History Series / TheWestWing

* FreudianExcuse: Inverted all over the place (in a series this [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealistic]], no one is actually a villain. Except [[KnightTemplar Hafley]].).

** Certain one-off guest roles were in positions where we should've reasonably expected to see the characters again from time to time, particularly the new chief of staff for the House Majority leader[[TheAntagonist Ann Stark]] and White House attorney [[StuntCasting Joseph 'Joe' Quincy]].

** Cliff Caley looks like he's going to be an AscendedExtra when [[spoiler:C.J. hires him for Josh's old job]], but after a few episodes he vanishes.

** Certain one-off guest roles were in positions where we should've reasonably expected to see the characters again from time to time, particularly Senate Majority Leader [[TheAntagonist Ann Stark]] and White House attorney [[StuntCasting Joseph 'Joe' Quincy]].

** In the fourth season, Sam's [[spoiler: running for Congressman in California, and Toby is helping with his campaign]]. Toby gets into a fight with a guy at a restaurant when the man gets physically threatening towards Andrea, and after he's booked, he calls in to Air Force One about it, using a cell phone that apparently belongs to a hooker, referencing Sam's history with Laurie in Season 1 when Sam admonishes hiim for it.

* ThreeVolleyFlinch: In "[[Recap/TheWestWingS01E10InExcelsisDeo In Excelsis Deo]]", Toby Ziegler flinches at the sound of the gun salute given during the funeral of the homeless veteran.

* {{Fiction 500}}: Franklin Hollis is an extremely rich celebrity philanthropist businessman, probably a [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed fictional counterpart]] to Bill Gates.

* ProofByExamples: Ainsley shamelessly uses this (with a hint of the ChewbaccaDefense) in one episode when she and Sam are arguing over the merits of presidential candidates possessing an Ivy League education or making a big deal of their educational prowess (Sam argues that it demonstrates mental capacity, while Ainsley argues that it's elitist). At one point, Ainsley comes out with "Does it concern you that the smartest Presidents have been the worst?", but is only able to point to John Henry Adams and Woodrow Wilson as examples. It's subverted, however, since Sam instantly calls her out on the flagrant false premise ("I don't grant your premise!"), and Ainsley grudgingly grants that she ultimately agrees with Sam on this one and is just arguing with him for the sake of it.

** At one point, Bartlett grouses about the infamous “Shaken, not stirred” recipe for a vodka martini favored by Film/JamesBond.
--> '''Bartlett''': You know what’s messed up about James Bond? “Shaken, not stirred” will get you cold water with a dash of gin and dry vermouth. The reason you stir it with a special spoon is so as not to chip the ice. James is ordering a weak martini and being snooty about it.

** In one specific episode exploring US foreign policy, two expys for former US presidents are temporarily introduced (though neither are ever referenced thereafter). Bartlet travels to the state funeral of Owen Lassiter, seemingly based on Ronald Reagan (Lassiter was a right-wing two-term Republican from southern California, who controversially propped up foreign dictatorial regimes - the episode aired about 6 months before Reagan's actual death). Joining him for the trip is D.W. Newman, a Jimmy Carter expy (Newman is a Democrat, spent his one term in office dealing with problems in the Middle East, and has become outspokenly liberal in retirement). Lassiter also appears to have some Nixon qualities, and his state funeral is based on the one held for Nixon on his death in 1997.

** The show misses a year between Christmas 2003, as shown in the middle of season 5, and C.J.'s first day as Chief of Staff in early season 6. This gives the show more ease in fitting the 2006 presidential primaries into season 6 and the election into season 7. The most popular place for the lost year is after the episode "Access" (C.J.'s ADayInTheLife episode), as the episodes after it are pretty close together.

* ThrowingOutTheScript: Bartlet is usually pretty good about sticking to his prepared speeches but has occasionally had to improvise, usually because some outside force interfered with his ability to deliver the preparted speech.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** In "Take This Sabbath Day," Joey Lucas signs "fuck you" to Josh, but her body is partially blocking her hands.
** In Part I of "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen," as the limos arrive at the hospital you can see the nurse who answered the phone mouth "Holy shit!"
** In a brief comic moment in "He Shall, from Time to Time...", Abbey and Mallory are discussing the latter's "itch" for Sam Seaborn.
--->'''Abbey:''' Want some advice? Never go for the geniuses; they never want to sleep.
** From "Galileo," during the stamp-design subplot:
-->'''Donna''': Philately's fun, Josh.\\
'''Josh''': I'm sorry, what's fun?\\
'''Donna''': Philately. Stamp collecting.\\
'''Josh''': OK, be careful how you say that word, 'cause...
** Halfway into Season 3, while Cliff Calley [[spoiler: is trying to get in touch with Josh to persuade him to talk to Leo, in order to bring an end to the MS hearings]]. Complicated further by the fact that [[spoiler:Cliff and Donna have gone out a couple of times, and slept together at least once]].
-->'''Cliff''': Look, I'm going to be at the Georgetown Law Library in 20 minutes. I'll be in the Federal Case Law section.\\
'''Donna''': Cliff, I'm a senior assistant. This is way over my head, and it doesn't feel right. I can't go [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Felt Deep Throating]] [[ThatCameOutWrong in the middle of...]]
** An in-universe attempt at this (it's never shown if the press caught on) is during the Santos campaign he's asked what his favourite Music/BobDylan album is, he jokes that Highway 61 Revisited would be appropriate, but it's actually Blonde On Blonde, [[GirlOnGirlIsHot then looks over at his wife]].
** In "Manchester Part 1" when Joey and Kenny are in Leo's office and Leo gets a note about CJ's disastrous press conference, he says, "Holy hell", which Kenny interprets of Joey as "Holy shit."
** After a victorious election night, Bartlet woos Mrs. Bartlet into some victory sex with a little statistical DoubleEntendre:
--> '''Bartlet:''' I won the Dakotas. The Badlands. The Black Hills. But let's go down, way down, to the Deep South and the humid bayou of Louisiana and its nine electoral votes. What manner of man it must take to win the state...

