The West Wing Weekly

You’ve said you’d listen to us talk about anything, and today we test this thesis. We touch on pigs, contractions, James Bond, and offscreen butts. And we still find time to discuss Russian mercenaries, a sudden death, and onscreen butt. For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-104.

We’re joined by director Andrew Bernstein to discuss his work on this episode (as well as his work on The West Wing)—and that fight scene between Kate and Hal! For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-103.

We’re digging into the dynamics of Kate & Hal, Eidra & Stuart, the breathless pace of the show, and its “no good guys” worldview. Josh has an important PSA about drugs. For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-102.

Our discussion of The Diplomat begins at the beginning with the creator of the series, Debora Cahn, who tells us about the show's origin story. For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-101.

We’re very excited to announce a new series here on The West Wing Weekly, discussing the Netflix hit political thriller The Diplomat, episode by episode. Coming soon! Join us LIVE in London for the season 1 finale, on Saturday November 14. Tickets here: thewestwingweekly.com/live

We're discussing the 1976 Oscar-winning classic directed by Alan Pakula and written by William Goldman (one of Aaron Sorkin's screenwriting heroes). WOODSTEIN! If you'd like to watch the video version of this episode, subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/thewestwingweekly. Here are some extra tidbits: "Telling the Truth about Lies" - a featurette on the making of the film An article Gordon Willis wrote for American Cinematographer in 1976 about his work on the film, including his use of split diopters. Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later - which features Josh Malina in the role of Deep Throat

Did you order the Code Red? You're goddamn right I did!—if by "Code Red" you mean an hour of Josh & Hrishi discussing this Aaron Sorkin / Rob Reiner classic. (We're not in the Marines, but we still like giving things code names.) We wanted to pay tribute to the late Rob Reiner and this film that, in some ways, would eventually lead to The West Wing. Plus, A Few Good Men was Josh's film debut, based on the play that was his Broadway debut, so he has lots of stories. We hope—we strenuously hope—you'll join us for this conversation about one of the all-time great courtrooms drama.

We've got a bonus installment of the Film Fest—with special guest Adam Scott! In addition to his work on Severance, Parks & Recreation, Party Down, and so much more, he's just a genuinely thoughtful and kind person, so we are thrilled to have him back on the podcast. We're discussing the 1992 film Bob Roberts, a satirical mockumentary by Tim Robbins. Tim Robbins on SNL - October 3, 1992 (via Peacock) Tim Robbins 2017 interview in Entertainment Weekly Tim Robbins post on X - July 14, 2024 You can find The West Wing Weekly lapel pin, t-shirts, and more at thewestwingweekly.com/merch.

We're trying to savor the Capra-esque quality of this experience by wrapping up with Mr. Smith. Supplemental materials: James Taylor - You've Got a Friend Mr Deeds Goes to Town trailer Sokovia Accords debate from Captain America: Civil War Thank you so much for joining us again for this series!

Starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, and Kevin Kline. This one was a Patreon subscriber pick! Additional materials: an article about the making of Dave Kevin Kline plays Mr. Fischoeder in Bob's Burgers "clever" as an insult in Fight Club

Is The Candidate, in fact, the anti-West Wing? A political story that ends not with a bang, but with a question of existential dread. Interview with screenwriter Jeremy Larner in Brooklyn Magazine The trailer for Downhill Racer (1969) Jerry Seinfeld on Letterman: "You're rooting for clothes." Let us know what you thought of the film!

Did this movie predict Trump back in 1957? We discuss the film debut of Andy Griffith in a role so dark, anyone who knows the Andy Griffith show might experience some uncomfortable dissonance. Some goodies that came up in our conversation: The dance of joy from "Perfect Strangers" This essay about the film on the Criterion website Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter in a great scene from Broadcast News The 'ten-word-answer' scene from The West Wing What did you think of the film, on a scale of 1–10 grains of inert matter? Let us know!

