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Denial
Show News

Updated 03-17-05

 

 

 

March 17, 2005...

It's official!  The show has been renewed for the 2005-2006 season.  No word yet on who will play the next WW president.

October 1, 2004...

Alison Janney won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series.  She was the only main winner for the show.

July 18, 2004...

The show has received a total of Emmy nominations!  Including one for Janel as Best Supporting Actress in a Drama!!  Here are the nominations...

Best Actor - Martin Sheen
Best Actress - Allison Janney
Best Supporting Actor - John Spencer
Best Supporting Actress - Stockard Channing
Best Supporting Actress - Janel Moloney
Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series - Matthew Perry
Best Drama

The show also received 6 technical award nominations, but alas, did not received any nominations for writing or directing, and Brad was not nominated as Best Supporting Actor.

Here's what Janel had to say about the Emmy nominations: "It's the first and second years that shows get nominated," Moloney told Variety Thursday, "but this year, all over the [nominations] are these shows that have done great work consistently and for a long time, like The Sopranos."

May 16, 2004...

The show will return this fall for a sixth season, and will remain on Wednesday nights at 9pm, but it will have a split season this year.  Meaning it will still have a full season's worth of episodes, but instead of airing repeats during part of the season (as most shows do), NBC will air an 8 episode show in it's time slot.  This show is called "Revelations."

From Zap2it.com: The network has also set aside Wednesdays at 9 p.m. for the eight-episode apocalyptic drama "Revelations." Emmy winner "The West Wing" will divide its season into two halves, with "Revelations," starring Bill Pullman and Natascha McElhone fighting to prevent Armageddon, airing in the middle. If that drama is successful, it would return. "'Revelations' is ordered as an eight-episode order now, but it's very much seen in the vein of 'The Lord of Rings,' that we could bring it back with eight additional episodes by the end of the season," Zucker says. "We're already going to order those scripts and be ready for that."

From NBC's Official Press Release: The successful Wednesday lineup resumes largely intact with "Hawaii" (8-9 p.m. ET) jump-starting the night. "The West Wing" (9-10 p.m. ET) shares the distinction with "The Apprentice" for delivering the #1 and #2 indexes in most key upscale categories (measuring percentage representation of upscale homes in their audiences). The venerable "Law & Order" - now guaranteed in its new deal through the 2005-06 season - has won the hour by a 29 percent or greater margin in each of the last four seasons.

January 18, 2004...

The show has received several SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) Nominations!

The winners will be announced live on TNT on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004.

September 23, 2003...

The show has settled the salary dispute (yes, another one) with stars Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, John Spencer, and Richard Schiff, according to E! Online.

PAYING OFF: A day after the West Wing won an Emmy for Best Drama, cast members Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and John Spencer all scored significant salary hikes, ending four months of negotiations, reports Variety. Salary details were not released but the thesps are reported to be among the highest-paid actors working in TV drama.

September 22, 2003...

Congrats to the show and the people who work on it, as they won the Emmy for Best Drama!

August 21, 2003...

"West Wing" is coming out on DVD on November 18!  From TVShowsonDVD.com:

"Among these will be lots of extra footage (gag Reels - "GagOrder"-& outtakes - "Off The Record", deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes stuff), commentary tracks from creator Aaron Sorkin and director Thomas Schlamme on 5 episodes ("Pilot", "What Kind Of Day Has It Been", "Takes This Sabbath Day", "In Excelsis Deo"- featuring additional commentary from Co-Executive Producer/Director Alex Graves), and "Celestial Navigation" (with Co- Executive Producer/Director Chris Misiano joining Sorkin and Schlamme), featurettes "The Primaries" and "The West Wing Inauguration", and interviews with folks both in front of and behind the camera"

August 18, 2003...

From the NBC Media site:

'THE WEST WING' POLLS A 308 PERCENT INCREASE IN 25-54 VIEWERS FOR BRAVOTELEVISION'S MOST ACCLAIMED DRAMA JOINS ONE OF THE HOTTEST NETWORKS ON CABLE, AS BRAVO SCORES ITS SECOND MOST SUCCESSFUL WEEK EVER AUG. 4-10

BURBANK, Calif. -- August 12, 2003 -- The highly acclaimed drama "The West Wing" officially premiered on Bravo Monday, Aug. 11 at 11 p.m. ET with a 308 percent increase on the network's average delivery among adults 25-54 in the hour this season.

