Season 1 of American drama series The West Wing aired on NBC television network.
Summary[]
In his first term as President, Josiah Bartlet and his eager group of staffers battle day to day issues and attempt to pass legislation through back channels and dealmaking. Among the last moments of this particular year are Sam Seaborn's well-intended relationship with a call-girl, the breakdown of White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry's marriage and Charlie Young's courtship with Zoey Bartlet, the President's youngest daughter.
The President finds himself stalled, concerned with re-election and not focusing on reform. Finally, McGarry rouses the President into action and the team begin to initiate serious reform. At the apex of their progress, however, the President's convoy comes under fire from White Supremacists targeting Charlie Young.
Starring[]
- Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn
- Moira Kelly as Mandy Hampton (20 episodes)
- Dulé Hill as Charlie Young (19 episodes)
- Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg
- Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler
- John Spencer as Leo McGarry
- Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman
- and Martin Sheen as President Bartlet
|
|
Recurring cast
- Janel Moloney as Donna Moss
- Timothy Busfield as Danny Concannon (14 episodes)
- Renée Estevez as Nancy (10 episodes)
- Suzy Nakamura as Cathy (9 episodes)
- Elisabeth Moss as Zoey Bartlet (7 episodes)
- Lisa Edelstein as Laurie (5 episodes)
- Allison Smith as Mallory O'Brien (5 episodes)
Guest Starring[]
|
|
Co-Starring[]
|
|
Trivia[]
- Aaron Sorkin was the creator and executive producer.
- Thomas Schlamme and John Wells were also executive producers.
- The show was a popular and critical hit, finishing 27th overall in viewers and winning nine Emmy awards.
- The season was released on DVD on November 18, 2003.
Episodes[]
# | EPISODE | AIRDATE | WRITTEN BY |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Pilot | 22 SEPTEMBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin |
There are no ordinary events in the life of the nation's Chief Executive. A minor bicycle mishap becomes a mini-crisis for his staff, while a remark Josh made on TV may get him bounced from his job. | |||
2 | Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc | 29 SEPTEMBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin |
The President and the Vice President may have been on the same ticket, but they're not on the same page over a particular legislative bill. News of a terrorist attack comes to the White House. | |||
3 | A Proportional Response | 6 OCTOBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin |
C.J. strikes a deal that may save the staff from national political embarrassment. On the international front, an increasingly on-edge President weighs potential responses to the recent terrorist attack. | |||
4 | Five Votes Down | 13 OCTOBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin |
Presidential chief of staff Leo McGarry needs five more House votes to pass a bill restricting the sale of automatic firearms -- but the cost might be too high, especially if he has to go to the unpredictable Vice President to help put them over the top. | |||
5 | The Crackpots and These Women | 20 OCTOBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin |
Leo instructs the senior staff to meet with various special interest groups. Toby voices strong opposition to many of President Bartlet's plans for an upcoming California trip. Meanwhile, the President virtually orders his staff to sample his prized chili when he arranges a reception for his Georgetown-bound daughter. | |||
6 | Mr. Willis of Ohio | 3 NOVEMBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin |
Toby and Mandy work to convince some congressmen to approve a commerce bill that includes a vital census-counting provision. Elsewhere, C.J. swallows her pride and asks Sam for help to understand the basic components of the administration's stance on random census-taking in 2000. | |||
7 | The State Dinner | 10 NOVEMBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin & Paul Redford |
As that night's stylish state dinner honoring the Indonesian president looms in the background, President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) keeps his eye on a spate of potentially explosive problems. | |||
8 | Enemies | 17 NOVEMBER 1999 | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno |
A crucial banking bill is at risk when political rivals of environmentally sensitive President Bartlet attach a land-use rider to it that would allow strip-mining some of the Montana wilderness while C.J. tries to kill a story that the Chief Executive chastised the Vice President during a cabinet meeting. | |||
9 | The Short List | 24 NOVEMBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin Patrick Caddell |
When a Supreme Court justice retires, President Bartlet has a golden opportunity to impact the court's composition by nominating a favorite judge. In addition, a headline-seeking congressman (guest star Holmes Osborne) on the House Government Oversight Committee accuses the White House staff of substance abuse. | |||
10 | In Excelsis Deo | 15 DECEMBER 1999 | Aaron Sorkin Rick Cleveland |
As Christmas Eve approaches, President Bartlet eagerly sneaks out of the White House for some last-minute Christmas shopping, while a haunted Toby learns more about a forgotten Korean War hero who died alone on the district's cold streets while wearing a coat that Toby once donated to charity. | |||
