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==Legacy and influence== 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 the then-fledgling government of [[Myanmar]] used DVDs of ''The West Wing'' episodes to study democracy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/world/asia/clintons-visit-to-myanmar-raises-hopes-and-concerns.html |title=Clinton's Visit to Myanmar Raises Hopes and Concerns |website=The New York Times |first=Steven Lee |last=Myers |date=November 29, 2011 |access-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020092235/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/world/asia/clintons-visit-to-myanmar-raises-hopes-and-concerns.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This was corroborated by Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] the following year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/09/clinton-burma-learned-democracy-from-west-wing.html |title=Hillary Clinton: Myanmar Parliament Learned Democracy From The West Wing |website=New York Magazine |first=Margaret |last=Hartmann |date=September 19, 2012 |access-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020012638/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/09/clinton-burma-learned-democracy-from-west-wing.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/why-the-west-wing-is-a-terrible-guide-to-american-democracy/263084/ |title=Why 'The West Wing' Is a Terrible Guide to American Democracy |website=The Atlantic |first=Yair |last=Rosenberg |date=October 1, 2012 |access-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021191727/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/why-the-west-wing-is-a-terrible-guide-to-american-democracy/263084/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://iop.harvard.edu/events/revisiting-west-wing-0 |title=Revisiting "The West Wing" |publisher=The Institute of Politics at Harvard University |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref> The following month, Whitford and Schiff also participated in a discussion with writer Eli Attie at the [[University of Chicago Institute of Politics]].<ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG0B4uq-irg |title=IOP Political TV Festival Session #3 - "The West Wing" |publisher=UChicago Institute of Politics |via=YouTube |date=April 14, 2014 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref> In 2016, Sorkin and the cast reunited to mark the 10th anniversary of the show's finale at the [[ATX Festival]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2016/06/22/west-wing-atx-festival-video/ |title=The West Wing cast reflects on show 10 years after finale |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Shirley |last=Li |date=June 22, 2016 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHEsMDjf1dY |title=The West Wing Reunion // ATX TV Festival // Season 5 |publisher=ATX TV |via=YouTube |date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref> In 2021, cast members reunited virtually as part of the ''[[Stars in the House]]'' series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/stars-in-the-house-reunions-west-wing-thirtysomething-little-house-on-the-prairie-1234709952/ |title='The West Wing', 'Thirtysomething', 'Little House On The Prairie' Reunions Set For Stars In The House Anniversary Week |website=Deadline |first=Greg |last=Evans |date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuXyQKDJTYw |title="The West Wing" Reunion with Allison Janney, Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, + more! |work=Stars in the House |via=YouTube |date=March 19, 2021 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> In 2024, the [[Paley Center for Media]] in [[New York (state)|New York]] hosted an exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the show's premiere,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://decider.com/2024/07/15/paley-center-west-wing-exhibit/ |title=The Paley Center Is Honoring 'The West Wing's 25th Anniversary With An Exciting New Exhibit |website=[[Decider (website)|Decider]] |first=Rachel |last=Rosenfield |date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/events/2024-west-wing-25/ |title=Inside The West Wing: A 25th Anniversary Salute |website=The Paley Center for Media |date=June 6, 2024 |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref> which cast member Janel Moloney wrote about attending.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://airmail.news/issues/2024-9-14/tangled-up-in-the-west-wing |title=Tangled Up in The West Wing |website=Air Mail |first=Janel |last=Moloney |date=September 14, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref> Sorkin had previously marked the show's 20th anniversary at a Paley panel in New York in 2019 following a screening of episode "[[Two Cathedrals]]",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/aaron-working-the-west-wing-20th-anniversary-trump-1203360249/ |title=Aaron Sorkin Gets Political At 'The West Wing' 20th Anniversary Panel: 'Better Voters Get Us Better Candidates' |website=Variety |first=Elizabeth |last=Wagmeister |date=October 4, 2009 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVbfD4fAKsE |title=A Look Back With Aaron Sorkin - West Wing Then and Now |publisher=The Paley Center for Media |via=YouTube |date=October 7, 2019 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=&p=1&item=138222 |title=Paley Center for Media, the: PaleyFest NY 2019: The 20th Anniversary of The West Wing: A Look Back With Aaron Sorkin {Long Version} |publisher=The Paley Center for Media |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref> while both Sorkin and cast members had previously participated in a Paley panel in Los Angeles in 2000 with a screening of the episode "[[In Excelsis Deo]]".<ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi6KwBjnHhk |title=The West Wing - "We Needed the Eight Best Actors There Were" |publisher=The Paley Center for Media |via=YouTube |date=July 6, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=&p=1&item=T:59672 |title=Museum of Television & Radio, the: William S. Paley Television Festival 2000: The West Wing {Long Version} |publisher=The Paley Center for Media |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/west-wing-reunion-emmys-2024-1236086400/ |title='The West Wing' Stars Reunite At Emmys To Encourage People To Vote & Talk About Political Storylines That Would Have Been "Far-Fetched" |website=Deadline |first=Peter |last=White |date=September 15, 2024 |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref> Later that week, cast members and producers were invited to the White House where they met President [[Joe Biden]] before participating in an outdoor anniversary celebration with First Lady [[Jill Biden]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/aaron-sorkin-west-wing-reboot-white-house-visit-1236152241/ |title=Aaron Sorkin Considering 'West Wing' Reboot After White House Visit: 'I Just Got a Couple of Ideas For Episodes' (EXCLUSIVE) |website=Variety |first=Michael |last=Schneider |date=September 20, 2024 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2shsLR9fg0 |title=The White House Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Television Series, The West Wing |publisher=The White House |via=YouTube |date=September 20, 2024 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> 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 the Democrats could nominate [[Mitt Romney]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/21/opinion/biden-west-wing-aaron-sorkin.html |title=Aaron Sorkin: How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats |website=The New York Times |first=Aaron |last=Sorkin |date=July 21, 2024 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> 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!