"The West Wing" joins the red-hot Bravo schedule immediately following the network's second most successful week ever. During the week of Aug. 4-10, Bravo averaged 391,000 viewers 25-54, 361,000 viewers 18-49 and 641,000 overall total viewers. All three totals are Bravo's second-highest ever, behind only results for the week of July 28-Aug. 3, 2003.

On Monday, Aug. 11, "The West Wing" launched in its regular 11 p.m. ET weeknight slot and attracted 322,000 viewers 25-54. That quadruples Bravo's season average in the time period of 79,000. "The West Wing" also delivered 563,000 overall total viewers (up 294 percent vs. the time-period season-to-date average) and a household rating of 0.72 (up 324 percent).

A 7 p.m. ET "West Wing" preview also nearly doubled Bravo's season-to-date average for 25-54 viewers in that time period (144,000, up 97 percent). Additionally, Bravo previewed "The West Wing" on Sunday with an 11 a.m.-5 p.m. ET marathon (186,000 viewers 25-54, up 88 percent vs. season-to-date) and an 11 p.m. telecast (190,000 viewers 25-54, up 18 percent).

A 7 p.m. ET "West Wing" preview also nearly doubled Bravo's season-to-date average for 25-54 viewers in that time period (144,000, up 97 percent). Additionally, Bravo previewed "The West Wing" on Sunday with an 11 a.m.-5 p.m. ET marathon (186,000 viewers 25-54, up 88 percent vs. season-to-date) and an 11 p.m. telecast (190,000 viewers 25-54, up 18 percent).

Bravo, an NBC Cable Network since December 2002, is currently seen in more than 70 million homes and was the first service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. Today, Bravo offers innovative arts and entertainment programming with a unique point of view featuring original series, feature films (both independent and mainstream), theater, dance, music and documentaries. Bravo boasts critically acclaimed original programming -- including "Inside the Actors Studio" hosted by James Lipton, "Cirque du Soleil Fire Within" and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." For more information visit www.bravotv.com.

July 19, 2003...

John Sacret Young ("China Beach") is joining the writing staff as a consulting producer.  He has previously worked with John Wells (executive producer on WW) as both were executive producers on "China Beach."  He has won the Writer's Guild of America Award and a Peabody Award for "China Beach" and was nominated for five Emmy Awards for his work with the Vietnam era medical drama.

__*__

The show received 15 Emmy nominations!

Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series (Martin Sheen)
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series (Allison Janney)
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series (Bradley Whitford)
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series (John Spencer)
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series (Stockard Channing)
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series (Tim Matheson)
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series (Matthew Perry)
Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series (20 Hours In America - Parts 1 & 2)
Outstanding Casting for A Drama Series
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Holy Night)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (25 - Christopher Misiano)
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series (25)
Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series (25)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (25 - Aaron Sorkin)

Also, the Martin and son Charlie's commercial for Visa was also nominated for Outstanding Commercial.

July 11, 2003...

From the NBC Media Website: 

THE WEST WING’ MARATHON AND A NEW EPISODE OF ‘INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO’ FEATURING MARTIN SHEEN AIRS SUNDAY, AUGUST 10

BURBANK, Calif. -- July 9, 2003 -- This August, Bravo will present the inaugural season of “The West Wing,” one of television’s most-acclaimed dramas, it was announced today by Jeff Gaspin, President of Bravo and Executive Vice President, Alternative Series, Specials, Longform and Program Strategy, NBC Entertainment. The series airs Monday-Thursday (7:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET and 11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. ET) beginning Monday, August 11.

“The West Wing” on Bravo, enhanced with special interstitials featuring interesting factoids about former and current Presidents, kicks off with a week of Presidential-themed programming including the premiere of the original three-part special, “All the Presidents’ Movies” airing in sequence Thursday, August 7 (7:00-10 p.m. ET).

Bravo will also air Presidential-themed films including “Absolute Power” starring Clint Eastwood on Friday, August 8 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET) and Sorkin’s “The American President” on Saturday, August 9 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET).

