An episode-by-episode discussion of The West Wing, one of television’s most beloved shows, co-hosted by one of its stars, Joshua Malina, along with Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder.
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 our podcast. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/707-part2 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...
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 this message.) For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/706 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...
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 about dance battles. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/704 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.p...
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 different, political, Emmy-winning shows intersect. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/014 Learn ab...
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 signage for all of the West Wing candidates in Season 6. This might be the nerdiest episode of the W...
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-choices...
Richard Schiff returns as our guest this week to tell us about his experience directing "A Good Day." For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/617 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
This week, we’re joined by Debora Cahn, to talk about her script for "Drought Conditions," and by Richard Schiff , to talk about his heartbreaking performance in it. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/616 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
"Tell me about Barack Obama." That's what Eli Attie said to David Axelrod in 2004, while searching for inspiration to help flesh out the character of Congressman Matthew Santos. In this episode, we talk to both of them to find out what Eli learned and how it shaped the sixth season. And David Axelrod tells us about his own experiences as the guy behind the guy, and what The West Wing means to him. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/012 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Eli Attie joins us to discuss the Santos campaign, the return of Amy Gardner, and the Marx Brothers. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/615 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
We’re joined by the real-life Professor Lawrence Lessig , who appears as a character in this episode, played by the real-life Christopher Lloyd. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/614 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
We have so many great guests for our discussion of “King Corn” that you’re going to look at this podcast episode the way Will Bailey looks at an ice cream sandwich. We talk Ned & Ronna with Evan Arnold & Karis Campbell, we talk Turkey with West Wing writer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich , and Politico senior writer Michael Grunwald walks us through the political maize of supporting ethanol. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/613 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
You sent in your queries; you know we've got answers—it's a feta compli. In the queso one or two questions, we got a little help from Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford, who sent us some really gouda answers of their own. We're always fondue these episodes, and we hope you'll think this one's grate, too. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/011 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
There’s only a year left in the Bartlet Presidency—and only 9 months left in the TWWW Podcastency!—and it feels like the last chance to make history. We’re joined by Tony Blinken who once held the same NSA position as Kate Harper, to talk about how hard it is to make long-term plans while you’re putting out little fires everywhere. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/612 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
We’re joined by Mayor Pete Buttigieg , 2020 Presidential hopeful, for our discussion of “Opposition Research,” in which Matt Santos travels to New Hampshire to introduce himself to the electorate. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/611 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Bradley Whitford joins us this week to discuss "Faith Based Initiative," which he wrote! Incredibly, his first time writing for television was this episode of The West Wing. He tells us how it all came together, as we pick it apart. For more, visit thewestwingweekly.com/610 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