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/aaron-sorkin-west-wing-democrats-nominate-mitt-romney-1235953958/ |title=Aaron Sorkin Takes Back Mitt Romney Suggestion for Democratic Nominee: "Harris for America" |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Zoe G. |last=Phillips |date=July 21, 2024 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> In December 2024, cast members Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill and Melissa Fitzgerald attended an event marking the 20th anniversary of the [[Clinton Presidential Center]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farrar |first=Thomas |date=2024-12-08 |title=Clintons celebrate 20 years of Presidential Center, urge unity in polarized times |url=https://katv.com/news/local/clintons-celebrate-20-years-of-presidential-center-urge-unity-in-polarized-times-bill-hillary-robinson-center-kumpuris-distinguished-lecture-the-west-wing-richard-schiff-melissa-fitzgerald |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=KATV |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPSPP7cOgOI |title=Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture with the Clintons and Special Guests |date=2024-12-07 |last=Clinton Center |access-date=2025-04-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Cast members have individually become active and jointly reunited in person and virtually to support several candidates and organizations associated with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], in some cases as part of campaign ads and fundraisers, including [[Joe Biden]]'s 2008 primary [[Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/2024/07/27/west-wing-biden-harris-election/ |title=Even Richard Schiff thinks we're living in 'The West Wing' |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Jada |last=Yuan |date=July 27, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> the 2008 [[Barack Obama]] [[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|campaign]],<ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV1bx70ULxs |title=Bradley Whitford for Barack |via=YouTube |author=@barackobama |date=October 21, 2008 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> the 2012 Barack Obama [[Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign|campaign]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oErEtzT8aM4 |title=Bradley Whitford Gets Out the Vote - OFA Wisconsin |via=YouTube |author=@barackobama |date=November 4, 2012 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> Ohio Senator [[Sherrod Brown]]'s 2012 campaign,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2012/06/01/martin-sheen-tours-with-sherrod/23331751007/ |title=Martin Sheen tours with Sherrod Brown |website=The Columbus Dispatch |first=Joe |last=Vardon |date=June 1, 2012 |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref> the 2014 [[Democratic Party of Wisconsin]] campaign in support of [[Mary Burke]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wpr.org/politics/actor-bradley-whitford-visits-uw-campuses-campaign-mary-burke |title=Actor Bradley Whitford Visits UW Campuses To Campaign For Mary Burke |website=Wisconsin Public Radio |first=Gilman |last=Halsted |date=October 3, 2014 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2014/10/28/on-the-trail-with-two-white-house-aides-only-one-of-them-real/ |title=On the Trail With Two White House Aides, Only One of Them Real |website=The New York Times |first=Julie |last=Hirschfeld Davis |date=October 28, 2014 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> the 2016 [[Hillary Clinton]] [[Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign|campaign]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://people.com/celebrity/the-west-wing-cast-reunites-to-campaign-for-hillary-clinton/ |title=The Bartlet Administration Backs Clinton: Inside 'The West Wing' 's Passionate and Prank-Filled Campaign Trail Reunion |website=People |first=Lindsay |last=Kimble |date=October 4, 2016 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1267948653261661 |title=Join the cast of The West Wing for a round of Hillary trivia! |website=Facebook |date=October 2, 2016 |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref> the 2020 Joe Biden [[Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|campaign]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/521294-hollywood-gives-bidens-digital-campaign-final-star-studded-push/ |title=Hollywood gives Biden's digital campaign final star-studded push |website=The Hill |first=Judy |last=Kurtz |date=October 16, 2020 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/how-a-grassroots-effort-in-wisconsin-sparked-hollywoods-2020-reunion-movement-4092985/ |title=How Wisconsin Democrats Used Hollywood Reunions to Make a "Critical Difference" in the 2020 Election |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Jackie |last=Strause |date=November 17, 2020 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kotcher |first=Matthew |date=November 4, 2024 |title=America's Hardest-Working Democrat: An Interview with Ben Wikler |url=https://brownpoliticalreview.org/americas-hardest-working-democrat/ |access-date=January 27, 2025 |website=Brown Political Review |language=en-US}}</ref> and the Wisconsin Democrats 2022 Midterms campaign.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/veep-west-wing-reunion-2022-midterms-wisconsin-1235139593/ |title='Veep' And 'The West Wing' Reunions Raise Almost $700,000 For Wisconsin Democrats As Cast Members Warn That Democracy Is On The Line In Midterms |website=Deadline |first=Ted |last=Johnson |date=October 9, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> In 2024, they supported the organization [[Red Wine & Blue]],<ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuzmp7c6LM |title=Debate Prep With The West Wing Cast |work=Red Wine and Blue |via=YouTube |date=September 11, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> [[Pennsylvania]] senator [[Bob Casey Jr.]