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Season 4 Episode Index
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| Rob Lowe as | Sam (Samuel Norman) Seaborn | Deputy Communications Director |
| Stockard Channing as | Abbey (Abigail Ann) Bartlet M.D. | First Lady |
| Dulé Hill as | Charlie (Charles) Young | Personal Aide to the President |
| Allison Janney as | C.J. (Claudia Jean) Cregg | Press Secretary |
| Janel Moloney as | Donna (Donnatella) Moss | Assistant to Deputy Chief of Staff |
| Richard Schiff as | Toby (Tobias Zachary) Ziegler | Communications Director |
| John Spencer as | Leo Thomas McGarry | Chief of Staff |
| Bradley Whitford as | Josh (Joshua) Lyman | Deputy Chief of Staff |
| and Martin Sheen as |
Jed (Josiah Edward) Bartlet | President of the United States |
| Special Guest Stars | ||
| Christian Slater as | Lieutenant Commander Jack Reese | |
| Joshua Malina as | Will (William) Bailey | Orange County Campaign Manger |
| and Lily Tomlin as |
Debbie (Deborah) Fiderer | President's Secretary |
| Guest Starring | ||
| Kathleen York as | Rep. Andy (Andrea) Wyatt | Congresswoman |
| Omar Benson Miller as | Orlando Kettles | Anthony's Friend |
| Danica McKellar as | Elsie Snuffin | Orange County Campaign Staffer |
| Andrew McFarlane as | Anthony Marcus | Simon's Little Brother |
| Michael Mulheren (uncredited) as | Statehood Supporter | Member of Josh's troupe |
| Megan Cavanagh as | Voting Shortcut | Member of Josh's troupe |
| Kaarina Aufranc as | Ten Dollars | Member of Josh's troupe |
| Kris Iyer as | Andy's Doctor | |
| Co-Starring | ||
| Devika Parikh as | Bonnie | Communications' Aide |
| Kim Webster as | Ginger | Assistant to Communications' Director |
| William Duffy as | Larry | Congressional Liaison |
| Peter James Smith as | Ed | Congressional Liaison |
| Melissa Fitzgerald as | Carol | Fitzpatrick (last name) Assistant to the Press Secretary |
| Richard Saxton as | Anahiem Anchor | Alan |
| Lynette Romero as | Anahiem Anchor | |
| Ivan Allen as | Anchor | Roger Salier |
| Penny Griego as | Anchor | |
| Christopher Schauble as | Anchor | |
| Mindy Thomas as | Anchor | |
| Howard Mann as | Senior Citizen | |
| Don Dowe as | Technician | |
| Ron Ostrow as | John | Reporter |
| Charles Noland as | Steve | Reporter |
| Timothy Davis-Reed as | Mark | O'Donnell (last name) / Reporter |
| Maria Lazam Hanson as | Passerby | Member of Josh's troupe |
| Derek Thompson as | Man | Member of Josh's troupe |
| Leesa Severyn as | Michelle | Security |
| Kris Murphy as | Katie | Witt (last name) / Reporter |
| Ron Morehouse as | Bow Tie | |
| Ashleigh Olden as | Aide | Sharon (first name) / Orange County Campaign Staffer |
"We want to stay on the other side of the street from the actual election," he [Aaron Sorkin] says, noting that the political calendar on the series is intentionally two years out of step with the real one.
"Undebatable: 'West Wing' In A World Of Its Own "
by James Endrst
October 4, 2000
Hartford Courant
He [Aaron Sorkin] also hopes to put Bartlet on a train for the first six episodes of that fourth season, taking the show on the road for a series of whistle-stops "all over the country."
"Sorkin's drug subplot ending"
by Ed Bark
July 22, 2001
Dallas Morning News
Regarding this year's season, Sorkin will only say that Bartlet faces re-election against James Brolin's Gov. Robert Ritchie in episode 6 (during November "sweeps" of course).
"Shaking the chill of the attacks"
by Eric Deggans
September 8, 2002
St. Petersburg Times
One assumes James Brolin's Republican presidential hopeful Robert Ritchie will also exit mid-season. "Unless he wins," jokes [Thomas] Schlamme.
"Fall Preview"
by Unknown
September 9, 2002
Entertainment Weekly
Bartlet's campaign will culminate in an election episode in early November, and though it's a safe bet he'll win, Schiff said, it won't be a cakewalk. "I've always said, the real brilliant way to go out would be to lose," Schiff said last month during filming on a Lawrence County farm. "We would go out on top of the ratings, we'd shock the TV world. Then they could pick up sequels. Josh and Donna could do a sitcom. Leo would be the next Lou Grant, and I'd go back to off-off-off-off-off-Broadway. Artistically, you've got to admit...." - Richard Schiff
"Aaron Sorkin wants to put fun back into 'West Wing' "
by Rob Owen
September 25, 2002
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
While he's in New York, the cast and crew are in California shooting Season 4's fifth episode. And they're waiting for Sorkin to finish the next installation....