This week, we dive deeper into the role of the fourth estate, as we discuss Network, the Oscar-winning film that was meant to be a wild satire at the time it was released, but ended up uncannily predicting the future. Some additional reading material: Mad As Hell, Dave Itzkoff's book about Network Directors' Guild of America post about Sidney Lumet at a 2003 screening of Network Vanity Fair article on the legacy of Network (which includes thoughts from Aaron Sorkin)

This week, we're discussing the 1998 film Bulworth, which features a rapping Warren Beatty, a young Josh Malina, a few problematic moments, and some wonderful and strange ones, too. For a real treat, watch the music video for Ghetto Supastar, which also features a young Josh Malina! What did you think of Bulworth? Join the conversation over on our Patreon and let us know on a scale of 1–10 forced calls!

What's more terrifying in Martin Sheen's depiction of J. Edgar Hoover—the racism, or the makeup?! We discuss ALL the important aspects of this cat-and-mouse thriller, which was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya. For additional viewing: The Lucas Brothers William O'Neal's full interview for Eyes on the Prize II Hoover and Sheen-as-Hoover, side by side: What did you think of Judas and the Black Messiah? Let us know on a scale of 1–10 simultaneously played saxophones over on our Patreon page, patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

This week, we're discussing the hilarious — and terrifying—Dr Strangelove. A few goodies: An interview with title designer Pablo Ferro "Are We the Baddies?" from That Mitchell and Webb Look George C Scott side-by-side with Tim Robinson (from I Think You Should Leave) Let us know what you thought of the film, on a scale of 1–10 precious bodily fluids! Join the conversation on our Patreon at patreon.com/thewestingwingweekly.

This week, we're discussing the razor-sharp dialogue and side-splitting comedy of In the Loop (2009), one the greatest political satires. Here are footnotes for some of the stuff outside of the film that came up in the conversation: A tiny clip from the unaired pilot of "Legally Mad" The stateroom scene from the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera" The Roy Kent chant Join us on Patreon to let us know what you thought of the film, on a scale of 1–10 Lemons Difficult.

It's the first installment of the Political Film Fest, and we've got: Martin Sheen in the oval office! "What is the virtue of a proportional response?" The GDC! There are so many familiar elements in The American President, and yet, the film feels dramatically different from The West Wing (and at times, comedically different). It's our first episode, and we're going to talk about what we loved, what we didn't, and everything in between. Let's dive in! We’ve gotta start early because we're having lunch at the Kremlin. Some goodies: Here's the trailer for the film. Check out this great poster from Italy for Il Presidente. What did you think of The American President? Let us know how you would rate it on a scale of 1–10 Virginia hams. Sorry: Virginias ham. To join in the discussion, listen to ad-free versions of TWWWPFF, and get additional benefits, subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

After four years away, we're bringing back The West Wing Weekly in a new form. As this election season heats up, we're taking a weekly respite from the stress of reality, and turning towards political cinema instead. We're watching and discussing some of our favorite films. It's the same mix of analysis and nonsense that you’ve come to expect from The West Wing Weekly, but applied to a different movie each week. We're starting our journey in the familiar territory of Aaron Sorkin dialogue, with The American President. We're launching this podcast on our Patreon page, for paid subscribers. Go to patreon.com/thewestwingweekly to subscribe and join us. There are different tiers to choose from, starting at $5/month. Every paid tier has access to the podcast, with additional benefits and ways to connect with us and other TWWWPFF listeners at higher tiers. Okay, what's next? We're back! Let's go! patreon.com/thewestwingweekly

On Saturday, August 10, we celebrated the publication of the new book "What's Next: A Backstage Pass to the West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service" by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack. Josh and Hrishi moderated a discussion with them, along with special guests Aaron Sorkin, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, and Richard Schiff. The event took place in front of a sold out audience at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Buy "What's Next: A Backstage Pass to the West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service" here. To see some photos of the event, visit thewestwingweekly.com/021. And subscribe to our new series, The West Wing Weekly Political Film Fest, at patreon.com/thewestwingweekly!

We’re back! The West Wing cast reunited for this special episode, so we got back together to discuss it. And Aaron Sorkin joins us to talk about his experiences adapting "Hartsfield’s Landing" for this voter turnout initiative. Please go to whenweallvote.org to donate! For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/020

We want to introduce you to a brand new emergency quarantine podcast mini-series called Home Cooking. It’s from Hrishi and chef Samin Nosrat, author of the award-winning cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and host of the Netflix show by the same name. The first episode just came out, and features Josh as the special guest. If you’ve missed hearing Josh and Hrishi in conversation, we thought you’d appreciate this excerpt. The rest of the episode centers around giving people advice about what to cook with whatever they’ve got in the house, and we think you’ll really enjoy it! Listen and subscribe to Home Cooking on your favorite podcast app, or at homecooking.show.