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/west-wing-reunion-bob-casey-pennsylvania-1236174481/ |title='West Wing' Cast to Reunite in Support of Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey (EXCLUSIVE) |website=Variety |first=Jordan |last=Moreau |date=October 10, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://secure.actblue.com/donate/westwingforsherrod |title=Join The West Wing Cast with Senator Sherrod Brown! |website=ActBlue |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref> and the 2024 [[Kamala Harris]] [[Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign|campaign]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4943131-west-wing-wisconsin-harris/ |title='The West Wing; cast hits the trail for Harris in Wisconsin |website=The Hill |first=Ashleigh |last=Fields |date=October 19, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wislawjournal.com/2024/10/19/roe-vs-wade-takes-center-stage-in-milwaukee-with-west-wing-cast/ |title=Roe vs. Wade and religion take center stage in Milwaukee with West Wing cast |website=Wisconsin Law Journal |first=Steve |last=Schuster |date=October 19, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wisn.com/article/the-west-wing-cast-campaigns-for-harris-in-wisconsin/62659878 |title='The West Wing' cast campaigns for Harris in Wisconsin |website=WISN |first=Emily |last=Pofahl |date=October 20, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2024/10/the-west-wing-cast-triumphs-abortion-climate-policy-for-harris-walz-ticket-in-madison |title='The West Wing' cast triumphs abortion, climate policy for Harris-Walz ticket in Madison |website=The Daily Cardinal |first1=Bryna |last1=Goeking |first2=Sreejita |last2=Patra |date=October 21, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2024/10/q-a-the-west-wing-star-bradley-whitford-wants-madison-to-vote |title=Q&A: 'The West Wing' star Bradley Whitford wants Madison to vote |website=The Daily Cardinal |first1=Bryna |last1=Goeking |first2=Sreejita |last2=Patra |date=October 21, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYoovYHiL8c |title=Bradley Whitford Tees Off On Donald Trump, Urges Voters To Send Him To 'The Dustbin Of History' |work=Forbes |via=YouTube |date=October 22, 2024 |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wispolitics.com/2024/harris-campaign-icymi-the-cast-of-the-west-wing-tours-wisconsin-slamming-trumps-extreme-project-2025-agenda/ |title=Harris campaign: ICYMI — The cast of The West Wing tours Wisconsin, slamming Trump's extreme Project 2025 agenda |website=WisPolitics |date=October 21, 2024 |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/west-wing-nostalgia-election/680349/ |title=This Election Is No West Wing Reunion |website=The Atlantic |first=Mark |last=Leibovich |date=October 24, 2024 |access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMJcZYLHdd4 |title='West Wing' cast members reunite to endorse Harris for president in new ad |work=[[MSNBC]] |via=[[YouTube]] |date=November 4, 2024 |access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://lincolnproject.us/west-wing-ad-lincoln-project/ |title=West Wing Cast Members Reunite to Endorse Harris in New Ad and Statement |website=The Lincoln Project |date=November 2, 2024 |access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref> ===Realism=== While ''The West Wing'' is not completely accurate in its portrayal of the actual West Wing,<ref name="fact_fiction_2001_07_08_nytimes_com">{{cite web |last=Seelye |first=Katharine Q |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/08/national/west-wing-fact-and-fiction.html |title=Q&A: 'West Wing' Fact and Fiction |date=July 8, 2001 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-date=June 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618171937/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/08/national/west-wing-fact-and-fiction.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="the_real_west_wing_cspan_org">{{cite video |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?176333-1/real-west-wing |title=The Real West Wing |publisher=[[C-SPAN]] |date=April 24, 2003 |access-date=June 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Levine">Levine, Myron A. "''The West Wing'' and the West Wing." Reprinted in ''The West Wing: The American Presidency as Television Drama''. Edited by Peter C. Rollins and John E. Connor. 2003.</ref> former White House staffers and journalists have described the show as capturing its feel.<ref name="fact_fiction_2001_07_08_nytimes_com" /><ref name="the_real_west_wing_cspan_org" /><ref name="Miller">{{cite journal |first=Matthew |last=Miller |url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/archives/2000/03/the_real_white.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426115423/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/archives/2000/03/the_real_white.html |title=The Real White House |journal=Brill's Content |date=March 1, 2000 |archive-date=April 26, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> President [[Gerald Ford]]'s daughter [[Susan Ford|Susan]] made the comment "I can't watch [the show]. They turn left and right where you are not supposed to."<ref name="nevius20040122">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Just-ask-Chelsea-Jenna-and-Barbara-Escaping-the-2808210.php |title=Just ask Chelsea, Jenna and Barbara: Escaping the glare of the spotlight isn't easy for kids whose dads work in the Oval Office |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=January 22, 2004 |access-date=March 4, 2012 |first=C. W. |last=Nevius |archive-date=October 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018134742/http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Just-ask-Chelsea-Jenna-and-Barbara-Escaping-the-2808210.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Some West Wing veterans have said it exaggerates 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.<ref name="fact_fiction_2001_07_08_nytimes_com" /><ref name="the_real_west_wing_cspan_org" /> 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 Secretary|White House Press Secretaries]] [[Dee Dee Myers]] and [[Marlin Fitzwater]] and pollsters [[Patrick Caddell]] and [[Frank Luntz]] also served as consultants, advising 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]], [[United States Secretary of State|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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2002/04/22/west-wing-episode-acts-as-documentary-with-real-life-politicos-in-the-mix/ |title='West Wing' Episode Acts As Documentary With Real-life Politicos In The Mix |agency=[[Cox News Service]] |date=April 22, 2002 |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |access-date=September 18, 2010 |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614031430/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-04-22/news/0204210425_1_west-wing-creator-aaron-sorkin-president-george-w |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4zbFGMQQg |title=Interviews With President Carter {{!}} The West Wing |date=January 13, 2025 |last=The West Wing |access-date=January 28, 2025 |via=YouTube}}</ref> While critics often praised ''The West Wing'' for its writing, others faulted the show as unrealistically optimistic<ref>{{cite news |first=Joyce |last=Millman |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/09/11/emmys_2000/ |title=Don't blame me, I voted for Martin Sheen! |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |date=September 11, 2000 |access-date=December 10, 2005 |archive-date=July 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701103755/http://www.salon.com/2000/09/11/emmys_2000/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and sentimental.