The West Wing Quiz

Summary Title: The West Wing: A Critically Acclaimed American Political Drama Television Series (1999-2006)

• The West Wing is an American TV series created by Aaron Sorkin that aired from 1999 to 2006 on NBC.

• The show is set in the West Wing of the White House during the fictitious Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet.

• The ensemble cast included Martin Sheen, John Spencer, Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney, Dulé Hill, and Stockard Channing.

• Sorkin was the lead writer for the first four seasons, and the show won numerous awards, including 26 Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.

• The show's ratings declined after Sorkin's departure, but it remained popular among high-income viewers, with around 16 million viewers.

• A stage version of the season 3 episode "Hartsfield's Landing" premiered on HBO Max in October 2020, featuring the entire surviving original main cast.

• The show's principal actors made approximately $75,000 per episode, with Sheen receiving a confirmed salary of $300,000.

• Lowe left the series in the fourth season reportedly due to not getting a salary increase, and cast salary disparities led to public contract disputes.

• The series was created following the success of the 1995 theatrical film The American President, for which Sorkin wrote the screenplay and Sheen played the White House Chief of Staff.

• The show has been praised for capturing the feel of the real West Wing, and former White House staffers and journalists have served as consultants on the show.

• The show has been both praised for its writing and criticized for being unrealistically optimistic and sentimental, with some critics faulting the show as naively idealistic.

• The show's portrayal of politicians with empathy has been seen as a subversive competitor to the cynical views of politics in the media, and it has been used to study democracy by the fledgling government of Myanmar.The West Wing is a television series that aired from 1999 to 2006, offering a fictional portrayal of the inner workings of the White House and the administration of President Josiah Bartlet. The show has been praised for its high production values, cinematic achievements, and rapid-fire and witty scripts. The series has also been criticized for its portrayal of an ideal liberal administration, with some referring to it as "The Left Wing." The show has won a record 26 Emmy Awards, tying with Hill Street Blues as the drama with the most Emmy wins until Game of Thrones broke the record in 2016. The West Wing has explored many real-world issues, including multiple sclerosis, terrorism, and genocide. The show is noted for developing the "walk-and-talk" filming technique, which has become a staple for dialogue-intensive television show scenes. The West Wing has also had a cultural impact, with a proposal backed by Tony Blair's government being defeated in the British House of Commons allegedly due to an episode of the show. The series has been praised for its pedagogical potential, with a critical analysis of the show's political views presenting a worthwhile learning experience to the viewer.Exploring the Universe of "The West Wing"

• All government officials in "The West Wing" universe are fictional, with President Bartlet making three appointments to the Supreme Court and maintaining a full cabinet.

• Fictional locations like San Andreo and Hartsfield's Landing are created to represent certain places in the United States.

• The show features fictional rulers for most foreign countries depicted or referred to, with only a few real-world leaders mentioned.

• The show's timeline diverges from history after Richard Nixon's presidency, with occasional overlap.

• The presidential elections held in the show are in 2002 and 2006, matching up with the midterm elections in reality.

• Bartlet's first campaign for president is never explored in the series, though he is stated to have won with 48% of the popular vote and a 303-235 electoral college margin.

• The 2002 presidential election pits Bartlet and Vice President John Hoynes against Florida Governor Robert Ritchie, with Bartlet winning in a landslide.

• The 2006 presidential election features Congressman Matt Santos as the Democratic nominee and Senator Arnold Vinick as the Republican nominee, with Santos winning by a narrow margin.

• Little is revealed about Santos's presidency, with the final episodes focusing on the transition into the White House.

• The series is available on DVD, with a complete series set released in 2006.Various forms of media related to The West Wing

• The series is presented in different aspect ratios depending on the season

• Several books have been published about the show, including analytical works

• Fictional Twitter accounts for primary characters were created in 2010

• The West Wing Weekly podcast hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway and Joshua Malina began in 2016

• The West Wing Thing podcast hosted by Josh Olson and Dave Anthony began in 2019

• A major fan convention called "West Wing Weekend" took place in 2018

• The show has been parodied on various platforms, including Funny or Die and 30 Rock

• Many cast members appeared in a campaign video for Bridget Mary McCormack's election to the Michigan Supreme Court

• A stage version of the episode "Hartsfield's Landing" was produced in 2020 to benefit When We All Vote, featuring original cast members

• The West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote premiered on HBO Max on October 15, 2020

• The West Wing remains a beloved and influential political drama

• The show continues to be discussed and analyzed in various forms of media.