The West Wing - At the center of power

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Television series
German title The West Wing - At the center of power
Original title The West Wing
The West Wing logo.png
Country of production United States
original language English
Year (s) 1999-2006
Production
company		 John Wells Productions,
Warner Bros. Television
length approx. 42 minutes
Episodes 154 in 7 seasons ( List )
genre drama
idea Aaron Sorkin
music WG Snuffy Walden
First broadcast September 22, 1999 (USA) on NBC
German-language
first broadcast		 May 19, 2008 on FOX
occupation
synchronization

The West Wing - In the center of power (Original title: The West Wing ) is an American television series that was produced between 1999 and 2006. It depicts the everyday life of a fictional US president and his advisory staff.

The series, created by Aaron Sorkin , first aired in 1999 on NBC . Although The West Wing reached up to 17 million viewers in the United States and was also able to claim an above-average success at award ceremonies, the series has not yet been shown on German-language free TV. The pay TV broadcaster FOX first aired the series in the German-speaking area in May 2008. The series was awarded the Emmy four times in the Best Drama Series category. In addition to The West Wing, only three other series have so far been successful . The main and supporting actors have also received several Emmys awards.

Characteristic features of the series are the wordy and quickly spoken dialogues, which are typical for author and series creator Aaron Sorkin. These are often presented as part of the walk and talk directing. With the camera technology established by Thomas Schlamme , the characters conduct their conversations while walking the corridors of the so-called West Wing . The West Wing is the wing of the White House that houses the Oval Office and the offices of the closest presidential advisers and their staff.

action

The series is about the everyday life of the American President Josiah Bartlet and his advisory staff. The first episode starts about six months after the president's inauguration. His and the day-to-day work of his advisory staff is accompanied by numerous storylines over the course of the series. While the main characters have to deal with the passing of laws, election campaigns and the Republican Party on a national level , conflicts with and between warring nations dominate on the international stage. In addition, the main characters are also confronted with explosive matters such as prostitution, drug addiction or chronic diseases.

Season 1 starts about six months after the inauguration of Democratic President Josiah Bartlet. While the deputy communications director Sam befriends a prostitute, press officer CJ has to fight off the romantic advances of a reporter. Chief of Staff Leo is overtaken by his past due to his alcohol addiction. Meanwhile, communications director Toby is doing everything possible to nominate a nominee for the Supreme Court . President Bartlet not only confesses to his chief of staff Leo that he issuffering from MS , he also wants to bringpeacebetween the warring governments of India and Pakistan . At the national level, the president is confronted with his own deadlocked neutrality and inability to govern, which is broken up towards the end of the season. At the end of the season, the president's baton is targeted by extremists at a public event.

Season 2 represents the period between the middle of the second and the middle of the third year. It covers a broader range of legislation than the first season and deals with topics such as extremist hate groups and a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty . Towards the end of the season, the president confronts his staff and the public with the MS he had known before the presidency. The season ends before answering a reporter's question about whether to run for a second term.

Season 3 covers the period between the middle of the third and the middle of the fourth year. It begins with the announcement of Bartlets that he wants to run again for the office of president. Later it comes to the election campaign, the investigation of the Congress against Bartlet for election fraud , a death threat against the press secretary CJ and the resulting relationship with a secret service agent deployed to protect her. The defense minister of the fictional state of Qumar is also planning a terrorist attack against the United States. The season finale clears up some of these storylines. Among other things, the Qumar Defense Minister is killed in a killing ordered by President Bartlet.

Season 4 will initially be determined by the upcoming presidential election, in which President Bartlet must face his Republican adversary Robert Ritchie. Ultimately, President Bartlet clearly wins the election. A staff change takes place in the communications office: Because Sam is running in a congressional election for a district in California, Will Bailey takes over the position of deputy communications director. Towards the end of the season, Zoey Bartlet, the president's daughter, is kidnapped at a party. Since he can no longer exercise his office due to the burdens, President Bartlet is releasing himself from his duties for the time being. Instead of John Hoynes, who had to resign as Vice-President days earlier, the tasks under the 25th Amendment to the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives are transferred .

Season 5 is dedicated to the search for Zoey Bartlet in the first episodes, so that the president can return to his office. After the appointment of the colorless Vice President Bob Russell, a dispute between Democrats and Republicans leads to a government shutdown , which is later resolved by a clever move by the President. He later succeedsin nominatinga liberal judge for the post of Chief Justice at the Supreme Court. The season ends with a bomb attack in Gaza . Thereupon President Bartlet urges peace talks with Israel .

Season 6 deals mostly with the primaries for the presidential elections and thus with the successor to President Bartlet. While Josh can convince MP Matt Santos to run, Will and Donna work for Vice President and presidential candidate Bob Russell. In the Republican primaries, it is becoming apparent early on that Senator Arnold Vinick will be running as the Republican candidate. In the last episode, Santos can secure the nomination on the side of the quarreling Democrats. At the same time, it is announced that Leo is running as his vice presidential candidate.