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2009/oct/23/the-thick-of-it-armando-iannucci |title=The Thick of It: cynical, cruel and lacking in heart |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 23, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=November 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112031335/http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2009/oct/23/the-thick-of-it-armando-iannucci |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 the way?"<ref>{{cite web |first=Heather |last=Havrilesky |url=http://www.salon.com/2003/05/14/west_wing_5/ |title=Will ''The West Wing'' go south? |date=May 14, 2003 |access-date=December 10, 2005 |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023052215/http://www.salon.com/2003/05/14/west_wing_5/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Social influence=== 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec00/sorkin_09-27.html |title=Extended Interview: Aaron Sorkin |publisher=[[PBS]] |date=September 27, 2000 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105001110/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec00/sorkin_09-27.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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, the show created a "subversive competitor" to the cynical views of politics in media.<ref name="Miller"/> 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."<ref name="Levine"/> Dr. Staci L. Beavers, associate professor of [[political science]] at [[California State University, San Marcos]], wrote 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 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, a critical analysis of the show's political views can present a worthwhile learning experience to the viewer.<ref>Beavers, Staci L. "''The West Wing'' as a Pedagogical Tool." ''PS: Political Science & Politics''. December 24, 2001. Reprinted in ''The West Wing: The American Presidency as Television Drama''. Edited by Peter C. Rollins and John E. Connor. 2003.</ref> 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: a different American administration, closer to our desires as people more or less on the left."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kaddour |first=Hédi |title=From Dream to Invention: 'The West Wing' |journal=MLN |volume=127 |number=5 |year=2012 |pages=1071–1095 |jstor=43611282 |doi=10.1353/mln.2012.0136|s2cid=162039301 }}</ref> 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 Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] watched the episode "[[A Good Day (The West Wing)|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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509435/Blairs-whips-fooled-by-West-Wing-plot.html |title=Blair's whips fooled by West Wing plot |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=February 2, 2006 |access-date=June 21, 2023 |last1=Helm |first1=Brendan Carlin |archive-date=June 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604192101/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509435/Blairs-whips-fooled-by-West-Wing-plot.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:White House Big Block of Cheese Day 2015 promo.webm|thumb|thumbtime=1:51|A promotional video for the White House's 2015 Virtual "Big Block of Cheese Day", featuring cast of ''The West Wing'']] 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 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,<ref name="Trex 2014">{{cite web |last1=Trex |first1=Ethan |title=Andrew Jackson's Big Block of Cheese |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/27228/andrew-jacksons-big-block-cheese |website=[[Mental Floss]] |access-date=January 18, 2015 |date=January 26, 2014 |archive-date=January 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118174645/http://mentalfloss.com/article/27228/andrew-jacksons-big-block-cheese |url-status=live }}</ref> while discussing issues of the day with politicians.<ref name="Begley 2015">{{cite magazine |last1=Begley |first1=Sarah |title=The White House 'Big Block of Cheese Day' Is Back |url=https://time.com/3671796/white-house-big-block-of-cheese/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=January 18, 2015 |date=January 16, 2015 |archive-date=January 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117150553/http://time.com/3671796/white-house-big-block-of-cheese/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Lindsay 2014">{{cite web |last1=Lindsay |first1=Erin |title=The First-Ever Virtual "Big Block of Cheese Day" – The White House is Open for Questions |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/01/29/first-ever-virtual-big-block-cheese-day-white-house-open-questions |access-date=January 18, 2015 |date=January 29, 2014 |archive-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121212844/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/01/29/first-ever-virtual-big-block-cheese-day-white-house-open-questions |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |url-status=live }}</ref> The event was promoted with a video featuring stars from ''The West Wing''.<ref name="Hall 2015">{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Ellie |title=The "West Wing" Cast Reunited For A Video About The White House's "Big Block Of Cheese Day." |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/the-west-wing-cast-reunited-for-a-video-about-the-white-hous |website=[[BuzzFeed]] |access-date=January 18, 2015 |date=January 16, 2015 |archive-date=January 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120001510/http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/the-west-wing-cast-reunited-for-a-video-about-the-white-hous |url-status=live }}</ref> The event was repeated on January 21, 2015,<ref name="Wall 2015">{{cite web |last1=Wall |first1=Alex |title=Big Block of Cheese Day Is Back, and It's Feta Than Ever |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/01/16/big-block-cheese-day-back-and-its-feta-ever |access-date=January 18, 2015 |date=January 16, 2015 |archive-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121033032/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/01/16/big-block-cheese-day-back-and-its-feta-ever |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |url-status=live }}</ref> again promoted by stars from the show.<ref name="Hall 2015"/> On April 29, 2016, [[Allison Janney]] appeared in character as C.J. Cregg during a White House press briefing to call attention to the issue of substance abuse.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/29/politics/allison-janney-cj-cregg-white-house/index.html |title=C.J. Cregg makes a return to the White House |publisher=[[CNN]] |first=Julia |last=Manchester |date=April 29, 2016 |access-date=December 18, 2017 |archive-date=January 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103001135/http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/29/politics/allison-janney-cj-cregg-white-house/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJCBiH6l4AI |title=4/29/16: White House Press Briefing |date=April 29, 2016 |last=The Obama White House |access-date=February 26, 2025 |via=YouTube}}</ref> ==="The Left Wing"=== Despite its commercial and critical success, ''The West Wing'' has also received criticism from the [[Right-wing politics|right]]. ''[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles|Jewish Journal]]'' columnist Naomi Pfefferman once referred to ''The West Wing'' as "The Left Wing" because of its portrayal of an ideal [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] administration, and the moniker has also been used by Republican critics of the show.