List of The West Wing episodes explained

The West Wing is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that aired 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 staff are located, during the fictitious Democratic administration of Josiah Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen).

Series overview

Episodes

Season 1 (1999–2000)

See main article: The West Wing season 1.

Season 2 (2000–01)

See main article: The West Wing season 2.

Season 3 (2001–02)

See main article: The West Wing season 3.

Season 4 (2002–03)

See main article: The West Wing season 4.

Season 5 (2003–04)

See main article: The West Wing season 5.

Season 6 (2004–05)

See main article: The West Wing season 6.

Season 7 (2005–06)

See main article: The West Wing season 7.

Specials

Two special episodes were produced to complement the series and broadcast on NBC. The first was a terrorism-themed episode produced in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The episode pushed the scheduled season premiere back a week and encouraged viewers to donate to charity—profits from the episode and cast members' weekly pay were also donated.[1] The episode "was written and produced in record time" – less than three weeks.[1] Although timely and well-intentioned, the episode was criticized for being condescending and preachy.

The second special interspersed the characters' fictional lives with interviews of real West Wing personnel, including Presidents Ford, Carter and Clinton; press secretaries Marlin Fitzwater and Dee Dee Myers; presidential advisors David Gergen, Paul Begala and incumbent Karl Rove; Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; Chief of Staff Leon Panetta; presidential personal secretary Betty Currie; and speechwriter Peggy Noonan.[2] The documentary won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2002 for "Outstanding Special Class Program".[3] Both episodes ran within the season 3 television season and were included on the season's DVD.[4]

A third retrospective "clip-and-interview" special was slated to air in the hour before the series finale; however, it was axed and replaced with a re-run of the "Pilot" episode, as cast members were not contracted to do the special and there were disputes over pay.[5]

Special
No.
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProduction
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"A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote" (2020)

See main article: A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote. "A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote" is a reunion special that was released on HBO Max on October 15, 2020. The special serves as a stage version of the season 3 episode "Hartsfield's Landing". The special intended to raise awareness and support for When We All Vote, a non-profit organization that helps increase participation in United States elections.[6] [7]

See also

References

General references

Notes and References

  1. News: West Wing airs attacks show. October 4, 2001. BBC News. September 18, 2010.
  2. Web site: 'West Wing' Episode Acts As Documentary With Real-life Politicos In The Mix. Cox News Service. Cox News Service. April 22, 2002. Orlando Sentinel. September 18, 2010.
  3. Web site: The West Wing documentary special.. Zarchy. Bill. March 2003. American Cinematographer. September 18, 2010.
  4. Web site: The West Wing: The Complete Third Season. Warner Bros. September 18, 2010.
  5. Web site: Pay Concerns Scotch 'West Wing' Special. May 9, 2006. Zap2it. September 18, 2010.
  6. Web site: Iannucci. Rebecca. August 25, 2020. The West Wing: Original Cast to Reunite for Staged Version of Season 3 Episode. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200901164433/https://tvline.com/2020/08/25/the-west-wing-reunion-original-cast-stage-version-hbo-max/. September 1, 2020. August 25, 2020. TVLine.
  7. Web site: About Us. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201018001258/https://www.whenweallvote.org/about-us/. October 18, 2020. October 18, 2020. When We All Vote.