Season 7 is almost entirely dominated by the presidential campaign between Democrat Matt Santos and the favored Republican Arnold Vinick. On election day, Santos' vice-presidential candidate Leo McGarry dies. Even so, Santos can secure the presidency by a narrow margin. In the weeks leading up to his inauguration, the transition phase, he offers Vinick the important position of foreign minister . The season ends with the inauguration and the simultaneous departure of President Bartlet from the White House. Previously, Josh managed to get Santos' chief of staff to bring Sam into the team as his deputy.

characters

Josiah Bartlet

Martin Sheen plays President Bartlet

Josiah Bartlet served as New Hampshire Governor prior to his presidency . In the primary elections, Jed Bartlet, winner of a Nobel Prize in Economics, appeared as a blank slate, but ultimately secured the Democratic Party nomination. The series begins around the middle of his first year in office.

As an avowed Catholic , Bartlet attended Phillips Exeter Academy , where his father was director. He was accepted by the universities at Harvard and Yale , but chose the University of Notre Dame because he wanted to be a priest. Bartlet completed his bachelor's degree in American studies and theology . He received a doctorate in economics from the London School of Economics . Bartlet speaks four languages ​​including Latin, English and German. He also received the Nobel Prize for Economics . Bartlet, whose real ancestor Josiah Bartlett signed the Declaration of Independence , has three daughters with his wife Abigail. Subsequent The President in Distress , it is revealed that he has had relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis for years and few people know about it. Immediately before serving as president, he served two terms as governor of his home state, New Hampshire, and prior to that, three terms as a member of the congress for a district in his home state.

President Bartlet is portrayed as a sincere man who has a good heart and no grudges, as his deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman says. Lyman describes Bartlet's knowledge as comprehensive and his general behavior as polite. His chief of staff and friend Leo McGarry describes him as a thoughtful man who, as the series progresses, is prone to admitting mistakes. Bartlet represents an extremely liberal president in many respects, despite speaking out against abortion as he believes the government should not regulate this issue by law. Bartlet is characterized by his intellect, his compassion for those who are less fortunate, and his sense of humor, which at times also leads to problems in public. Its integrity also stands out, although it is not completely infallible.

Josh Lyman

Bradley Whitford plays Josh Lyman

The vice chief of staff originally worked for current Vice President John Hoynes' presidential campaign. After hearing a speech from Bartlet, however, he gave up his job for the then senator and moved to Josiah Bartlet's camp. Its main role is to secure votes for the Bartlet administration on major bills and to win members of Congress to the president's side.

Josh worked for the favorite presidential candidate and later Vice President John Hoynes before the series began, before moving to the camp of Bartlet, the Democrats' leading presidential candidate, on the recommendation of Leo. Josh is less idealistic than his colleagues, especially Sam and Toby. Of all the characters, Josh is the one most inclined to consider less venerable strategies, so that he occasionally comes up with solutions and methods that the other members of the staff would not approve of.

Toby Ziegler

Richard Schiff plays Toby Ziegler

The White House communications director lost numerous national and state campaigns prior to serving for presidential candidate Josiah Bartlet. As communications director, he is responsible for the government's embassy. He is also the main speechwriter and a senior political advisor to the President. Towards the end of the sixth season, the International Space Station has technical problems. Only a secret American shuttle that was built in violation of various international treaties could save the astronauts. A little later this information is leaked to a reporter. Initially, it is also unknown to the viewer who leaked the information. When, however, the FBI shot themselves in on CJ Cregg's investigation, he turned himself in and confessed to what he had done. As a result, Ziegler is unemployed during the seventh season and awaits a process that could put him behind bars for years. Even so, Josh advises Lyman during his campaign with Santos, if only over the phone. On the last day of his term in office, President Bartlett pardoned Ziegler, against whom he had long held grudges.

Despite his appearance as a curmudgeon, Toby is a kind of idealist who, unlike his colleagues, often refrains from questioning his own political views. He is portrayed as an impressive opponent in discussions who can easily make his point of view clear, even to the president. He is also known for his snappy remarks.

Leo McGarry

The White House chief of staff was previously Secretary of Labor and flew fighter jets during the Vietnam War. As an old friend of the president, he visited the former governor in his villa to convince him to run for president. After the victorious campaign, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the White House, whereby he, as the President's right-hand man, coordinates all activities in the West Wing.

As the first advisor to President Josiah Bartlet, Leo has his office adjacent to the Oval Office. He accompanies the President in crisis situations in the Situation Room . Leo is very involved in the day-to-day politics and work of the staff. One of his inspirations is the Big Block of Cheese Day . On this day, which takes place once a year, groups whose concerns are normally ignored by the White House are given the opportunity to meet with high-ranking officials. He is treated with great respect by members from both political camps and the staff. His work in the White House is at the top of his list of priorities, which is why he accepts family difficulties.

Sam Seaborn

Rob Lowe plays Sam Seaborn

The deputy communications director is the greatest idealist on the staff. The former lawyer was lured into the team of presidential candidate Josiah Bartlet by his longtime friend Josh. He now works for Toby and writes the President's speeches with him.

