On October 15th, the cast of The West Wing reunites for a special one-off theatrical stage presentation airing exclusively on HBO Max. In anticipation, the first trailer has been unveiled, and I’m happy to report that my liberal heart just bursted into a thousand pieces.
The special brings back together President Jed Barlet (Martin Sheen) and his loyal White House staff (Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, and Janel Moloney) for a reenactment of the Season 3 episode “Hartsfield’s Landing”.
The episode — which sees Josh Lyman (Whitford) obsess over the voting results in a small New Hampshire town — is an apt choice given the reason for this reunion. The special serves as a voter awareness campaign benefiting Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote non-profit, with the goal of increasing participation in the upcoming 2020 election.
Beyond offering our first look at the special, the trailer reveals a notable, previously unannounced addition to the cast. Sterling K. Brown will play the role of Leo in place of the late, great John Spencer. West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin previously expressed interest in reviving the show with Brown as president, so hopefully this is just setting the stage for things to come.
As the trailer also shows, Rob Lowe doesn’t age, Josh Lyman remains the greatest character in TV history, and Martin Sheen is the president we deserve. Also C.J. Cregg >>>.
Anyhow, check out the trailer below, and excuse me while I go grab a box of tissues.