As the Bartlet administration ends, so does our podcast. We recorded our finale live in Los Angeles, at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel. This episode has two parts: first, we discuss "Tomorrow," with several guests joining us. Then, we take a fond look back at the entire series, along with thirty (30!) guests from the cast and crew, including Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme. Here’s everyone who was with us on stage: Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Marlee Matlin, Jack Jason, Kathleen York, Allison Smith, Melissa Fitzgerald, Ramon de Ocampo, Evan Arnold, Karis Campbell, Teri Polo, Christopher Misiano, Dylan K. Massin, Matthew Del Negro, Eli Attie, Jimmy Smits, Josh Singer, Mary McCormack, Kevin Falls, Lawrence O'Donnell, Paul Redford, Ron Ostrow, Kim Webster, Peter James Smith, William Duffy, Tim Davis-Reed Thanks for listening to the podcast. We're very grateful for the experience we’ve had making this over the past four years. Okay. What's next? For more,…

CJ & Danny and Will & Kate all ponder what's next, and Josh & Hrishi do, too, as we discuss "Institutional Memory." We're joined by someone who also posseses institutional memory: the fantastic Janet Ashikaga, editor on The West Wing (including this episode), as well as Sports Night and Seinfeld. Plus: listen to the trailer for Hrishi’s new podcast, Partners, and subscribe to it here. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/721

We discuss "The Last Hurrah" in this, our antepenultimate hurrah. And what a hurrah it is, with not one, but two great guests: Mary-Louise Parker and Teri Polo. Hurrah! For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/720

We traveled all the way to London to make a lot of references to "Fiddler on the Roof." Bradley Whitford joined us to record this episode in front of a sold-out crowd at the Hammersmith Apollo. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/719

For our last episode of the year, we've got a special one with television legend John Wells. We've been talking about him for seven seasons, and now we finally got him to talk to us directly. Our conversation spans the entire history of The West Wing, since John Wells served as Executive Producer for every single episode. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/019 Right now, Radiotopia is holding its annual fundraiser. Help us keep The West Wing Weekly available and free forever by supporting the network. Make your mark. Go to **radiotopia.fm** to donate today.

In this episode, some thoughts on John Spencer, shared by Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford, Janel Moloney, Rob Lowe, Jimmy Smits, Kristin Chenoweth, Matthew Del Negro, Emily Procter, Eli Attie, Michael Hissrich, and Josh Malina. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/718 Support The West Wing Weekly and Radiotopia. Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm today.

In the main foyer of our podcast, we have this small block of cheese, there for any and all who might want a snack. We want this block of cheese to stick around forever, and never get moldy, or get thrown out! To do so, we’re hoping you’ll support our wonderful podcast network, Radiotopia, the refrigerator that keeps our show fresh in this increasingly painful metaphor. We’re sharing some stories from you, our lovely listeners, in hopes that you’ll want to chip in and help keep this podcast around forever. Make your mark, go to http://radiotopia.fm to donate today. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/018

As we finish the long arc of the Presidential campaign with this momentous West Wing episode, Jimmy Smits joins us to tell us about his experience playing Matt Santos. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/717. Right now, Radiotopia is holding its annual fundraiser. Help us keep The West Wing Weekly available and free forever by supporting the network. Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.