Before Josh was persuaded to join Josiah Bartlet's presidential campaign, Sam was an attorney for a law firm in New York City. Since winning the election, he has filled the position of Deputy Communications Director in the White House. So he often works with his supervisor Toby to write the President's speeches. These include the annual State of the Union address and the inauguration speech. As a speechwriter, Sam not only has a flair for the right words, he is also popular with women. If this proves to be problematic from the point of view of his colleagues, Sam is not ashamed of his acquaintances.

CJ Cregg

Allison Janney plays CJ Cregg

The White House press secretary was previously fired in Hollywood for her honesty and received a job offer from Toby. As press secretary, she becomes the face and voice of the Bartlet government, briefing the press and controlling stories about the White House. She not only impresses with her astuteness, she also approaches journalists extremely eloquently and with a sense of humor.

Mandy Hampton

The president's media advisor worked for the president even before the series began, when he ran for the presidency as part of his campaign. Although she did a good job, she initially did not get a job in the White House. During the campaign, she also had a relationship with Josh. In the second episode of the first season, she finally receives the position of media advisor.

Charlie Young

Dulé Hill plays Charlie Young

The president's personal assistant is initially only interested in a job as a messenger. But he is quickly considered for his current job. He is responsible for waking the president in the morning, coordinating his schedule, and finding his glasses.

Charlie, whose mother was shot while working as a police officer, applies for a part-time job as a messenger in the third episode. Josh, who conducts a kind of interview with him, recognizes his potential in his school performance and makes him the personal assistant of the president, the so-called body man . Charlie is portrayed as a fearless and brave young man.

Donna Moss

Assistant to the deputy chief of staff Josh was previously looking for a job after her ex-boyfriend dumped her. After working for Josh at the Bartlet Campaign headquarters, she also represents the naive voice of the people in addition to her job to learn more about the political background.

Donna also only joined the team during the presidential campaign. After Josh promised her the job as his assistant, she became his right hand man. She often takes on the role of the viewer by commenting on the respective topics and asking questions. Your professional relationship with Josh is not always smooth. Not least because both characters are surrounded by a romantic tension.

Abigail Bartlet

Stockard Channing plays Abigail Bartlet

The first lady has been married to the president for over 30 years. She is a surgeon and also the mother of three daughters: Elizabeth, Ellie and Zoe. Despite her decorative position, she is also politically active and advocates equality, among other things. As a doctor, she places a special focus on her husband's health, which is not always entirely unproblematic.

Will Bailey

As campaign manager in California, he stands in for a deceased candidate and wins the campaign. After Sam replaces the candidate and runs for new elections, Will joins the White House staff at the beginning of President Bartlet's second term. Like Sam before, he works as a speechwriter with Toby. The professional relationship turns out to be difficult, however, because Toby has no sympathy for him.

Kate Harper

From the fifth season onwards, Deputy National Security Advisor Nancy McNally clashes a few times in foreign policy discussions with Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, with whom she also shares a personal past.

Matt Santos

Jimmy Smits plays Matt Santos

The Texas Democratic Congressman wants to get out of politics before Josh can convince him to run for president during season six. He made a name for himself as the mayor of Houston before beginning to represent a congressional district in his home state of Texas. After a law is passed, Josh approaches him and asks if he would like to run for the presidency. Santos, who actually wants to get out of politics after his term in office, has one condition: Josh should lead his election campaign.

Arnold Vinick

Alan Alda plays Arnold Vinick

The Republican Senator from California announces his presidential candidacy in season six after Josh offers to serve as a UN ambassador in the Bartlet administration . He not only represents typical republican positions. Among other things, he advocates abortions.

Annabeth Schott

Annabeth Schott is appointed Deputy Press Secretary for the White House for the sixth season. Your first task is to find a suitable successor to the position of press secretary after CJ has been appointed chief of staff. Although she can convince Toby of this position, she often has to fill the role herself, as Toby is otherwise busy.

Cast and dubbing

overview

Several actors have been considered for the role of President Josiah Bartlet. So Sidney Poitier was offered the role. According to Aaron Sorkin , however, the talks failed early on. Jason Robards , who was the second choice, was in poor health so they refrained from participating. Consequently, Hal Hoolbrook and John Cullum were envisaged. However, John Wells suggested contacting Martin Sheen . He had already worked with Sorkin on Hello Mr. President when he played the role of Chief of Staff. After Sheen read the script, he agreed to work together. The original plan was for the President not to appear in every episode. Therefore, Sheen signed a contract that regulated his involvement in only four of thirteen episodes. However , after the pilot episode, the broadcasting station NBC signaled its interest in possibly wanting to use Sheen more often. The production team's only condition for his participation was that he should impersonate a president only in The West Wing . Sheen stated that she had two requirements that were met; his character, Josiah Bartlet, should have been Catholic and graduated from the University of Notre Dame . Sheen took inspiration for his role from real-life presidents John F. Kennedy , Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton .