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pfefferman |first=Naomi |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/up_front/article/the_left_wing_20011012 |title=The Left 'Wing' |publisher=Jewish Journal |date=October 11, 2001 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=October 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007222001/http://www.jewishjournal.com/up_front/article/the_left_wing_20011012/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/051506/westwing.html |title=City Says Goodbye to 'West Wing,' Its Chattier Self |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 15, 2006 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |first=Daniel |last=de Vise |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109144249/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/051506/westwing.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/arts-and-culture/2007/05/west-wing-sorkin-television |title=The war on culture |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=May 21, 2007 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=February 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206013722/http://www.newstatesman.com/arts-and-culture/2007/05/west-wing-sorkin-television |url-status=live }}</ref> Chris Lehmann, former deputy editor and regular reviewer for ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'s}} Book World section, characterized the show as a [[Historical revisionism (negationism)|revisionist]] look at the Clinton presidency.<ref>Lehmann, Chris. "The Feel-Good Presidency: The Pseudo-Politics of ''The West Wing''." Reprinted in ''The West Wing: The American Presidency as Television Drama''. Edited by Peter C. Rollins and John E. Connor. 2003. {{ISBN|0-8156-3031-X}}.</ref> However, criticism of the show has been made from the left as well. Cultural critic and ''[[Jacobin (magazine)|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 [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]] elitism, saying, "there is a general tenor to ''The West Wing'' universe that cannot be called anything other than smug."<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2017/04/how-liberals-fell-in-love-with-the-west-wing |title=How Liberals Fell In Love With The West Wing |journal=[[Current Affairs (magazine)|Current Affairs]] |first=Luke |last=Savage |date=June 7, 2017 |issue=Mar/Apr 2017 |access-date=August 2, 2018 |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803014827/https://www.currentaffairs.org/2017/04/how-liberals-fell-in-love-with-the-west-wing |url-status=live }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/23/chapo-trap-house-leftwing-breitbart |title=Leftwing Breitbart? Chapo Trap House is strong new voice in resistance to Trump |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=July 23, 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=January 31, 2019 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=January 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128215226/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/23/chapo-trap-house-leftwing-breitbart |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 the center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.com/news/968925.asp?cp1=1 |title='West Wing' goes more bipartisan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050213141236/http://www.msnbc.com/news/968925.asp?cp1=1 |archive-date=February 13, 2005 |publisher=MSNBC News |date=September 18, 2003 |access-date=November 10, 2013}}</ref> 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 [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] could admire. He obeys the [[United States Constitution|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."<ref>{{cite web |first=Mackubin T |last=Owens |url=http://ashbrook.org/publications/oped-owens-01-liberals/ |title=Real Liberals versus the ''West Wing'' |publisher=John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at [[Ashland University]] |date=February 2001 |access-date=November 10, 2013 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105072912/http://ashbrook.org/publications/oped-owens-01-liberals/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Journalist [[Matthew Miller (journalist)|Matthew Miller]] wrote, "Although 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."<ref name="Miller"/> ===Filming techniques and reactions=== [[File:westwing trackingshot.jpg|right|thumb|[[Sam Seaborn]] and [[Josh Lyman]] converse in the hallway in one of ''The West Wing''{{'}}s noted tracking shots.]] In its first season, ''The West Wing'' attracted critical attention in the television community with a record nine [[Emmy Award|Emmy]] wins. The show has been praised for its high production values and repeatedly recognized for its [[cinematography|cinematic]] achievements. The series has also been praised for Sorkin's rapid-fire and witty scripts.<ref>{{cite web |first=Oliver |last=Burkeman |date=May 6, 2003 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/may/07/television.channel4 |title=Next week on The West Wing ... erm |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=December 10, 2005 |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110202024/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/may/07/television.channel4 |url-status=live }}</ref> The series had a budget of $2.7 million per episode.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/08/09/what-really-made-rob-lowe-quit-west-wing/ |title=The Lowe Down |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Nicholas |last=Fonseca |date=August 9, 2002 |access-date=August 8, 2014 |archive-date=August 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809234617/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,333363,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The West Wing'' is noted for developing the "[[Walk and talk|walk-and-talk]]"—long [[Steadicam]] [[tracking shot]]s 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 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.<ref>{{cite web |first=Greg M. |last=Smith |url=http://www2.gsu.edu/~jougms/Wwing.htm |title=The Left Takes Back the Flag |access-date=December 10, 2005 |archive-date=August 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821071757/http://www2.gsu.edu/~jougms/Wwing.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Awards=== {{Main list|List of awards and nominations received by The West Wing{{!