“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote” will see President Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, return for an on-stage recreation of the Season 3 episode “Hartsfield’s Landing.” Other stars from the series, including Allison Janney, Sterling K. Brown, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Dule Hill, and Janel Moloney will also reprise their roles. Based on the trailer released for the special, the location may look different but the actors are able to slip right back into character. It also looks like we’ll get behind-the-scenes footage of the group meeting up in a post-COVID world where elbow bumps and face shields are now the norm. Special guests will pop up during the special, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and former President Bill Clinton.
The special will be to benefit When We All Vote, a non-profit and non-partisan organization aimed at increasing voter awareness and stressing the importance of voting. In conjunction with the special on HBO Max, fellow network TNT will devote Fridays between now and the election to marathons of “The West Wing.” There is no word on if the special will air at all on the HBO network. This is just one of several special events that have happened over the last few months to increase voter turnout. Last month Gabrielle Union organized a live-reading of a “Friends” episode starring an all-Black cast in order to promote making a voting plan. That event also included Brown as a participant. This special also ties into what Sorkin himself is doing. The director recently unveiled the trailer for his latest feature, “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” The movie, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, and Eddie Redmayne, recounts the story of a group of activists put on trial. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” will roll out to theaters before landing on Netflix as part of their Oscar campaign for this year. Watch the trailer for “A West Wing Special” below: “A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote” drops on HBO Max October 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g868M-27qpI&feature=youtu.be Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