The role of Assistant Communications Director Sam Seaborn has been assigned to Rob Lowe . Sorkin initially had no idea that Lowe wanted to audition for the role. When he saw Lowe before the audition, he was willing not to give him the role because of his reputation. He initially feared that the cast of actors would lose their balance. Lowe, who had prepared for the audition for three scenes, was able to convince Sorkin during the first scene and got the role. Sorkin was so excited that he was ready to accept any of his wages demands.

Producers Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme quickly agreed on the role of Chief of Staff Leo McGarry . While they were casting the role with John Spencer , they looked more closely at the role of communications director Toby Ziegler. Ultimately, Richard Schiff was able to get hold of the role in a duel with Eugene Levy . Levy was "strong, sad and very captivating", but you could not take your eyes off the ship. A few years later, Schiff and Levy met at an event. When Schiff called, Levy put his ears to the door, but Schiff could not hear. Levy was therefore sure to get the role.

The assignment of the role of press secretary CJ Cregg was preceded by a duel between Allison Janney and CCH Pounder . Sorkin had previously only seen Janney in With all might , in which Janney could inspire him with a stumbling scene on a staircase. Although Pounder was great at the audition, in retrospect it was difficult to speak of a wrong decision, as Janney had become the "beating heart" of the series. Janney returned to the hotel after the audition and found a bouquet of flowers from Sorkin to greet her for participation in the pilot.

Moira Kelly was offered the role of media advisor Mandy Hampton without an audition. According to Sorkin, working with her was "a pleasure". Thanks to her professionalism, however, over time she understood that her character did not work in the series. Janel Moloney , who would later slip into the role of Josh Lyman's assistant Donna Moss, first auditioned for the role of press secretary CJ. However, when it became clear that this would go to Allison Janney, she was offered the role of assistant Donna. Moloney was working as a hostess in an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills at the time. However, she gave up this job after the third episode because she was convinced of her future in the series. From the second season she was part of the main cast.

With the exception of Martin Sheen , who made $ 300,000 per episode, each of the lead actors received approximately $ 75,000 for each episode. Rob Lowe allegedly quit the show during the fourth season because he was not given a raise. Pay inequalities led to publicized squabbles, particularly fueled by Allison Janney , Richard Schiff , John Spencer and Bradley Whitford . During contract negotiations, Warner Bros. threatened them in 2001 with lawsuits for acts of breach of contract by the actors. However, the actors teamed up and were able to convince the studio to double their salaries. Two years later, those four actors asked for their salaries to be doubled again after Warner Bros. signed a new licensing agreement with broadcasters NBC and Bravo .

On December 16, 2005, John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry, died of a heart attack . By that time, NBC had already aired nine season seven episodes. Five more episodes were also ready for broadcast. Immediately prior to the Jan. 8, 2006 episode, The Runner-Up , the first to air after Spencer's death, Martin Sheen gave a 22-second memorial address. Spencer made his last appearance in the March 12, 2006 episode, Interventions . His death, however, will not be picked up until the following Day of Decision, Part 1 .

The German dubbing was based on the dialogue books by Michael Erdmann, Dirk Bublies, Thomas Petruo and Peter Minges and under the dialogue direction by Matthias Müntefering, Michael Erdmann, Marco Kröger, Hans-Jürgen Dittberner and Peter Minges by the dubbing company Deutsche Synchron Film GmbH in Berlin .

main actor

The table lists the actors, their role names, their affiliation with the main cast (●) or with the secondary and guest actors (•) per season (1–7), the total of the episodes with appearances in the main and secondary or guest roles as well as their German voice actors. Joshua Malina began as a supporting actor in the fourth season before he was listed as a leading actor.

Overview of leading actors
Season
actor Role name 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th Ep. German voice actor
Bradley Whitford Josh Lyman ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 149 Hans-Jürgen Dittberner (seasons 1–5)
Michael Pan } (seasons 6–7)
Allison Janney CJ Cregg ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 146 Karin Buchholz
Richard Schiff Toby Ziegler ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 142 Marco Kroeger
Martin Sheen Josiah Bartlet ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 140 Reinhard Kuhnert
John Spencer Leo McGarry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 135 Hans-Werner Bussinger (seasons 1–3)
Uli Krohm (seasons 4–7)
Dulé Hill Charlie Young ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 132 Rainer Fritzsche
Rob Lowe Sam Seaborn ● ● ● ● • 79 Matthias Deutelmoser
Moira Kelly Mandy Hampton ● 22nd Ghadah Al-Akel
Janel Moloney Donna Moss • ● ● ● ● ● ● 141 Sabine Mazay
Stockard Channing Abigail Bartlet • • ● ● ● ● ● 58 Daniela Strietzel
Joshua Malina Will Bailey • | ● ● ● ● 72 Klaus-Peter Grap
Mary McCormack Kate Harper • ● ● 30th Eva Michaelis
Jimmy Smits Matt Santos ● ● 37 Charles Rettinghaus
Alan Alda Arnold Vinnick ● ● 28 Eberhard Haar
Kristin Chenoweth Annabeth Schott • ● 23 Anna Carlsson

History of origin

Idea and early production phase

Series creator Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay for the 1995 movie Hello Mr. President . In the years that followed, he longed to write more about what was going on in the White House. On the eve of a meeting with producer John Wells , Akiva Goldsman recommended a series on one of the President's staff, in the style of Hello, Mr. President . Sorkin countered that while this was a good idea, he was not interested in a television series. Since Sorkin was not only sitting with Wells but, contrary to his expectations, with officials at Warner Bros. , Sorkin suggested a series about White House employees . They talked about how Sorkin would have liked to write more about the President's staff in the film and agreed to work together.