A marathon of the first six episodes of “The West Wing” will air Sunday, August 10 (11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET) leading into the premiere of “Inside the Actors Studio: Martin Sheen” on that night (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET). This special “Inside the Actors Studio” celebrates the career and craft of the actor who has played an integral part of the film and television world for more than four decades. He has earned an Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his work, including the role of President Bartlett on “The West Wing.”

In its landmark first season, “The West Wing” garnered 13 Emmy awards, including Best Drama, and became the most honored single season series in television history. Now Bravo brings you every episode of this remarkable debut season. Beginning where “The West Wing” originally commenced on NBC, Bravo will start with the first episode of the series and continue with all episodes produced through 2009.

Narrated by Martin Sheen (NBC’s “The West Wing”), this documentary reveals the movie-viewing habits and preferences of the Nation’s former Presidents. For the first time, Americans will see the secret screening logs of the White House screening room, and hear from Paul Fischer, the man who kept them as well as the Presidents themselves, family members, friends, world leaders and Hollywood stars. See separate release for more details.

“The West Wing” depicts the dedicated men and women who work at The White House, serving their country through times and crises that mirror our own, and providing a fascinating inner glimpse of life inside the world’s most powerful office. Each episode brims with the brilliant writing of creator Aaron Sorkin, the acclaimed performances of the ensemble cast and a brisk dramatic pace that galvanizes the viewer. The series stars Martin Sheen, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, Rob Lowe, Richard Schiff, Allison Janney, Dule Hill, Janel Moloney and Stockard Channing.

Also, NBC will begin airing repeats of last season starting July 30 with the episode "Guns and Butter."

June 22, 2003...

From the Bravo network's website: 

The West Wing: Coming in August!
NBC's Emmy Award winning drama is coming to Bravo! Starting in August, enjoy episodes from the first four seasons of The West Wing. Check back in July for further details regarding airtimes. For more information on The West Wing visit NBC.com

Also, the network and show are promoting the actor's for Emmy nominations, and one of the actor's they are promoting is Janel!

February 24, 2003...

Josh & Donna are featured in TV Guide Online's Valentine's Day Fotoflip:

"You've seen sparks fly, but these dynamic duos are not quite couples. Identify their shows in our game."

 

February 2, 2003...

The cast have received 3 Screen Actor's Guild nominations:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series: Martin Sheen
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series: Allison Janney and Lily Tomlin 
Outstanding Performace by an Ensemble Drama Television Series: The West Wing

January 12, 2003...

The show suffered an onset mishap on Thursday the 9th due to an exploding halogen lightbulb that set fire to the set.  From E! Online: "Around 8 a.m., a halogen light popped and the shower of fire ignited a light-diffusing sheet of muslin above the heads of the boob-tube politicos. But the set's sprinkler system quickly shot to life, keeping the flames under control until the fire department folks showed up."   Firefighters cleared the set of about 100 crewmembers and no one was seriously hurt.  Warner Brothers reports that two sets, the Situation Room and the Mess Room, were damaged by smoke, and Burbank Fire Marshal David Starr predicts upwards of $100,000 damage in total.  The show reportedly returned to filming on Friday.

January 3, 2003...

Congratulations to the show for their 60th Annual Golden Globe nominations! The awards will be presented January 19, 2003 in Beverly Hills, California.

Best Drama Series, "The West Wing"
Best Actress in a Drama Series, Alison Janney
Best Actor in a Drama Series, Martin Sheen
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Bradley Whitford
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, John Spencer

September 23, 2002...

Congratulations to the show for winning 4 Emmys!!

Supporting Actor in a Drama - John Spencer  
Supporting Actress in a Drama - Stockard Channing   
Lead Actress in a Drama - Allison Janney  
Drama Series - The West Wing

July 25, 2002...

Martin Sheen got a huge pay raise and Rob Lowe is leaving the show.  Check out the Articles on Rob Lowe's Exit page for more details on his departure. 

From E! Online, July 10, 2002: West Wing Prez In The Money, by Bridget Byrne

The buck really does stop in the Oval Office.

