“The West Wing” ran for seven seasons on NBC, from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. Aaron Sorkin created it and wrote the first four seasons. It is set in the West Wing of the White House, during the fictional two-term Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen.
Trailer, via BravadoVideos.
A White House of Walk-and-Talk
The show’s core is an ensemble. Allison Janney plays C.J. Cregg, John Spencer plays Leo McGarry, Bradley Whitford plays Josh Lyman, and Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney and Stockard Channing fill out the cast. Later seasons add Alan Alda as Arnold Vinick, Jimmy Smits as Matthew Santos, Joshua Malina as Will Bailey, Kristin Chenoweth as Annabeth Schott and Mary McCormack as Kate Harper.
For its first four seasons, Sorkin led the writing, Thomas Schlamme directed, and John Wells produced alongside them. When Sorkin left at the end of season four, Wells took over as head writer. Alex Graves and Christopher Misiano took executive producer roles in seasons six and seven, and Lawrence O’Donnell and Peter Noah joined for season seven.
What the Numbers Say
The show drew 26 Primetime Emmy Awards across its run, including four consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama Series. It also won two Peabody Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Metacritic puts it at 79 out of 100. Wikipedia’s published critical score is 7.9/10.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network | NBC |
| Creator | Aaron Sorkin |
| First aired | September 22, 1999 |
| Last aired | May 14, 2006 |
| Seasons / episodes | 7 / 154 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Metacritic | 79/100 |
| Published score | 7.9/10 |
Key facts
– 7 seasons, 154 episodes
– Ran 1999-09-22 to 2006-05-14
– 26 Primetime Emmy Awards, four for Outstanding Drama Series
– Two Peabody Awards, three Golden Globe Awards
– Metacritic 79/100; published score 7.9/10
Sorkin’s Exit and What Followed
The four consecutive drama Emmys are the awards number that stands out. The source does not say which seasons they cover, so they cannot be tied to the Sorkin run or to any other stretch of the show.
The ensemble is the reason the later seasons hold up at all. Janney, Spencer and Whitford carry storylines that could have collapsed without Sorkin’s dialogue. Wells, Graves, Misiano, O’Donnell and Noah kept the show on air for three more seasons. That is a real achievement, and it is not the same achievement as the first four seasons.
Praise for “The West Wing” has come from critics, political science professors and former White House staffers. That mix is unusual. A drama about presidential politics that earns respect from the people who actually worked in the building is doing something right. It has also been the subject of critical analysis, which is a polite way of saying people argue about it.
Where It Lands
“The West Wing” is a drama with humor and heart, built on characters who care about the work. The politics they discuss touch everyday life. That is the show’s promise, and the early seasons deliver on it.
The score of 7.9/10 is fair. It credits a landmark series without pretending the back half matches the front. Watch the Sorkin seasons first. Then decide for yourself whether the rest was worth keeping.
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