The cast and creator of The West Wing will reunite this fall to tape a special episode in order to encourage more Americans to vote in the elections. The show, created and written by Aaron Sorkin ran from 1999 until 2006, and was hailed for its depiction of the internal politics of the White House. Despite not being entirely true to life, presenting a slightly exaggerated version of the highest office in the USA, The West Wing was a hit with fans and is widely regarded as the greatest political drama series in TV history.
The show’s success was largely due to Sorkin’s razor sharp scripts, often stuffing more dialogue into a minute of screen time than most shows get through in five. It was also successful because of the outstanding ensemble cast that Sorkin gathered. Martin Sheen (President Bartlet), Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn), Allison Janney (C.J.), John Spencer (Leo McGarry), Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler), Dule Hill (Charlie Young) and Janel Moloney (Donna Moss) all had major roles and contributed to what has been called the greatest drama cast ever assembled.
Now, the cast, along with Sorkin and some surprise guests, are set to reunite to film a special episode of The West Wing for HBO Max, according to Variety. The show, set to be filmed and released in the fall, will benefit former First Lady Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote organization, a bipartisan non-profit that encourages Americans to vote in elections. The episode will be a theatrical staging of The West Wing season 3, episode 14 “Hartsfield’s Landing,” a highly acclaimed episode written by Sorkin, and featuring all the members of the original cast. Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max, confirmed the reunion.
With “A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote,” we are excited to revisit this legendary series and offer our passionate fans something that is substantial, meaningful and unforgettable, while also promoting an important message for our time. Combined with WarnerMedia’s donation to When We All Vote, this special not only entertains, but also help ensure the organization can carry forth its mission to increase voter participation in every election.
There will also be additional material in the special which will be written by Sorkin for the reunion, with the writer saying he is “incredibly excited” to be involved. The report confirms that Sheen, Lowe, Janney, Moloney, Schiff, Whitford, and Hill have signed on. It is unclear who will play McGarry, if anyone, given that Spencer passed away in late 2005. Michelle Obama will also make an appearance, while Thomas Schlamme, a veteran director who helmed a number of episodes on the original show, will direct.
This is the second reported reunion organized by HBO Max, following the announcement that the cast of Friends would reunite for a one-off behind-the-scenes special celebrating the show. Unlike that indefinitely delayed attempt, though, this one is set to go ahead under COVID-19 safety protocols and will actually feature the cast performing their iconic roles. While it is a reprisal of a classic episode, fans will nevertheless be excited to see the ensemble reunited for the first time since the show ended in 2006.
And the addition of new material will be welcome too. One hopes, given the connection of the reunion to the upcoming election, that the new material will be more contemporary, perhaps commenting on the current state of the USA, and exploring the current political zeitgeist. Whether that’s the case or not remains to be seen, but either way, audiences will likely tune in just for the chance to see the cast of The West Wing together one last time.
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