No, we're not talking about George W. We mean The West Wing prez Martin Sheen.

The New York Post reports that Sheen has received a huge raise for portraying President Josiah Bartlet on the Emmy-winning NBC drama.

His pay scale has tripled since last year and will now be $300,000 an episode (President Bush , on the other hand, makes a relatively paltry $400,000 per year), according to the newspaper, which refers to the new contract as "a sweet deal."

And how. In addition to his substantially larger paycheck, Sheen's perk-filled pact reportedly includes an office suite on the Warner Bros. lot, a production deal with the studio, guaranteed days off each week (for his own political activities perhaps?) and a recurring role for his daughter, Renee Estevez.

Estevez has previously appeared on the show as Nancy, a staffer who served as an assistant to presidential secretary Mrs. Landingham, who was killed off in a car crash during May sweeps, apparently jeopardizing Estevez's part.

But, if the Post is correct, Sheen's deal guarantees her return. NBC said Wednesday it has not yet been determined whether she would serve under the new secretary, to be played by new cast member Lily Tomlin, or would get another White House assignment.

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television, the show's production company, confirmed that Sheen had negotiated a new deal, but would not discuss any details. However, a source close to the production implied the Post story had exaggerated the terms.

Of course, Warners doesn't want Sheen's raise to make waves on the set of The West Wing, especially since supporting players Allison Janney, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff staged a walkout last year over what they viewed as unfair treatment. They wound up getting substantial raises, each making about $75,000 per episode last season as compared to the approximately $100,000 per pulled in by Sheen and Rob Lowe. There are usually a minimum of 22 episodes per season. (Coincidentally Whitford's real-life wife, Jane Kaczmarek, just got a hefty raise from Fox's Malcolm in the Middle.)

If the Post's source is on the money, then Sheen's pay hike would rank him up there with ER's Noah Wyle as one of the top-compensated stars of a TV drama. Wyle pulls down about $400,000 per episode.

But that's still pocket change compared to the salaries earned by NBC's top sitcom stars. Frasier's Kelsey Grammer makes more than $1.6 million per episode of his sitcom and second banana David Hyde Pierce makes about $1 million per. That's about the same salary the six stars of Friends will earn for their upcoming final season.

From Zap2it.com: Emily Procter on Ainsley

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Hollywood types are fond of saying "never say never" in referring to the types of projects they would or wouldn't do.

Actress Emily Procter, however, got about as close as possible to saying "never" without actually saying it Tuesday (July 16) at the TV Critics Association press tour in Pasadena.

Procter, who had a recurring role on "The West Wing" the last two seasons, is one of the stars of CBS' "CSI: Miami," a spinoff of the network's top-rated show, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." She says her regular role on the new show will likely preclude reprising her role as White House lawyer Ainsley Hayes on the NBC series.

"I don't think there's going to be any real time for Ainsley," she says.

The actress is grateful for her time on "The West Wing" and remains in touch with several people from the cast. "They actually called several times during the filming of the ['CSI: Miami'] pilot to heckle me," she says. "I'll miss them a lot."

And, true to the "never say never" adage, Procter says "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin will not write her character out of the show -- she just won't be mentioned, as happened in long stretches of last season.

"Aaron said he wished me well and hope I had a great time," Procter says before adding with a laugh, "but he's crossing his fingers and secretly hoping it will fail.

July 18, 2002...

The Emmy nominations are out, and congratulations to the show for receiving 23 noms!

Lead Actor: Martin Sheen
Lead Actress: Allison Janney
Supporting Actress: Janel Moloney, Stockard Channing, Mary-Louise Parker
Supporting Actor: Dule Hill, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff
Guest Star in a Drama: Tim Matheson, Ron Silver, Mark Harmon
Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Writing In A Drama Series: "Posse Comitatus," Aaron Sorkin
Outstanding Directing In A Drama Series: "The Indians In The Lobby," Paris Barclay; "Posse Comitatus," Alex Graves
Outstanding Special Class Program: The Documentary Special
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Series: " Bartlet For America," Lauren Schaffer, Editor; "100,000 Airplanes," Janet Ashikaga, Editor
Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series: "Bartlet For America," Thomas Del Ruth, Director of Photography
Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series: Anthony Sepulveda;  Barbara Miller
Outstanding Art Direction For A Single-Camera Series: "Manchester (Part 2),"  Kenneth Hardy, Production Designer; Ellen Totleben, Set Decorator

June 29, 2002...

