production company's namesake and founder John Wells , Christopher Misiano , Alex Graves , political analyst Lawrence O'Donnell and Peter Noah ; Noah

9900-404: The show after the fourth season, following increasing personal problems, including an arrest for possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Thomas Schlamme also left the show after the fourth season. John Wells , the remaining executive producer, took the helm after their departure. The West Wing aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET from its debut until the end of its sixth season. NBC elected to move

10010-412: The show as unrealistically optimistic and sentimental. A large part of this criticism came from the perceived naiveté of the characters. Television critic Heather Havrilesky asked, "What rock did these morally pure creatures crawl out from under and, more important, how do you go from innocent millipede to White House staffer without becoming soiled or disillusioned by the dirty realities of politics along

10120-441: The show created a "subversive competitor" to the cynical views of politics in media. In the essay " The West Wing and the West Wing", author Myron Levine agreed, stating that the series "presents an essentially positive view of public service and a healthy corrective to anti-Washington stereotypes and public cynicism." Dr. Staci L. Beavers, associate professor of political science at California State University, San Marcos , wrote

10230-502: The show indeed has a liberal bias on issues, it presents a truer, more human picture of the people behind the headlines than most of today's Washington journalists." In its first season, The West Wing attracted critical attention in the television community with a record nine Emmy wins. The show has been praised for its high production values and repeatedly recognized for its cinematic achievements. The series has also been praised for Sorkin's rapid-fire and witty scripts. The series had

10340-500: The show's 20th anniversary at a Paley panel in New York in 2019, while both Sorkin and cast members had previously participated in a Paley panel in Los Angeles in 2000. In September 2024, cast members also reunited to mark the 25th anniversary in an appearance at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards to stress the importance of voting and announce the winner for Outstanding Drama Series. Later that week, cast members and producers were invited to

10450-754: The sixth. In addition to its Emmys, the show won two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, in 2000 and 2001 , Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Martin Sheen was the only cast member to win a Golden Globe Award , and he and Allison Janney were the only cast members to win SAG Awards. In both 1999 and 2000, The West Wing was awarded the Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. The following table summarizes award wins by cast members: Many cast members were Emmy-nominated for their work on The West Wing but did not win, including Martin Sheen—who

10560-555: The storylines began to focus less on Sam and more on Josh Lyman, the Deputy Chief of Staff. This shift was one of the reasons for Lowe's eventual departure from the show in the fourth season. For the first four seasons, drawing on research materials, scene drafts, and occasionally entire draft scripts from his writing staff, Sorkin wrote almost every episode of the series, occasionally reusing plot elements, episode titles, character names, and actors from his previous work, Sports Night ,

10670-422: The subject of critical analysis. The West Wing received a multitude of accolades , including two Peabody Awards , three Golden Globe Awards , and 26 Primetime Emmy Awards , including the award for Outstanding Drama Series , which it won four consecutive times from 2000 to 2003. The show's ratings waned in later years following the departure of series creator Sorkin after the fourth season (with him having been

10780-404: The tenth episode Flint, Junge, Noah and Sacret Young became supervising producers. With the sixth season Misiano and Graves were promoted to executive producers. Redford and Junge left the production team and Dylan K. Massin became a co-producer. Cahn was promoted to executive story editor and Singer replaced her as story editor. Lauren Schmidt filled the staff writer role. The fourth episode saw

10890-467: The then-fledgling government of Myanmar used DVDs of The West Wing episodes to study democracy. This was corroborated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the following year. In March 2014, cast members Bradley Whitford, Janel Moloney and Richard Schiff participated in a Harvard Institute of Politics event with show writer and MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell to discuss the impact of the show. The following month, Whitford and Schiff also participated in

11000-442: The way agitprop theatre has been used to further Marxism and the development of communist sympathies. Russian agitprop theater was noted for its cardboard characters of perfect virtue and complete evil, and its coarse ridicule. Less radical versions of political theatre have become established within the mainstream modern repertory - such as the realist dramas of Arthur Miller ( The Crucible and All My Sons ), which probe