Creator and author Aaron Sorkin

When Sorkin was starting the script for the pilot episode The Bicycle Accident , he used some ideas he had gathered for Hello Mr. President . The first draft of the film script had to be shortened by over 200 pages, leaving some of the old ideas for the pilot. One of these ideas that was discarded for the film was the storyline about the Cuban refugees, which later also made it into the script of the pilot episode. When Sorkin wrote the script for the pilot episode in January 1998, the Lewinsky affair became known. As a result, the series was postponed for a year because, according to Sorkin, the reputation of the White House had been damaged. In addition, series that played in the capital Washington, DC , were never successful. Instead, Sorkin wrote the scripts for Sports Night that same year , which first aired in September 1998.

After Sports Night began airing , John Wells and Aaron Sorkin met with Warren Littlefield, then vice-president of NBC . Wells suggested Sorkin as screenwriter, Thomas Schlamme as director, and himself as producer of the series. NBC had previously promised Wells that it would push the show forward. That promise was part of an agreement in the Emergency Room series , in which Wells was also instrumental. NBC was ready to broadcast, but proposed some script changes, according to Sorkin. The character Josh Lyman was supposed to save the Cuban refugees with a motorboat instead of considering the use of the coast guard . NBC also didn't want a series about a liberal Democrat like Josiah Bartlet. Instead, based on Jesse Ventura , the then governor of Minnesota , the station preferred a wrestler , racing driver or football player who came from outside and "brings a little life into the room".

The team around Sorkin, Wells and Schlamme decided against a collaboration with NBC due to the demands, so the project was initially put on hold. A change in the situation was brought about by a change in management at NBC. When filming for the first season of Sports Night was about halfway through, Scott Sassa took over the reins of NBC's entertainment division. Sassa was ready for a broadcast according to the ideas of the production team and, in retrospect, cited his own inexperience as the reason for this decision.

Staff and further production process

The scriptwriters named in the credits for seasons 1 to 7 include Aaron Sorkin (86 episodes) and 33 other authors. These include Eli Attie (20), Lawrence O'Donnell (16), Paul Redford (13) and John Wells (10). The 40 directors included Christopher Misiano , Alex Graves (both 34) and Thomas Schlamme (14). The latter also directed the pilot episode. Schlamme worked with Aaron Sorkin on the Sports Night series . He was tasked with creating an authentic and compelling backdrop for the west wing of the White House . He took over the sets of the movie Hello Mr. President and adapted them to television for the pilot episode. Before filming The West Wing , Schlamme was invited to the White House by then President Bill Clinton . This visit included a meeting with Clinton and a stay in the anteroom of the Oval Office, which was to serve as a model for the office of Bartlet's secretary Mrs. Landingham.

Producer and Writer John Wells

Characteristic for the series is the so-called walk and talk directing, which was initiated by Thomas Schlamme. The starting point for this was the fact that Sorkin primarily focused on the dialogues in his scripts. So Schlamme approached Sorkin and asked him if the characters could move freely in the west wing during a scene, for example to get a coffee. Martin Sheen always saw the danger that the cameraman running backwards could trip and fall, which actually happened often. For Allison Janney , this type of directing was perfect for making a series about politics "lively, exciting and fast-paced". The most elaborate scene of this kind was filmed for the episode Five Votes for the Majority . It leads from a ballroom via several stairs and a kitchen to a parking lot. The film team needed 500 extras and a total of 29 recordings for the almost three-minute scene.

In order to instill a realistic atmosphere in the replica of the west wing , Sorkin hired former press spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers as a consultant. With their help, the filming team was able to realistically implement morning meetings and secret service briefings. During the 2000 presidential election , before the second season , Marlin Fitzwalter and Peggy Noonan also joined the team. While Fitzwalter was the press secretary for Republican Presidents Reagan and Bush , Noonan was Reagan's speechwriter. Sorkin thus countered fears that he would have to change the political direction of the show if a Republican candidate wins the presidential election. Sorkin himself asserted, however, that he had not committed her because of her political views. Democratic advisors also found their place in the team. Including Lawrence O'Donnell , who had previously worked for New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan .

Locations and locations

Since most of the scenes are set in the West Wing of the White House, many of the scenes were shot in the Warner Bros. studios in Los Angeles . At least two episodes of the first season were also shot at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. At least three times a year, however, the actors and crew also went to Washington, DC to shoot a few scenes there. As part of an episode of the fifth season , the team also shot in Annapolis . For some episodes of the sixth season , scenes were created near Thurmont to show the President's recreational area, Camp David . No suitable location had been found for this in southern California .

