WEST WING, THE: CELESTIAL NAVIGATION (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas about the day-to-day running of the White House and the lives of its staff. In this episode, while Toby and Sam are trying to avert a disaster with new Supreme Court nominee Roberto Mendoza, Joshua gives a lecture in which he discusses the types of emergencies that routinely punctuate daily work at the White House. A flashback accompanies Joshua's description of the chaos that followed a controversial statement by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Debra O'Leary and his own bungling of a press conference. The situation begins when the President addresses the press after creating a major education-reform bill. Although he is prepared to discuss the new legislation, the President does not have an appropriate statement to make about Secretary O'Leary's hostile exchange with a Republican congressman. C.J. is given the task of controlling the damage and refocusing the country's attention on education reform, but she undergoes last-minute dental surgery, which prevents her from appearing at the press conference. Joshua fills in for C.J., but he ends up creating an even more confusing situation when he becomes frustrated with the White House press corps. Meanwhile, Toby and Sam set off on a mission to remove Justice Mendoza from a local Connecticut jail without attracting any attention. Mendoza has been wrongfully arrested for driving under the influence and has on principle refused to take the breathalizer test that would have proven his innocence. Although Toby tries to convince Mendoza to leave the jail quietly and return to the White House, the judge is determined to confront the fact that his civil rights have been violated. The President is seriously displeased when he is notified of the political messes that have erupted overnight, but he trusts his staff to correct the situation. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 16, 2000 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:43:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:59593
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Presidents - Staff - Drama; U S - Presidency - Drama; White House, Washington, D.C.
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1999-2006
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Thomas Schlamme … Executive Producer
- John Wells … Executive Producer
- Aaron Sorkin … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Kristin Harms … Producer
- Llewellyn Wells … Producer
- Rick Cleveland … Co-Producer
- Michael Hissrich … Co-Producer
- Julie H. Herlocker … Associate Producer
- Christopher Misiano … Director
- Dee Dee Myers … Writer
- Lawrence O'Donnell … Writer
- W.G. Snuffy Walden … Music by
- Rob Lowe … Cast, Sam Seaborn
- Moira Kelly … Cast, Madeline "Mandy" Hampton
- Dule Hill … Cast, Charlie Young
- Allison Janney … Cast, C.J. Cregg
- Richard Schiff … Cast, Toby Ziegler
- John Spencer … Cast, Leo McGarry
- Bradley Whitford … Cast, Joshua Lyman
- Martin Sheen … Cast, President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet
- C.C.H. Pounder … Cast, Debra O'Leary
- Timothy Busfield … Cast, Danny Concannon
- Janel Moloney … Cast, Donna Moss
- Robert David Hall … Cast, Nessler
- Vaughn Armstrong … Cast, MacNamara
- Edward James Olmos … Cast, Justice Roberto Mendoza
- Nicole Robinson … Cast, Margaret
- Kim Webster … Cast, Ginger
- Melissa Fitgerald … Cast, Carol
- Devika Parikh … Cast, Bonnie
- Jacqueline Torres … Cast, Reporter #1
- Charles Noland … Cast, Reporter #2
- Diana Morgan … Cast, Reporter #3
- Kris Narmont … Cast, Katie
- Victor Love … Cast, Mike
- Jason C. Morgan … Cast, Peter
- Bob Thompson … Cast, the Steward
- J.P. Stevenson … Cast, Jonathan
- Kelly Fialing … Cast, the Pretty College Student