}}List of awards and nominations received by ''The West Wing''}} In its first season, ''The West Wing'' garnered nine Emmys, a record for most won by a series in its first season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/10/emmys.05/ |title=West Wing' sets Emmy record |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=September 11, 2000 |access-date=September 23, 2011 |archive-date=April 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410030734/http://edition.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/10/emmys.05/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, the series received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in [[52nd Primetime Emmy Awards|2000]], [[53rd Primetime Emmy Awards|2001]], [[54th Primetime Emmy Awards|2002]], and [[55th Primetime Emmy Awards|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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguide.com/special/best-of-decade/photogallery/Best-Decade-Emmy-1011359 |title=Best of the Decade: Emmy Winners |work=[[TV Guide]] |access-date=November 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110193415/http://www.tvguide.com/special/best-of-decade/photogallery/Best-Decade-Emmy-1011359 |archive-date=November 10, 2013}}</ref> until ''Game of Thrones'' broke the record for most wins in 2016, with 38 total awards.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Elderkin |first1=Beth |title=Game of Thrones Becomes the Most-Awarded Drama in Emmy History |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/game-of-thrones-becomes-the-most-awarded-drama-in-emmy-1786496357 |access-date=September 11, 2016 |work=[[io9]] |date=September 11, 2016 |archive-date=September 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912100845/http://io9.gizmodo.com/game-of-thrones-becomes-the-most-awarded-drama-in-emmy-1786496357 |url-status=live }}</ref> The series shares 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 (TV series)|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 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 the sixth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/west-wing |title=The West Wing |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=November 10, 2013 |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012035651/http://www.emmys.com/shows/west-wing |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to its Emmys, the show won two [[Screen Actors Guild]] (SAG) Awards, in [[2000 Screen Actors Guild Awards|2000]] and [[2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-west-wing |title=The West Wing (NBC) |publisher=The Peabody Awards |year=1999 |access-date=September 29, 2014 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006133118/http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-west-wing |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-west-wing1 |title=The West Wing (NBC) |publisher=The Peabody Awards |year=2000 |access-date=September 29, 2014 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006155957/http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-west-wing1 |url-status=live }}</ref> The following table summarizes award wins by cast members: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Actor ! Awards won |- | Alan Alda |Emmy Award, [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series]] (2006) |- |Stockard Channing |Emmy Award, [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series]] (2002) |- | rowspan="3" style="vertical-align:top;"|Allison Janney |Emmy Award, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2000, 2001) |- |Emmy Award, [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series]] (2002, 2004) |- |Screen Actors Guild Award, [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series]] (2000, 2001) |- |Richard Schiff |Emmy Award, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2000) |- | rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;"|Martin Sheen |Golden Globe Award, [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama|Best Actor in a TV-Series – Drama]] (2001) |- |Screen Actors Guild Award, [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series]] (2000, 2001) |- |John Spencer |Emmy Award, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2002) |- |Bradley Whitford |Emmy Award, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2001) |} Many cast members were Emmy-nominated for their work on ''The West Wing'' but did not win, including Martin Sheen—who 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 [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Directing for 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 [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series]] was in its first season, when [[Rick Cleveland]] and Aaron Sorkin shared the award for "[[In Excelsis Deo]]". [[W. G. Snuffy Walden]] received an Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music|Outstanding Main Title Theme Music]] in 2000 for "The West Wing Opening Theme".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/wg-snuffy-walden |title=W.G. Snuffy Walden |website=Emmys.com |access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref> "The West Wing Documentary Special" won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program in 2002, with the award shared by Aaron Sorkin, Tommy Schlamme, documentarian Bill Couturie, show writers [[Eli Attie]] and Felicia Willson, and others. Readers of ''[[TV Guide]]'' voted the cast of ''The West Wing'' their Best Drama cast of all time, receiving 37% of the votes, beating ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'', which received 23%.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Your Favorite TV Casts |journal=[[TV Guide]] |date=January 3, 2011 |page=11}}</ref> A ''[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]'' poll in 2016 named Martin Sheen's Josiah Bartlet as the second greatest fictional president, behind [[Harrison Ford]]'s President James Marshall in ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=44 Fake Presidents From Worst to Best |url=http://graphics.wsj.com/image-grid/44-fake-presidents/ |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=July 12, 2016 |access-date=July 24, 2016 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=July 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725083029/http://graphics.wsj.com/image-grid/44-fake-presidents |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Critical reception=== On [[review aggregator]] website [[Metacritic]], the first season has a score of 79 out of 100, based on 23 critics indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-west-wing/season-1|title=The West Wing – Season 1 Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=February 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222203336/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-west-wing/season-1|url-status=live}}</ref> On review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the first season has a 96% approval rating with an average score of 8.4/10 based on 47 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "Practically a screwball comedy with Aaron Sorkin's rat-a-tat dialogue and the ensemble's wonderful chemistry, ''The West Wing'' resplendently renders every voter's dearest fantasy: competent politicians with good intentions."