New showrunner and end of series

With the end of the fourth season , so in May 2003, the creator and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Thomas Schlamme left the series. From the fifth season, John Wells took on the role of Sorkin. According to Richard Schiff , the departure made sense as Sorkin had been pushed to work faster. There were days on which it was not possible to shoot because the script was not completed. The decisive factor was that the production company wanted to reduce production costs. Rob Lowe said he learned that each episode of The West Wing ended up costing $ 300,000 more than the original budget budgeted for. In addition, as John Wells revealed, Sorkin had already had to struggle with symptoms of exhaustion for the third year. Sorkin himself said that several factors led him to take this step.

In January 2006, the broadcaster NBC announced that the series would be discontinued at the end of the current seventh season due to falling audience figures. Although the decision was made before John Spencer's death, according to NBC , there were still discussions about a sequel until his death. So Martin Sheen was asked if he was ready for an eighth season. Sheen agreed and even suggested storylines for President Bartlet. So he could have imagined that Bartlet would appear regularly in his role as the former president or travel to the Third World at the request of the new president . With the death of John Spencer, however, the considerations for a new season fell silent.

Plans for a new edition

In a 2016 interview, creator Aaron Sorkin spoke about a possible sequel to the series. Sorkin is ready to do this if the series' legacy is not damaged by a sequel. Robert Greenblatt, NBC's chief executive officer, announced in August 2017 that he was trying to persuade Sorkin to reissue. A few days later, Richard Schiff told the Daily News that he had told Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, and Peter Roth about his idea for a new edition that would revolve around political events outside the White House. Schiff was also ready to play the role of Toby Ziegler again.

In November 2017, Sorkin revealed that he occasionally considered NBC's offer to reissue the series. In a conversation with an editor for the Hollywood Reporter , he even revealed any details about the plot and cast. An implementation has so far failed because he does not yet know how to integrate some of the original characters into the new story. Sorkin ruled out the inclusion of a figure modeled on the current US President Donald Trump .

publication

Television broadcast

United States

Audience ratings USA
St. Range
(from 2 years) 		rank
1 12.9 million 25th
2 11.4 million 13
3 17.1 million 7th
4th 13.5 million 23
5 11.8 million 31
6th 11.1 million 36
7th 8.0 million 71

NBC first aired the first episode on September 22, 1999. The first broadcasts up to and including the sixth season were shown on Wednesdays in autumn, April and May. The first season reached an average of 12.9 million, the second season 11.4 million viewers. The series peaked with season three , when an average of 17.1 million viewers tuned in.

With the fourth season , the range of the series fell to 13.5 million viewers. This trend continued after long-time producers Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme left. The seventh season premiered on Sundays at 8 p.m. Here was the series with the successful series Das Hausbau-Kommando - Home Sweet Home, Luck Alone by ABC and Cold Case - No Victim Is Ever Forgotten by CBS in competition. Thus achieved The West Wing on average only about 8 million viewers last season.

German-speaking countries

Broadcast on free TV

So far, the series has not been broadcast on German-language free TV. When researching the reasons, the Internet magazine DWDL.de found out that the series does not address the target groups of the individual stations. It is too verbose for ProSieben and too demanding for RTL II viewers , which is why the magazine only speculated about broadcasting on VOX or Kabel1 . The broadcaster Sat.1 was deterred by the unsuccessful programming of the political series Welcome, Mrs. President . Before the start of the special-interest program ZDFneo in November 2009, the station had thought for a long time about broadcasting the series, but decided against it for the time being. Norbert Himmler , then head of the station, did not rule out a future broadcast of the series.

Broadcast on pay TV

The series was broadcast for the first time on pay TV on the FOX Channel , in the German dubbed version and in chronological order between May 19, 2008 and July 25, 2011.

DVD distribution

In Germany, the first season of Warner Home Video was released on DVD on October 22, 2010 . The publication of further seasons did not take place.

In addition to the individual seasons, various complete boxes were also released abroad. For example the complete box The West Wing: The Complete Series , which was released on November 7, 2006. The box is bluish in color and has a silver-plated seal of the President . It contains 45 DVDs on which all 154 episodes and additional material can be found. This includes interviews with actors, glimpses behind the scenes and a selection of scenes that have not been broadcast. An episode guide can only be found in this box, which provides additional information on all episodes. The complete set also includes the script for the pilot episode. A similar complete box was released in the UK on July 16, 2009 .

Online availability

In Germany, no SVoD provider has the series in their program catalog. Seasons 1 to 6 can be purchased in the German dubbed version from the Maxdome service. All seven seasons can be purchased in German on Amazon Video. The iTunes Store offers all seven seasons for sale, either dubbed or in the original version.

criticism

realism

Although the series does not fully reproduce the real West Wing , former White House employees have known that the series captures the atmosphere of the real West Wing well. However, the daughter of the former president Gerald Ford announced that she could not watch the series because the actors in the series tread paths that would not exist in reality.