This week’s episode is one of love and loss, but with our guests this week, we’re celebrating the joyful side. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich wrote this episode, and she and her husband, West Wing line producer Michael Hissrich, join us to tell us how their path together mirrored and influenced Josh and Donna’s. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/716

Before we get to the end, we're going back to the beginning. For this bonus episode, we talk to John Levey, Emmy-winning casting director for the first two seasons of The West Wing, about putting together our renowned ensemble. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/017

In this week's episode, Toby says, "You should do the crossword," so Hrishi made a mini puzzle to go along with our discussion. Get a PDF of the puzzle at thewestwingweekly.com/715. ACROSS 1. Grammy-winning singer and creator of questionable slogans, Bon _ 5. Nights before, like Erevs Yom Kippur 6. What Josh wants when he yells, "I want the numbers!" 7. __ chunks, like when you eat way too much candy DOWN 1. POTUS’s rap name, maybe 2. The room where it happens 3. To do this, actually, you stamp it, then sign it 4. The second thing Caesar said he did, in a saying

We take this episode in our bone-crushing grip and shake it with everything we've got. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/714

Josh and Donna There on my TV K-I-S-S-I-N-G Let's discuss. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/713

Eli Attie joins us to discuss this tension-filled episode about a potential nuclear disaster. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/712

Bradley Whitford returns to gleefully tell us about writing this episode and giving Josh the lines, "I can't act. I'm a terrible actor." And Annabeth Gish joins us, too! (How lucky are we?) We talk to her about the complicated character of Liz Bartlet Westin, whom she portrayed so thoughtfully. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/711

This week, the great Kristin Chenoweth joins us to discuss her role as Annabeth. She's an Emmy and Tony Award winning actress and singer, and we’re so glad she’s finally joining us! For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/016

This week, we discuss the beautiful performance by John Spencer in "Running Mates," the first episode of his to air posthumously. We’re also joined by Matthew Del Negro to discuss Bram, telebrams, and more. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/710

Today, we’re talking about "The Wedding" (or The Marriage, or The Espousal, or The Nuptials, or The Union). We’re joined by Nina Siemaszko, who tells us about the twist in this subplot that she didn’t see coming. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/709

In "Undecideds," Santos gives a speech meant to uplift and inspire, but Josh and Hrishi are "Unconvinceds." Plus, we look at Toby’s apartment, Godwin’s Law, and Will’s butt. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/708

How did Santos and Vinick do in the debate? To help us judge the candidates on both substance and style, we’ve enlisted the people in charge of debate prep on either side of the 2012 Presidential election. Ronald Klain led President Obama’s debate prep, and Beth Myers was in charge of Senator Mitt Romney’s prep. It was fascinating to speak to both of them together for this bipartisan episode of our podcast. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/707-part2

In our first of two episodes on "The Debate," we talk to Lawrence O’Donnell, who took on the challenge of writing a live episode — one that takes place entirely in the context of a Presidential debate. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/707

At long last, everyone is ready to unleash their negative ad campaigns. Here's one Hrishi came up with. JOSH MALINA—he's not nearly as mean as he makes himself out to be! He says he "ruined The West Wing," but even Richard Schiff says 'Arctic Radar' is one of the best episodes of the series. What else is Josh hiding? JOSH MALINA—actually pretty nice. (My name is Hrishikesh Hirway, and I approve this message.) For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/706

Richard Schiff joins us to discuss this gorgeous, eerie, heartbreaking episode and to tell us his true feelings about Toby’s storyline. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/705

Joshua Malina and Hrishikesh Hirway (collectively, “The Hosts”) have been served a subpoena to appear on this episode of the podcast, to testify in regards to the above television episode. Pursuant to this agreement, you (“Listener”) are required to listen to our nonsense. Failure to do so may result in missing out on some dumb thing that gets called back later, like a reference to a 2004 movie about dance battles. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/704

At long last, West Wing director and executive producer Alex Graves joins us to talk about his time on the show. From "In Excelsis Deo" to "17 People" to our current episodes in Season 7, we discuss some of the big moments in the series that he helped shape. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/015

This week, the message is The Message of The Week. Just to brief you: we're keeping it brief. As they say in athletics. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/703

In this mother of an episode, Alex Graves cranks the style up to 11. We’re introduced to the character of Louise Thornton (played by Janeane Garofalo). We get real-time text answers to our quests from the unstoppable Eli Attie. So get ready cuz, as Steve Miller says, "we go down Carolina!" For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/702

It’s the Season 7 premiere! Which begins, naturally, with a scene from the Season 10 premiere! Suspense hovers over this episode, like a space station in need of maintenance—or a baker about to be sent home from the tent—as Josh and Hrishi sort through both the wise and foolish acts of our heroes. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/701