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s01|title=The West Wing: Season 1|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=February 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206134546/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s01|url-status=live}}</ref> The second season has an 88% approval rating with an average score of 10/10 based on 24 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "''The West Wing''{{'}}s approval rating remains high and the state of its union strong in a sophomore season that puts President Bartlet to the test and brings out the very best in Martin Sheen's performance."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s02|title=The West Wing: Season 2|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209213603/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s02|url-status=live}}</ref> The third season has a 73% approval rating with an average score of 10/10 based on 15 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "''The West Wing'' still fires off repartee as if sparkling dialogue were mandated by executive order, but this underwhelming third season finds the series' idealism curdling a bit into smug self-satisfaction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s03|title=The West Wing: Season 3|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209184147/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s03|url-status=live}}</ref> The fourth season has a 92% approval rating with an average score of 8/10 based on 13 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "The pressure of re-election reinvigorates both the Bartlet administration and ''The West Wing'' itself in a comeback season that'll leave viewers rooting for four more years."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s04|title=The West Wing: Season 4|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209170939/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s04|url-status=live}}</ref> The fifth season has a 65% approval rating with an average score of 7.9/10 based on 23 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "John Wells admirably tries to maintain the spirit of Aaron Sorkin's vision after succeeding him, but ''The West Wing''{{'}}s fifth season is a decidedly rocky changing of the guard."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s05|title=The West Wing: Season 5|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=January 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106225754/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s05|url-status=live}}</ref> The sixth season has a 64% approval rating with an average score of 9.4/10 based on 14 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "''The West Wing'' is firmly in its lame duck session, a little more cynical and rudderless than before, but the introduction of new presidential hopefuls brings a much-needed promise of fresh blood."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s06|title=The West Wing: Season 6|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=January 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106225828/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s06|url-status=live}}</ref> The seventh season has a 95% approval rating with an average score of 8.5/10 based on 20 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "Bidding a fond farewell to the Bartlet administration, ''The West Wing'' regains its idealistic thrill with a sweetly amicable presidential election in this strong final season."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s07|title=The West Wing: Season 7|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=January 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106225856/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-west-wing/s07|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, Rotten Tomatoes critics ranked it at number 20 in a ranking of the "Best TV Shows of the Last 25 Years."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Critics Pick the Best TV Shows of the Last 25 Years |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/rt25-critics-top-tv-shows-of-the-last-25-years-2/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2001, Aaron Sorkin began responding in online posts to critical recaps and fan posts on the pre-cursor to the website [[Television Without Pity]], an experience critics saw as inspiration for the "LemonLyman.com" storyline in the third season episode "The U.S. Poet Laureate."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=Linda |date=March 31, 2014 |title=10 Absolutely True Stories About Writing For Television Without Pity |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/03/31/297338377/10-absolutely-true-stories-about-writing-for-television-without-pity |access-date=February 15, 2025 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Paltrow's love-hate relationship? |url=http://www.msnbc.com/avantgo/696741.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040510044036/http://www.msnbc.com/avantgo/696741.htm |archive-date=May 10, 2004 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=MSNBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 4, 2001 |title=Aaron Sorkin Defends Himself on Fan Board |url=http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1%2C1002%2C271%7C69028%7C1%7C%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009215240/http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C69028%7C1%7C,00.html |archive-date=October 9, 2007 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Zap2it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newscat |date=February 15, 2006 |title=The long back story of Aaron Sorkin, West Wing, Televisionwithoutpity and the "U.S. Poet Laureate" episode |url=https://bitchkittie.blogspot.com/2006/02/long-back-story-of-aaron-sorkin-west.html |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Newscat}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2001 |title=Aaron Sorkin's mysterious posting habit. |url=https://www.kausfiles.com/archive/index.07.03.01.html |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Kausfiles}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 27, 2002 |title=The West Wing » Recaps & Extras » Season 3 Episode 17 |url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=4&story=3118 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020806151355/http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=4&story=3118 |archive-date=August 6, 2002 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Television Without Pity}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sella |first=Marshall |date=October 20, 2002 |title=The Remote Controllers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/20/magazine/the-remote-controllers.html |access-date=February 15, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nussbaum |first=Emily |date=April 4, 2002 |title=Confessions of a Spoiler Whore |url=https://slate.com/culture/2002/04/the-pleasures-of-participatory-tv.html |access-date=February 15, 2025 |work=Slate |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}}</ref> In marking the show's anniversary in 2024, ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' ranked