The West Wing Weekly

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 c...

We take this episode in our bone-crushing grip and shake it with everything we've got. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/714 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Josh and Donna There on my TV   K-I-S-S-I-N-G Let's discuss. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/713 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Eli Attie joins us to discuss this tension-filled episode about a potential nuclear disaster. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/712 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 ou...

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 th...

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 ab...

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We wanted to honor the end of Vice President Bob Russell's storyline in The West Wing with Gary Cole, who played Bingo Bob. Gary also plays Kent Davison in the brilliant, vicious, hilarious Veep, so we decided to celebrate two great(?) Vice Presidents in one episode. It's a Veep special! We're also joined by Veep showrunner David Mandel , a huge West Wing fan, to talk about where these two very di...

We wrap up Season 6 with a live taping from Washington, DC, joined by special guests Mary McCormack ( @marycmccormack ) and Lawrence O’Donnell ( @lawrence ). Cue the balloons! Go balloons! Uhhh, where are the balloons?! For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/622 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the DNC, The delegate tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of democracy is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.  With special guest, Jennifer Palmieri . For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/621 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The legendary Alan Alda joins us this week to discuss Arnie Vinick, the Constitution, and eating ice cream. Plus, we speak to Reverend Katey Zeh , the executive director of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/620 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

"Ninety Miles Away" really takes us somewhere, and we're not talking about Cuba. Josh and Hrishi try to navigate their way through wigs, termites, and Hemingway. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/619 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When you’re running for President, how you present yourself to the public is crucial. The West Wing often underscored that it’s not just what one says, it’s how one says it. So in this special episode, we look at what goes into designing a Presidential campaign – both fictional, and non-fictional. Michael Bierut designed Hillary Clinton’s ubiquitous 'H' logo, and Leslie Wah designed the logos and...

Eli Attie joins us again to talk about his third episode in the trilogy of Santos campaign episodes that he wrote for Season 6. We also hear from Angelica Salas of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) on the real story behind California’s fight over driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/618 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-ch...