11110-421: The way?" Despite acclaim for the veracity of the series, Sorkin said, "our responsibility is to captivate you for however long we've asked for your attention." Former White House aide Matthew Miller noted that Sorkin "captivates viewers by making the human side of politics more real than life—or at least more real than the picture we get from the news." Miller also noted that by portraying politicians with empathy,

11220-500: The writer or co-writer of 85 of the first 88 episodes), yet it remained popular among high-income viewers, a key demographic for the show and its advertisers, with around 16 million viewers. The West Wing employed a broad ensemble cast to portray the many positions involved in the daily work of the Executive Branch of the federal government . The president, the first lady , and the president's senior staff and advisers form

11330-646: The writing staff for part of the show's run. Other former White House staffers, such as Peggy Noonan and Gene Sperling , served as consultants for brief periods. A documentary special in the third season compared the show's depiction of the West Wing to the real thing. Many former West Wing denizens applauded the show's depiction of the West Wing, including advisor David Gergen , Secretary of State Henry Kissinger , Chief of Staff Leon Panetta , Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove , and former Presidents Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , and Bill Clinton . While critics often praised The West Wing for its writing, others faulted

11440-464: Was aired as live television . Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that "real-life issues were brought to a prime-time national audience," but the first half was "boring back-and-forth [with] not much revealed about the characters" and had it not been live it could have been "stronger, better produced and with a less dull first half." Janet Daley of The Daily Telegraph called

11550-590: Was announced that a number of former cast members would be reprising their roles. These included Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, Mary-Louise Parker as women's-rights advocate Amy Gardner, Anna Deavere Smith as National Security Advisor Nancy McNally, Emily Procter as Republican attorney Ainsley Hayes, Marlee Matlin as pollster Joey Lucas, Gary Cole as Vice President Bob Russell, Tim Matheson as former Vice President John Hoynes, Timothy Busfield as journalist Danny Concannon, and Annabeth Gish as Liz Bartlet Westin, eldest daughter of President Bartlet. C.J. deals with

11660-470: Was created by Aaron Sorkin , who served as executive producer for the pilot episode alongside director Thomas Schlamme and John Wells . Kristin Harms and Llewellyn Wells were producers for the pilot. Michael Hissrich acted as a co-producer. The first season proper saw the return of all of the pilot production team along with the addition of Ron Osborn and Jeff Reno as consulting producers and Rick Cleveland as

11770-422: Was nominated for six of the seven seasons of the series without receiving the award—as well as Janel Moloney, who was nominated twice, and Dulé Hill, Rob Lowe, and Mary-Louise Parker, who were all nominated once. Matthew Perry , Oliver Platt , Ron Silver , Tim Matheson , and Mark Harmon also received Emmy nominations for guest starring on the show. Thomas Schlamme won two Emmys for Outstanding Directing for

11880-502: Was previously a supervising producer in the sixth season, and O'Donnell, who is a former Democratic chief of staff on the Senate Committee on Finance , provided insight into political life. The West Wing was created by Aaron Sorkin . For the seventh season, regular staff writers were Wells, O'Donnell, Noah, Eli Attie , Debora Cahn , Josh Singer and Lauren Schmidt , while cast member Bradley Whitford wrote his second episode of

11990-427: Was produced by Warner Bros. Television and features an ensemble cast , including Rob Lowe , Dulé Hill , Allison Janney , Richard Schiff , John Spencer , Bradley Whitford , Martin Sheen , Janel Moloney , and Stockard Channing . For the first four seasons, there were three executive producers: Sorkin (lead writer of the first four seasons), Thomas Schlamme (primary director), and John Wells . After Sorkin left

12100-529: Was promoted with a video featuring stars from The West Wing . The event was repeated on January 21, 2015, again promoted by stars from the show. On April 29, 2016, Allison Janney appeared in character as C.J. Cregg during a White House press briefing. Despite its commercial and critical success, The West Wing has also received criticism from the right . Jewish Journal columnist Naomi Pfefferman once referred to The West Wing as "The Left Wing" because of its portrayal of an ideal liberal administration, and

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