11 | Lord John Marbury | 5 JANUARY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin Patrick Caddell |
The Kashmir border powderkeg becomes more explosive when the Indian army invades Pakistani-held territory, making the threat of a nuclear confrontation frighteningly real to President Bartlet (Martin Sheen), who calls in Lord Marbury (guest star Roger Rees, "Cheers"), an eccentric British diplomat with ties to both warring nations -- and a weakness for booze. | |||
12 | He Shall, from Time to Time... | 12 JANUARY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
The White House staff is in full crisis mode when President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is found unconscious as he prepares for the State of the Union speech while the India-Pakistan border skirmish flares again when a fearful Pakistan gives its field commanders control of its nuclear arsenal. | |||
13 | Take Out the Trash Day | 26 JANUARY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
While President Bartlet and his staff debate the appropriate response to a controversial new sex education study, there are concerns that the parents of a murdered gay teenager should not attend the signing of a hate crimes bill because the father might be hateful against people who are LGBTQIAP+. | |||
14 | Take This Sabbath Day | 9 FEBRUARY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
After the Supreme Court refuses to stay the execution of a Federal prisoner convicted of killing two drug kingpins, President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) must decide whether or not to commute his sentence in less than 48 hours. Elsewhere, a deaf, combative campaign manager (guest star and Oscar winner Marlee Matlin) adamantly seeks an audience with the President on behalf of her Democratic congressional candidate. | |||
15 | Celestial Navigation | 16 FEBRUARY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
Sam and Toby are dispatched to Connecticut for some damage control and to secure the secret release of President Bartlet's primary choice (guest star and Emmy Award winner Edward James Olmos, "Miami Vice") for the Supreme Court, who has been jailed for alleged drunk driving and resisting arrest. | |||
16 | 20 Hours in L.A. | 23 FEBRUARY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
President Bartlet and several of his staff head to Los Angeles for a whirlwind visit that is topped off by a star-studded fundraiser hosted by a wealthy film honcho (guest star Bob Balaban, "Seinfeld") who threatens to cancel the bash unless Bartlet announces his opposition to a congressional bill banning gays in the military. | |||
17 | The White House Pro-Am | 22 MARCH 2000 | Lawrence O'Donnell Jr. Paul Redford Aaron Sorkin |
The President's and First Lady's (guest star Stockard Channing) staffs feud over rival agendas when her public statements about foreign child-labor abuse inspires a Congresswoman (guest star Amy Aquino) to attach an amendment that will surely torpedo a long-delayed international tariff bill favored by the President. | |||
18 | Six Meetings Before Lunch | 5 APRIL 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
An uncomfortable Josh is assigned to talk with the administration's nominee for assistant attorney general for civil rights (guest star Carl Lumbly, "Cagney & Lacey," "EZ Streets") who advocates that African-Americans receive financial reparations for slavery. Elsewhere, Sam crosses swords with Mallory (guest star Allison Smith) over the issue of private school vouchers. | |||
19 | Let Bartlet Be Bartlet | 26 APRIL 2000 | Peter Parnell Patrick Caddell |
Rumors percolate about a scathing memo that outlines the weaknesses of President Bartlet's administration for his political rival and grip the White House until C.J. learns it came from one of the trusted staff. Meanwhile, Sam and Toby meet with opposing military officers and congressmen to discuss amending the current "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy towards LGBTQIAP+ in the armed forces. | |||
20 | Mandatory Minimums | 3 MAY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
A newly energized President Bartlet bucks tradition and throws down the gauntlet when he names two Democrats -- both campaign finance reformers -- to the Federal Election Commission despite threats from his political opponents to introduce embarrassing legislation that would dare him not to sign. | |||
21 | Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics | 10 MAY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
While President Bartlet and his staff nervously await the results of a poll to determine his favorability rating, he begins a heady transfer of ambassadors and members of the Federal Election Committee designed to kickstart campaign finance reform and defuse a embarrassing incident overseas. | |||
22 | What Kind of Day Has It Been? | 17 MAY 2000 | Aaron Sorkin |
President Bartlet prepares for a town hall meeting with college students while the U.S. military races to find a downed American pilot in the Iraqi desert before the Iraqi military captures him. C.J. doesn't relish the notion of misleading the press over rescue preparations. Likewise, Toby tries to ignore updates from the distressed orbiting space shuttle which includes his brother. |