A special documentary as part of the third season compared the image of the West Wing with its real model. Many people who have experienced the West Wing up close and personal over the years commented and praised the display. These included former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger , former Chief of Staff Leon Panetta , then Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and former Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton .

Awards

Nominations and awards
price N. P.
Primetime Emmy Award 69 26th
Golden Globe Award 18th 2
ACE Eddie Award 2 2
ALMA Award 2 3
Directors Guild of America Award 6th 2
Humanitas Prize 2 3
Writers Guild of America Award 10 2
Minimum amount 109 40

Primetime Emmy Awards

The series won Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Drama Series category in 2000 , 2001 , 2002 and 2003 . Together with Hill Street Police Station , LA Law - Star Attorneys, Tricks, Trials and Mad Men , The West Wing is the most awarded series in this category. In total, each of the seven seasons was nominated in this category. Martin Sheen , who played the role of President, was nominated 6 times for Best Actor. Allison Janney has received a total of 4 awards for her work in The West Wing . She received two awards each for best leading and supporting actress. In addition, she received 2 nominations for best leading actress. Bradley Whitford , Richard Schiff and John Spencer were each recognized once for Best Supporting Actor. With a total of 9 awards in one year (2000), the first season is the most frequently honored television series in a year in American history.

Golden Globe Awards

Between 2000 and 2004 , the series was nominated 18 times for the Golden Globe Awards and won 2 times. The series received an award in 2001 in the category Best Television Series - Drama . The other award went to Martin Sheen that same year for best actor in a drama series. Sheen was also nominated 4 times. In total, the series received 4 other nominations in the Best Television Series - Drama category .

Other honors

The series received the Humanitas Prize three times, which honors productions that focus on human rights and freedom. Awards were given to the episodes The Hot Iron (2000), Two Cathedrals (2002) and Camp David (2005). The episodes In Excelsis Deo (2000) and Day of Decision (Part 2) (2007) were also nominated for the award.

The Writers Guild of America also included The West Wing in their 2013 list of 101 Best Written TV Series . There the series is in 10th place. The West Wing also included other publications in various rankings. The British daily The Guardian, for example, ranked the series 11th in a list from January 2010. The series occupied the same position in a survey carried out by The Hollywood Reporter , in which more than 2,800 Hollywood filmmakers were asked about their favorite series in 2015 were. The international movie magazine Empire listed The West Wing as the third best TV series of all time in June 2016. The last episode of the second season, Two Cathedrals, was named as the best episode . The US news magazine Time also counts the series among the 100 best series that have ever been shot. However, no exact placement was given in the list published in 2007.

Others

  • The attempt by ZDF to transfer the series concept under the title Chancellery to German conditions was discontinued after a few episodes.
  • The episode Isaak and Ismael was produced in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and aired on October 3, 2001. It is detached from the actual series history and deals with dealing with terrorism and the effects on civil liberty. The episode has not yet been broadcast in Germany. However, it has been synchronized and is available via iTunes.
  • The CDU politician Jens Spahn counts West Wing among his favorite series.