Doesn't have anything to do with ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''.

** Also played mostly straight with anyone to the left of the main cast. Seth Gillette, for example.

Is now featured, in its entirety, on Creator/{{Netflix}}. Though, this is likely to change in May 2020 with the launch of Creator/{{HBOMax}}.

After NBC moved the show up against the inexplicable ratings juggernaut ''Series/ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition'', ratings declined to the point where, in 2006, it was cancelled. The Smits-Vinnick Election arc did give a perfect out for its GrandFinale.

After NBC moved the show up against the inexplicable ratings juggernaut ''Series/ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition'', ratings declined to the point where, in 2006, it was cancelled. The re-election arc did give a perfect out for its GrandFinale.

* ProofByExamples: Ainsley shamelessly uses this (with a hint of the ChewbaccaDefence) in one episode when she and Sam are arguing over the merits of presidential candidates possessing an Ivy League education or making a big deal of their educational prowess (Sam argues that it demonstrates mental capacity, while Ainsley argues that it's elitist). At one point, Ainsley comes out with "Does it concern you that the smartest Presidents have been the worst?", but is only able to point to John Henry Adams and Woodrow Wilson as examples. It's subverted, however, since Sam instantly calls her out on the flagrant false premise ("I don't grant your premise!"), and Ainsley grudgingly grants that she ultimately agrees with Sam on this one and is just arguing with him for the sake of it.

** Some of the first season writing makes the characters and tone a little less sophisticated than they turn out to be. Of course, it doesn't make it any less satisfying.

** The president tells some representatives of the Christian right to "get your fat asses out of my White House."

** An agent of the secret service, ever after portrayed as an agency with the utmost professionalism and cool in action, tells a guy harrassing Zoe at a bar "don't move! Swear to God I'll blow your head off" as he arrests him. Although in his defence, the agents ''had'' been summoned by their primary's panic button and for all they knew these guys they're arresting were potential kidnappers or something.

** The Barenaked Ladies play at a Rock The Vote event.
** James Taylor sings "A Change Is Gonna Come" during a tribute to Sam Cooke.

** Foo Fighters plays the Santos election party.

* SenselessSacrifice: Sheila insists that Vinick fire her in ''The Cold'' so that he can adjust his campaign strategy (after the near-meltdown of a nuclear power plant ruins his original 50-state strategy) while blaming any poor decisions on her, changing the story from the meltdown to a Vinick resurgence. It doesn't work; the press runs stories on how badly the campaign is crumbling and the nuclear accident remains a weight on Vinick until his 'Til They Drop' press conference in ''TwoWeeksOut''.

* ThoseTwoGuys: Ed & Larry, two minor staffers who are present in all seasons. They are apparently important enough to be invited to a few top-level, highly-sensitive meetings.
** In Seasons 5-7, Santos staffer Ronna was That One Guy; although she nominally had equal status to Santos's other staffers, she appeared in far more episodes than them (22, more than Nancy McNally and John Hoynes, even though Ronna was a less important character) and directors tended to include her in shots where other more prominent characters were talking. In the season finale she became Santos's Executive Secretary.

* ThrowingOutTheScript: A few examples.

* ArtisticLicense: The staff members last longer in their gigs than their real life counterparts tend to. For example, Chief of Staff is pretty much a one-and-a-half to two year job (it is an ''intensely'' stressful gig), and Leo's there for five or six years ([[spoiler: although he does end up having a heart attack]]). And White Houses run through press secretaries like they come five to a nickel from a gumball machine, but CJ was at that podium...[[spoiler: until Leo's heart attack prompted her switch to his job.]]
** Consultant Lawrence O'Donnell said that after the show hit the air, he was worried that there would be a weekly column in ''The New York Times'' entitled "What The West Wing Got Wrong This Week." He was pleasantly surprised that most people - including experienced political operatives - seemed to accept the artistic license of the show.