The Emmy nominations will be out soon and the show is sending out tapes of their episodes "Bartlet for America" and "Hartsfield's Landing" for their quest in another nomination as "Best Drama."  Rumor has it that Alison Janney has moved herself from the "Supporting Actress" category, and is submitting herself as "Best Actress."  The show is promoting Janel Moloney and Stockard Channing as "Best Supporting Actress" nominees, but seems to not be pushing Mary Louise Parker as a nominee for "Best Guest-Starring Actress."

March 15, 2002...

Congratulations to the show and cast for winning all three of their Screen Actor's Guild categories!  Martin Sheen took home the statue for Best Male Actor in a Drama Series, Alison Janney took home the statue for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and the entire cast took home statues for Best Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series!  Whoo-hoo!

February 10, 2002...

The show has received several Screen Actor's Guild nominations:  Martin Sheen, Male Actor in a Drama Series; Stockard Channing, Female Actor in a Drama Series; Alison Janney, Female Actor in a Drama Series; the entire cast, Ensemble in a Drama Series.

November 15, 2001...

From ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, November 23, 2001: 

Mild, Mild 'West'  

Sorry, Josh and Donna, West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin has no plans to relieve that sexual tension anytime soon.  The two-time Emmy winner explained that he'd like to make the NBC drama sexier and more romantic, but he just can't "seem to pull the trigger on writing it.  It's been a two-and-a-half-year cold shower."  Not helping matters: He didn't keep the home fires burning between the prostitute law student (Lisa Edelstein) and Sam (Rob Lowe), and Timothy Busfield's Danny went missing in action before we ever saw a smitten C.J. (Allison Janney) give him that big exclusive.  Asked when his characters will take that overdue trip to nookieville, the recently separated Sorkin shoots back, "Not until I do."  Uh, more information than we needed there.

November 4, 2001...

The West Wing kicked butt at the 53rd Emmys!  Here's what they won of the "big" awards...

Bradley Whitford, Best Supporting Actor
Alison Janney, Best Supporting Actress
Tommy Schlamme, Best Director "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen I&II"
Best Drama Series

September 26, 2001...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters): (contains very minor spoilers) Creators of White House drama "The West Wing" are hurrying a special episode about terrorism into production for the show's first new segment this fall,  bucking U.S. television's prevailing trend of avoiding such stories following the Sept. 11 attack on America.

The self-contained segment, in which fictional U.S. President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) confronts a terrorist attack, is scheduled to run Oct. 3, with the show's original season opening episode pushed back to Oct. 10, NBC said on Monday.

The move to address terrorism on "The West Wing" comes as several other shows are scrupulously avoiding the subject. CBS pulled its premiere episode of the new CIA-based show "The Agency" because of references to Saudi  exile Osama bin Laden and a fictional plot to blow up a London building. The network also has postponed another early segment about a potential anthrax attack on
Washington, D.C.

The special "West Wing" episode, titled "Isaac and Ishmael," will deal "with some of the questions and issues  currently facing the world in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on the United States," an NBC statement  said. But the segment, being written by series creator Aaron Sorkin, reportedly will not refer specifically to the  Sept. 11 hijack bombings of the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

"We didn't feel comfortable going back to our fictional White House without taking a moment," executive producer  John Wells told Daily Variety. "Hopefully, we can say something that's useful and not in any way appear like we're trying to exploit the tragic events ... You can't pretend this didn't occur."

Variety said the episode will open with cast members addressing the audience directly before going into character.

The series will pick up its story line from last season's cliffhanger with an Oct. 10 broadcast of its official season opener -- an episode titled "Manchester, Part I" -- with Bartlett announcing whether he will seek reelection despite  the scandal created over the disclosure that he suffers from multiple sclerosis.

September 23, 2001...