all episodes of the series, with the season 2 finale "[[Two Cathedrals]]" taking the top spot of 150 episodes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Matthew |date=September 23, 2024 |title=All 150 Episodes of The West Wing, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-150-episodes-of-the-west-wing-ranked.html |access-date=February 14, 2025 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> The same episode was also ranked as the best episode of the series by ''[[The Daily Beast]]'', ''[[TV Insider]]'', ''[[Screen Rant]]'' and ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2024 |title=Every Episode of 'The West Wing,' Ranked Worst to Best |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-west-wing-every-episode-ranked-worst-to-best/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |first=Jack |last=Francis |website=The Daily Beast |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarendon |first=Dan |date=September 21, 2024 |title=10 Best Episodes of 'The West Wing,' Ranked |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/the-west-wing-best-episodes/#10 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=TV Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Tom |date=December 9, 2024 |title=10 Best Episodes Of The West Wing |url=https://screenrant.com/best-the-west-wing-episodes/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 20 Best Episodes of The West Wing |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-20-best-episodes-of-the-west-wing |date=May 15, 2016 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |first=Jennifer |last=Allen |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'' also named the episode at number 12 in a ranking of the "100 Best TV Episodes of the Century."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Ringer's 100 Best TV Episodes of The Century |url=https://besttv.theringer.com:443/?episode=12 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=The Ringer |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' ranked the same episode as number one of the top 25 episodes, and ranked the show as number 25 in a ranking of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Hunter |date=September 22, 2024 |title='The West Wing' 25 Best Episodes, Ranked From Great to Perfect |url=https://variety.com/lists/west-wing-best-episodes-ranked/two-cathedrals/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first1=Daniel |last1=D'Addario |first2=Kate |last2=Aurthur |first3=Clayton |last3=Davis |first4=Selome |last4=Hailu |first5=Alison |last5=Herman |first6=Emily |last6=Longeretta |first7=Jennifer |last7=Maas |first8=Joe |last8=Otterson |first9=Michael |last9=Schneider |first10=Jazz |last10=Tangcay |first11=Aramide |last11=Tinubu |first12=Adam |last12=B. Vary |date=December 20, 2023 |title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time |url=https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/the-west-wing-3/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Gold Derby]]'' ranked season 2 episode [[Noël (The West Wing)|"Noël]]" as the top episode in its ranking of the show's 20 greatest episodes.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Laws |first1=Zach |last2=Beachum |first2=Chris |date=September 22, 2024 |title='The West Wing': 20 greatest episodes ranked worst to best |url=https://www.goldderby.com/gallery/the-west-wing-20-greatest-episodes-ranked-worst-to-best/noel/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=Gold Derby |language=en-US}}</ref> The show was ranked at number eleven in a listing of Hollywood's 100 favorite TV shows from ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' and a listing of the 50 top TV dramas from ''The Guardian,'' and at number 46 in a ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranking of the "Best TV Shows of all Time."<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 16, 2015 |title=Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/the-west-wing/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=September 26, 2022 |title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-shows-of-all-time-1234598313/the-west-wing-2-1234599033/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Lawson |first1=Mark |last2=Vine |first2=Richard |last3=Dent |first3=Grace |last4=Mangan |first4=Lucy |last5=Dempster |first5=Sarah |last6=Wollaston |first6=Sam |date=2010-01-12 |title=The top 50 TV dramas of all time: 11-20 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/jan/12/50-best-tv-drama-west-wing |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The evolution of the relationship between Josh and Donna has been noted as a typical long-running TV "will they/won't they" romantic relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who's the boss?: How the workplace will-they/won't-they became a TV staple |url=https://www.avclub.com/how-the-workplace-will-they-wont-they-became-a-tv-staple |date=February 14, 2025 |access-date=February 14, 2025 |first=LaToya |last=Ferguson |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2023 |title=TV's 60 Longest-Awaited First Kisses From NCIS, Arrow, Abbott Elementary, JAG, X-Files, Big Bang and More Shows |url=https://tvline.com/lists/tv-longest-awaited-first-kisses-most-episodes/ |access-date=February 14, 2025 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 27, 2018 |title=Lovestruck hero or creepy harasser? Suddenly we're seeing our favorite rom-coms in a new light |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/lovestruck-hero-or-creepy-harasser-suddenly-were-seeing-our-favorite-rom-coms-in-a-new-light/2018/02/27/1d3d85d2-06a8-11e8-94e8-e8b8600ade23_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227211906/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/lovestruck-hero-or-creepy-harasser-suddenly-were-seeing-our-favorite-rom-coms-in-a-new-light/2018/02/27/1d3d85d2-06a8-11e8-94e8-e8b8600ade23_story.html |archive-date=February 27, 2018 |access-date=February 14, 2025 |first=Monica |last=Hesse |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=10 episodes that show The West Wing was drama first, politics second |url=https://www.avclub.com/10-episodes-that-show-the-west-wing-was-drama-first-po-1798268764 |first=Sonia |last=Saraiya |date=May 21, 2014 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How 'The West Wing' star Janel Moloney built her character Donna Moss 'from scratch' |url=https://ew.com/tv/the-west-wing-reunion-janel-moloney-donna-moss/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Frazier Moore |agency=Associated Press |date=2001-02-12 |title=WEST WING' KEEPS LOVE AWAITING ITS TURN\ JOSH AND DONNA FIGHT FATE AND EACH OTHER IN NBC'S WHITE HOUSE DRAMA. |url=https://greensboro.com/article_46488f28-3073-5745-b6ff-c6a60eac11f3.html |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Greensboro News and Record |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-05-17 |title=Fearless Leaders |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/fearless-leaders-34080/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=www.backstage.com |language=en}}</ref>
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