The West Wing: HBO Max Sets Premiere Date for Reunion Special

(HBO Max / Eddy Chen)

President Josiah Bartlet is heading back to the Oval Office. HBO Max has announced that the upcoming reunion of The West Wing cast, aka A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote will be released on the HBO Max streaming service on October 15th.

West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin and executive producer/director Thomas Schlamme will reunite with cast members from the NBC series to recreate the “Hartsfield’s Landing” episode from the show’s third season. Stars Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford, and Martin Sheen will reprise their roles from the episode.

Here’s additional information about the special:

A WEST WING SPECIAL TO BENEFIT WHEN WE ALL VOTE Premieres October 15 on HBO Max

Award-Winning Original Cast Will Come Together for First Time in 17 Years for a Special Staged Theatrical Presentation of “Hartsfield’s Landing” Episode

Act Breaks to Feature Commentary From Former First Lady Michelle Obama, President Bill Clinton and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Emmy® Award–Winning Musician and Composer W. G. Snuffy Walden to Open the Special on Guitar Playing the Iconic Series Theme Song; The Avett Brothers to Close Out the Special With a Performance

LOS ANGELES – September 22, 2020 – Standing in solidarity with the spirit behind National Voter Registration Day, HBO Maxannounced today that A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote will premiere on the platform on October 15, dropping just two weeks prior to the momentous national election. This timely special marks the first time in 17 years that the original cast of the Emmy®- and Peabody Award–winning hit Warner Bros. Television drama series will come together with creator Aaron Sorkin and executive producer/director Thomas Schlamme for a special theatrical stage presentation of the “Hartsfield’s Landing” episode from the show’s third season. The West Wing stars Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen will reprise their roles from the episode.

Additionally, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote will include act breaks with guest appearances from When We All Vote co-chair Michelle Obama, President Bill Clinton and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Fans will also be treated to the musical talents of legendary Emmy® award–winning composer W.G. Snuffy Walden, who will take to his guitar to play the iconic score for The West Wing theme song. Folk rock band, The Avett Brothers, will also close out the special.

The creative team and cast organized this historic production in order to raise awareness for and support the vital mission of When We All Vote, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization co-chaired by Michelle Obama which was founded to increase participation in every election in America. In honor of the special, WarnerMedia will make a donation to When We All Vote.

A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote is produced by Casey Patterson Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme and Casey Patterson are the executive producers. Rob Paine is co-executive producer and Schlamme will serve as director. The production will strictly follow COVID Safe Way Forward Protocols.

Spanning seven seasons, The West Wing provided a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of an eclectic group of frenzied staffers in the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House. Emmy® winner Aaron Sorkin created the series and served as an executive producer with Emmy® winners Thomas Schlamme and John Wells (ER, Shameless). One of the most critically acclaimed and lauded shows in television history, The West Wing won 27 Primetime Emmy® Awards (including one for The West Wing: Documentary Special), two Peabody Awards, two Humanitas Prizes, two Golden Globe® Awards, seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards, two Directors Guild of America Awards, and five Television Critics Association Awards, among many others.

The West Wing starred Emmy® nominee Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation, 9-1-1: Lone Star), Emmy® winner/Oscar® nominee Stockard Channing (The Good Wife, Six Degrees of Separation), Emmy® nominee Dulé Hill (Psych), Emmy® and Oscar® winner Allison Janney (Mom; I, Tonya), Emmy® nominee Janel Moloney (The Leftovers), Emmy® winner Richard Schiff (The Good Doctor, Clemency), the late Emmy® winner John Spencer (L.A. Law), Emmy® winner Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale, Get Out) and Emmy® winner Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie, The Departed), and was produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

ABOUT WHEN WE ALL VOTE
When We All Vote is a national, nonpartisan, non-profit launched by Co-Chair Michelle Obama in 2018 on a mission to change the culture around voting by bringing together citizens, institutions, brands, and organizations to increase participation in every election. They are also on a mission to close the race and age voting gap and empower all eligible voters to cast their ballot by harnessing grassroots energy, establishing strategic partnerships, and implementing digital organizing strategies. Learn more here.

ABOUT “HARTSFIELD’S LANDING” EPISODE – SEASON THREE, EPISODE 15
Original Air Date: February 27, 2002
Bartlet (Martin Sheen) engages both Sam (Rob Lowe) and Toby (Richard Schiff) in intricate chess matches that mirror the wily game of brinksmanship that Bartlet is playing with the Chinese, who are conducting war games in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese threaten real war if Taiwan begins test firing its new U.S.-made Patriot defense missiles. Meanwhile, Josh (Bradley Whitford) is nervous about the 42 votes in a remote New Hampshire town’s election, which are counted immediately and always predict the winner of that state’s primary. Mischievous C.J. (Allison Janney) tries to upset Charlie (Dulé Hill) by hiding his copy of the President’s top-secret daily schedule — prompting a spate of playful tricks. The episode was written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Vincent Misiano.

ABOUT HBO MAX
HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering, which debuted May 27, 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content, HBO Max offers powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia’s rich library including motion picture and TV series from Warner Bros., highlights from New Line, and catalog titles from DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more.
Website: HBOMax.com

ABOUT CASEY PATTERSON ENTERTAINMENT
Casey Patterson Entertainment is a full-service production company producing premium content, live events, and talent-driven series and specials, with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. Casey Patterson is a five-time Emmy®- and two-time PGA Award–nominated, NAACP Image Award–winning, and critically acclaimed executive producer who has created and produced an array of groundbreaking programming during her 25-year career, including such high-profile events as The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, The Concert of the Century at the White House, The 9/11 Concert for New York City, A Very Murray Christmas on Netflix, Some Good News with John Krasinski, MTV Movie & TV Awards, One Night Only: Alec Baldwin, and NBC’s Concert for America.

ABOUT WARNER HORIZON UNSCRIPTED TELEVISION
Warner Horizon Unscripted Television is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of primetime reality series for both network and cable. A division of Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television, led by Mike Darnell, Warner Horizon Unscripted Television’s slate includes “The Voice,” “Little Big Shots” with Melissa McCarthy, the Ellen DeGeneres–hosted “Ellen’s Game of Games,” “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” and Ava DuVernay’s “Home Sweet Home” for NBC, plus “The Bachelor” franchise for ABC, which includes “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and the touring version “The Bachelor Live on Stage,” as well as digital and podcast extensions of the long-running franchise. Warner Horizon Unscripted Television recently announced signature docu-series unit includes “Helter Skelter” for EPIX and “EQUAL,” coming to HBO Max later this year.

ABOUT WARNERMEDIA
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others, as well as Xandr’s suite of advanced advertising solutions designed to help to improve advertising for brands, publishers, and consumers.

What do you think? Have you enjoyed watching The West Wing TV series? Do you plan to check out this special on HBO max in October?