His workload is evident on the hotel room's floor, where carefully-aligned pages are organized by scene, and each one is precisely marked with titles like "NH Polling Scene" and "Will/Sam."
"'West Wing' wizard"
by Heather Salerno
October 6, 2002
Journal News
Wondering what it would take for Christian Slater to accept a spot on series television? Two words: Aaron Sorkin. "Aaron called and offered me the role, and it was something I just could not say no to. I just love that show. Love it."Slater's talking, of course, about The West Wing, in which he'll appear November 6 for the big election-day episode. When prodded about his character, Slater was a bit tight-lipped but did offer this: "I know Aaron said I'm a good guy, but the way he writes, you just never know. Still, he did allude to the fact that I was a good guy...and I think I'd prefer to be on the right side."
"Halloween Spoiler Surprises, a Firefly Plea--and a Quickie with Kiefer"
by Wanda
October 25, 2002
E! Online
"It was supposed to be a one-episode deal, but they said I'm coming back for several more," the actress [Danica McKellar] says by phone from Los Angeles.
"She's past 'Wonder Years'"
by John Kiesewetter
October 29, 2002
Cincinnati Enquirer
Next week, for instance, Christian Slater signs on for a guest stint as a love interest for Donna (Janel Moloney).
"EXECUTIVE DECISION"
by Paul Droesch
October 30, 2002
TV Guide Online
Last week's episode, the one with the extremely unclimactic presidential election, included a bit of dialogue during which senior aide Josh Lyman fretted about the impact local weather events might have on voter turnout in regions friendly to President Bartlet."It's raining in Oregon," he mused, darkly.
Happily for him, and for those of us in our vote-by-mail state, U.S. letter carriers are sworn to perform their appointed rounds come rain, sleet, snow and even inaccurate scripts.
(Note to wiseguys: Yes, I know that you can't mail in a ballot on Election Day itself, but we're making a general point here.)
"'West Wing' stumbles, viewers grumble, KPAM fumbles"
by Peter Ames Carlin
November 11, 2002
Oregonian
"I think some of that was the election [story line], some of these were not our best episodes, some of it was that we got hit with 'The Bachelor' and people started to leave, given an excuse," [Thomas] Schlamme said.
"Shedding light on murky look of 'West Wing'"
by Phil Rosenthal
January 15, 2003
Chicago Sun-Times
"Some of the critics have said, justifiably, that the election really couldn't create drama. We knew he was going to win," - Thomas Schlamme
"Ironically, Bartlet's re-election did The West Wing's ratings no favours"
by Liane Faulder
January 26, 2003
Edmonton Journal
"I started out with a five episode contract," the 37-year-old [Joshua Malina] tells TV Guide Online. "It was 'five and we'll see' - and finally, we saw. ..."
"Sports Night Star Replaces Rob Lowe"
by Daniel R. Coleridge
February 5, 2003
TV Guide Online
The only time we've shot handheld was in an episode during the fourth season where we wanted to convey a sense of nervous energy. We shot every shot with long lenses and handheld. It was a show where the President was about to lose the election, and that's about as tense as things get. - Thomas Del Ruth
"A Conversation with Tom Del Ruth, ASC"
by Bob Fisher
Date Unknown
ICG
"There were some decisions made about the election that didn't have much dramatic punch," says [John] Wells. "You knew Bartlet was coming back. And that story line coincided with a wave of successful reality-TV programming."
"The West Wing"
by Allison Hope Weiner
September 12, 2003
Entertainment Weekly
Malina was initially signed for a half-dozen episodes. "The way Aaron put it originally, probably to spare my feelings, was, 'We'll see whether you're happy. Whether we're happy.' As if there was much chance that after six episodes I was going to go, 'You know it's not working out from my point of view. I don't want to continue!"'
"Josh Malina has been clever add to West Wing"
by Bridget Bynre
April 19, 2004
Canadian Press
During an autograph session that followed the speech, someone asked about how Will had gone from being such an optimistic "Mr. Smith" character to being the guy who defends a VP of dubious moral fiber. Malina sighed and said "I used to make it rain."
"Josh Malina Talks Post-Sorkin WEST WING!!"
by "Leo"
October 26, 2004
Ain't It Cool News
In 2002, the city [Manchester, NH] sent six voting machines for the "West Wing" to use in an election episode.
"'West Wing' gathers authentic NH items for episode"
by Michael Cousineau
November 27, 2004
Manchester Union Leader
At the end of series four, Schiff approached the show's creator Aaron Sorkin and recommended he end the show."But the economics of the business of TV over here is that TV shows don't go into profit until series five, so it's in the network's interest to maintain the show's life as long it can to squeeze every last nickel out of it.
"I recommended to Aaron that because President Bartlet was coming up for re-election in year four, he should lose and we'd finish before everyone started attacking us for not being great any more.
"But Warner Bros studio wouldn't go for it because they'd lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
"Artistically it would have been better to end the show."
"Schiff's back in control"
by Robert Fidgeon
August 23, 2006
Herald-Sun