literature

Review mirror

positive

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Lacey Rose, Michael O'Connell and Marc Bernardin: 'West Wing' Uncensored: Aaron Sorkin, Rob Lowe, More Look Back on Early Fears, Long Hours, Contract Battles and the Real Reason for Those Departures. In: hollywoodreporter.com. May 13, 2014, accessed June 17, 2016 .
  2. ^ Cooper Allen: 15 years later: 'West Wing' cast members, producer reflect on political show. In: usatoday.com. October 13, 2014, accessed July 19, 2016 .
  3. ↑ Marcus Errico: Détente on West Wing Set. In: E! On-line. July 21, 2001, accessed December 31, 2015 .
  4. ^ Mark Armstrong: "West Wing": Low Pay Sparks Lowe Exit. In: E! On-line. July 24, 2002, accessed December 31, 2015 .
  5. ^ Lia Haberman: West Wing Salarygate. In: E! On-line. July 28, 2003, accessed December 31, 2015 .
  6. ↑ Bill Keveney: 'West Wing' actor John Spencer dies. In: USA Today. September 16, 2005, accessed December 31, 2015 .
  7. ^ Jacques Steinberg: 'West Wing' Loses Actor and Possible Vice President. In: The New York Times . December 19, 2005, accessed July 23, 2016 .
  8. ^ The West Wing. In: synchronkartei.de. German synchronous index , accessed on December 31, 2015 .
  9. ↑ The West Wing - At the Center of Power. In: synchronkartei.de. German synchronous index , accessed on June 19, 2016 .
  10. ^ A b c James Dyer: The Definitive History Of The West Wing (Part 1: The Campaign). In: empireonline.com. Retrieved July 10, 2016 .
  11. ↑ a b James Dyer: The Definitive History Of The West Wing (Part 2: Inauguration). In: empireonline.com. Retrieved July 10, 2016 .
  12. ^ A b James Dyer: Infographic: Anatomy Of A West Wing Walk-And-Talk. In: empireonline.com. Retrieved July 10, 2016 .
  13. ^ Paul Challen: Inside the West Wing: An Unauthorized Look at Television's Smartest Show , pp. 15-20.
  14. ↑ Molly Knight: Annapolis winging it for show's shooting. In: baltimoresun.com. May 11, 2004, accessed June 24, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Eric Slagle: Hollywood in Thurmont: 'The West Wing' goes on location. In: fredericknewspost.com. May 18, 2004, accessed June 24, 2016 .
  16. ↑ James Dyer: The Definitive History Of The West Wing (Part 3: State of the Union). In: empireonline.com. Retrieved July 10, 2016 .
  17. ↑ NBC cancels 'The West Wing'. In: today.com. January 22, 2006, accessed July 11, 2016 .
  18. ↑ James Dyer: The Definitive History Of The West Wing (Part 5: Leaving Office). In: empireonline.com. Retrieved July 10, 2016 .
  19. ↑ Kate Feldman: 'West Wing' cast talks possible reboot, Bartlet endorsements. In: nydailynews.com. June 22, 2016, accessed July 11, 2016 .
  20. ↑ Kate Feldman: NBC Boss 'Revival Wish List:' The Office ', '30 Rock', 'The West Wing' & 'ER'. In: deadline.com. August 3, 2017, accessed February 15, 2018 .
  21. ↑ Lacey Rose: Richard Schiff teases possible 'West Wing' reboot. In: nydailynews.com. August 11, 2017, accessed February 15, 2018 .
  22. ↑ Lacey Rose: Aaron Sorkin Goes Off Script: Fears, the Critics and His Private Battles Behind 'Molly's Game'. In: hollywoodreporter.com. November 29, 2017, accessed February 15, 2018 .
  23. ^ Fabian Riedner: US annual charts 1999/2000. In: quotenmeter.de from May 30, 2002, accessed on June 19, 2016
  24. ↑ Bibler, Frank: TV Ratings 1999-00 of July 26, 2002, accessed June 19, 2016
  25. ↑ a b Bibler, Frank: TV Ratings 2000-01 of July 26, 2002, accessed on June 19, 2016
  26. ↑ Fabian Riedner: US annual charts 2001/2002. In: quotenmeter.de from June 1, 2002, accessed on June 19, 2016
  27. ^ Bibler, Frank: TV Ratings 2001-02 of July 26, 2002, accessed on March 31, 2015
  28. ↑ a b Fabian Riedner: US annual charts 2002/2003. In: quotenmeter.de from June 1, 2003, accessed on June 19, 2016
  29. ↑ a b Fabian Riedner: US annual charts 2003/2004. In: quotenmeter.de from June 1, 2004, accessed on June 19, 2016
  30. ↑ a b Fabian Riedner: US annual charts 2004/2005. In: quotenmeter.de from May 28, 2005, accessed on June 19, 2016
  31. ↑ a b Fabian Riedner: US annual charts 2005/2006. In: quotenmeter.de from June 6, 2006, accessed on June 19, 2016
  32. ↑ Thomas Lückerath: The Obama Factor: Late Honor for "The West Wing"? In: DWDL.de. January 4, 2009, accessed May 22, 2016 .
  33. ↑ Thomas Lückerath: ZDFneo boss Himmler on series replenishment. In: DWDL.de. October 19, 2009, accessed May 22, 2016 .
  34. ^ The West Wing - The complete first season In: amazon.de , accessed on July 13, 2016
  35. ↑ The West Wing: The Complete Series Collection In: amazon.com , accessed July 13, 2016
  36. ^ The West Wing - Complete Season 1-7 In: amazon.co.uk, accessed July 13, 2016
  37. ^ Matthew Miller: The Real White House. In: Brill's Content. March 1, 2000, archived from the original on April 26, 2006 ; accessed on May 22, 2016 .
  38. ^ CW Nevius: Just ask Chelsea, Jenna and Barbara: Escaping the glare of the spotlight isn't easy for kids whose dads work in the Oval Office. In: San Francisco Chronicle. January 22, 2004, accessed May 22, 2016 .
  39. ^ `` West Wing 'Episode Acts As Documentary With Real-life Politicos In The Mix. In: Orlando Sentinel. April 22, 2002, accessed May 22, 2016 .
  40. ↑ Summarized on the basis of the article list of awards for the television series The West Wing - In the Center of Power
  41. ↑ 101 Best Written TV Series List and Writers Choose the 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time. ( Memento of the original from June 7, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Writers Guild of America , June 2013, accessed June 19, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wga.org
  42. ^ Tim Lusher: The Guardian's top 50 television dramas of all time. In: The Guardian . January 12, 2010, accessed June 25, 2016 .
  43. ↑ Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows. In: The Hollywood Reporter . September 16, 2015, accessed June 25, 2016 .
  44. ^ The 50 best TV shows ever. In: Empire . June 15, 2016, accessed June 25, 2016 .
  45. ^ All-Time 100 TV shows: The West Wing. In: Time . September 6, 2007, accessed June 25, 2016 .
  46. ↑ FAZ, February 25, 2020, p. 7.