From NBC Media Site: 

NBC’s “The West Wing” (Wednesdays, 9-10 p.m. ET) will present a special episode of the Emmy Award-winning series, dealing with some of the questions and issues currently facing the world in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on the United States. The episode, “Isaac and Ishmael,” is being written by the Emmy-winning writer and creator of the series, Aaron Sorkin, and will be telecast Wednesday, Oct. 3 (9-10 p.m. ET),

As a result, the season premiere of “The West Wing” (“Manchester, Part I”) will now air on Oct. 10 (9-10 p.m. ET).

An encore presentation of the Emmy-winning episode, “In Excelsis Deo,” will air Sept. 26 (9-10 p.m. ET).

“Aaron is a brilliant writer who has something he wants to say. We have great faith in his abilities to interpret last week’s events in a manner that will make this an important hour of television,” said Jeff Zucker, President, NBC Entertainment.

The new episode has begun production and will be rapidly advanced through post-production in time for the October 3 airdate. Storyline details are not being released at this time.

“The West Wing” is from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Sorkin is the series creator/executive producer. Director Thomas Schlamme and John Wells are executive producers.

September 9, 2001...

Zap2it.com: THE WEST WING has won several Creative Emmy Awards!  Here are there awards...

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
Outstanding Cinematography for single-camera series: "Noel"
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series: "Two Cathedrals"
Outstanding Single Camera Sound Mixing for a Series: "In The
Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II"

_______*_______

Speaking of the Emmys, here are the episodes that the stars submitted for their nominations...

Best Supporting Actor Nominees (2 episodes each)

Bradley Whitford: “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, II," “Noël”
John Spencer: “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, I," "The Leadership Breakfast."
Richard Schiff: “The Leadership Breakfast," “17 People"

Best Dramatic Actor Nominees (1 episode each)

Rob Lowe: "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"
Martin Sheen: "Two Cathedrals"

Best Drama: (submits eight episodes)

"In the Shadow of the Gunman, Part I and Part II"
"Shibboleth"
"The War at Home"
"Galileo"
"Noel"
"17 People"
"Two Cathedrals"   

_______*_______

Both Janel Moloney and Alison Janney were named in TV GUIDE'S HOTTEST 50 PEOPLE IN TV special issue!  Also, Josh and Donna were named #2 in the "Best Couples to Watch," also in the magazine.  

_______*_______

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT is reporting that Janel Moloney has done an NBC "The More You Know" public service announcements, but I have no further details than that.


 July 29, 2001...

TV Guide Online: LET'S MAKE A DEAL: As expected, the salary dispute involving West Wingers Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer and Bradley Whitford has been settled. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the foursome will now make in the neighborhood of $70,000-$75,000 per episode - about double what they had been earning. Also, the actors agreed to extend their contracts through the show's seventh season.

July 21, 2001...

Although talks are still continuing with the 4 stars who went on mini-strike last week, Aaron Sorkin says it has not created problems on the set.  From a Zap2it.com article..."If it's had any effect, it sort of had the effect that on Monday morning when the cameras started rolling, everybody kind of falling on the ground and kissing it, [saying], 'Something we understand finally.'" Sorkin adds that, although he's "way out of the loop," he understands that the actors and Warner Bros. are close to working out a deal.

_______*_______

Stockard Channing has signed a contract to appear in 12 episodes of Season 3 as First Lady Abigail Bartlet, MD, making her a "regular" for the season.

_______*_______

7.19.01 — (NBC) NBC next season will broadcast its popular, critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning The West Wing (Wednesdays, 9-10 p.m. ET) in a special format — "Presented in Wide Screen" — just as the network has done with television's top-rated drama, ER, last season. NBC started employing the innovative process on ER (Thursdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) last fall and will continue with it on that series in the 2001-2002 season. The audience-friendly process will feature a 1.78:1 aspect ratio (or more commonly known as "16x9") as opposed to the basic 1.33:1 (or "4x3") ratio that is standard on almost all television programs. Because the more rectangular picture encompasses a wider swath of action, a narrow black strip will appear at the top and bottom of the screen that is a form of the letterbox format often used to present feature films on television. The end credits will be presented in the standard 4x3 aspect ratio.

July 15, 2001...

The strike being staged by Bradley Whitford, Alison Janney, Richard Schiff, and John Spencer continues.  Read on...

Variety/Reuters...By Steve Gorman

Four leading cast members of NBC's Emmy Award-winning White House drama ``The West Wing'' may be headed for a showdown next week with producers at Warner Bros. TV over how much they are paid.

A lawyer hired by co-stars Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and John Spencer has hinted the four performers would skip the first day of production on Monday unless their salary demands are met, entertainment trade paper Daily Variety reported Friday.

``What they are asking is merely for Warner Bros. to make good on what it promised when they made their original deals,'' attorney Peter Nelson was quoted as telling Variety. ``The best way to put it is, the actors are fully prepared to meet their work obligations Monday, assuming Warners meets its obligation to them.''

An insider familiar with the salary talks told Reuters that ''no such promises were made'' to the actors under their existing pacts, and that Warner Bros. would consider them to be in breach of contract if they fail to show up on Monday.

The source said the studio has offered to double the actors' salaries, but Variety reported the two sides were roughly $35,000 per episode apart in their talks.

The hit series, which stars Martin Sheen as fictional U.S. President Josiah Batlett, won nine Emmys for its first season and claimed nominations for 18 more on Thursday. The show begins its third season in the fall.

All four co-stars involved in salary talks received Emmy nominations Thursday for their work on the show last season, and two of them, Janney and Schiff, won Emmys last year for their respective roles as White House press secretary C.J. Cregg and communications director Toby Ziegler.

OFFER TO DOUBLE SALARIES NOT ENOUGH

Sources confirmed to Reuters that Warner Bros., a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc., was in contract talks with the four co-stars but disputed Nelson's assertion that producers were obligated to renegotiate their original deals.

``However, in recognition of the success of the show, an offer is on the table that doubles their salary,'' one insider familiar with the talks said, adding that the actors were not satisfied with that offer.

The four missed a costume fitting this week and failed to show up for an initial ``table reading'' of the script for the season premiere, forcing executive producer Aaron Sorkin to proceed with star Martin Sheen and other cast members without the missing co-stars, the sources said.

But producers attributed their absence to a ''misunderstanding'' over the date for the reading and the fact that two of the actors had other commitments. None of the cast is contractually obligated to report to work until Monday, the first day of production, according to sources.

According to Variety, Nelson denied that Janney, Schiff, Whitford or Spencer had deliberately skipped the reading and blamed their absence on confusion over schedules. Nelson was not immediately available for comment on Friday.

Variety reported that Warner Bros. has offered to double the four cast members' salaries to about $65,000 per episode, with annual increases of $10,000 per season, and is seeking to extend their contract for two years beyond the six years in the original deal.

The actors, however, are seeking about $90,000 per episode, with their salaries growing to about $200,000 per segment by the seventh season, but they are reluctant to commit to an eighth season, the trade paper said.

Those figures pale in comparison to the reported record $1.76 million per episode that Paramount Network Television recently agreed to pay Kelsey Grammer for NBC sitcom ``Frasier'' or the $750,000 per episode that each of the six ``Friends'' co-stars earns.

NBC is a unit of General Electric Corp..

Reuters/Variety

July 13, 2001...

The West Wing has picked up a whopping 18 Emmy nominations!!  Second only to The Sopranos.   

When interviewed by E! about the Emmy nominations Aaron Sorkin mentioned Janel Maloney and Dule Hill (the only two main cast members that were not nominated) and said "next year is their year."

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From Variety...

On Monday, when Dish inquired about the absence of cast members John Spencer, Brad Whitford, Allison Janney and Richard Schiff at the first table read of the season, Warner Bros. swore it was due to a scheduling mixup and unrelated to the fact the quartet had banded together and hired a lawyer to seek raises. WB and the show's producers said the reading would take place Wednesday, and a network photo shoot for Sunday was still planned. Well, the table was empty once again Wednesday, and the photo shoot has been delayed, with work beginning on Monday. What's really going on? Dish hears Monday is indeed significant, the day the studio will consider the quartet to be in breach of their existing long-term contracts if they're absent again. The thesps currently make slightly north of $30,000 an episode and want that tripled, with the studio trying to meet them in the middle. That would still leave them behind Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe, who were paid six-figure per-episode salaries going in and are not involved in a stalemate that could grow ugly.

May 11, 2001...

Catch Brad Whitford (Josh) airing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on 5-15, and The View on 5-16.  

People magazine has named Dule Hill (Charlie) as one if it's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" for 2001. Visit their web site for a profile of Dulé.

According to a recent Martin Sheen (Bartlet) interview with TV Guide Online, he has no plans to leave the show anytime soon.  And although he has one more season left on his contract (his three-year deal expires at the end of next season-Season 3) it is already being renegotiated. "I’ve never done a TV series before, and I didn’t understand that they start to negotiate before the old contract is done. I thought it was like baseball: You finish out your playing season, and then you get ready to do it again." 

March 20, 2001...

From the U.S. News and World Report...

The cast of West Wing, known for Bush bashing, has been invited to the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, and that ticks off some reporters. The journalists had hoped to make the night friendly to President Bush, although there's no indication that any cast member will get close enough to jeer the president. In fact, the cast hasn't yet accepted an invitation from the star-grabbing Bloomberg News Service. But producers are trying to time location filming at Washington sites to coincide with the April 28 dinner.

March 15, 2001...

Congratulations to the show for winning 3 SAG Awards!  Best Ensemble Cast in a Drama, Best Actor (Martin Sheen) and Best Actress (Alison Janney)!

From The Hollywood Reporter...

It was fight night Sunday at the seventh annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The fight for democracy swept the television drama categories, with three wins for NBC's political series "The West Wing," including best ensemble and honors for Martin Sheen and Allison Janney. Janney was a first-time nominee for best actress in a drama series. "I'm so truly proud to be able to finally say I'm Allison Janney and I'm an actress," said "The West Wing" star, who won a statuette last year as a cast member of the feature "American Beauty." Sheen added his first SAG Award to the Golden Globe he won in January for his role as President Josiah Bartlet in the White House drama. "I can't remember my own name half the time," he exclaimed when failing to name his fellow nominees for best actor in a drama series. "It's the award season," he said in his defense. "We're told to remember that the higher a monkey climbs, the more he shows his ass." Sheen also praised the show's creator. "When we say 'West Wing,' on 'The West Wing,' we mean Aaron Sorkin," he said. "The West Wing's" John Spencer added more thanks to Sorkin when all the cast members took the stage to receive their first best ensemble in a drama series award. "The real secret here is we're in there working our asses off because we're blessed with such brilliant material," Spencer said, "and that material is given to us by Aaron Sorkin, the true genius." Broadcast live on TNT on the East Coast and tape-delayed in the West, the star-studded gala honored outstanding performances from 2000 in five film and eight TV categories, including the unique ensemble awards. The winners are awarded bronze statuettes. The SAG Awards are chosen by the actors' peers: 98,000 active members nationwide who vote by secret ballot.

From The Hollywood Reporter...

Thomas Schlamme won the award from the Director's Guild for achievement in a dramatic series for NBC's The West Wing episode, "Noel." "Sometimes I feel like an architect who everyone is admiring their palace and he realizes secretly that he's been given the greatest blueprints possible," he said. "For that reason I thank my friend and my partner Aaron Sorkin. Every week he gives us these amazing blueprints and gives us the freedom to try to execute his palace."

March 9, 2001...

From Zap2it.com..."West Wing Follows 'Larry Sanders' on Bravo"

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -  Bravo announced Tuesday (March 6) that it has acquired the exclusive cable rights for "The West Wing," and will begin airing the episode in the fourth quarter of 2003. The deal includes all episodes produced through 2009.   

"'The West Wing' is smart, upscale and a perfect match for us from a demographic and psychographic standpoint," says Ed Carroll, executive vice president and general manager of Bravo networks.   

In the fourth quarter of 2002, the basic cable channel will kick off the Art of Television, a showcase of quality series. "The Larry Sanders Show" will be the first series featured.   

"The Art of Television features groundbreaking, critically acclaimed series that challenge the medium and appeal to an upscale, influential audience," says Frances Berwick, Bravo's senior vice president of programming. "'The West Wing' will be the perfect follow up to 'The Larry Sanders Show.'"

 

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