The West Wing is an hour-long American serial drama set in the White House which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1999 and ran until 2006.
Appearances[]
In episode 5.16 "Eppur Si Muove", which aired on March 3, 2004, First Lady Abby Bartlet (Stockard Channing), who is a medical doctor, attempts to change her public image by starring in a medical public service announcement with Sesame Street characters. She gives Elmo an examination, appearing with a Muppet Doctor, while Big Bird, Rosita, and Zoe also make appearances.
In a separate scene in the same episode, Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) has an awkward encounter with Big Bird. C.J., whose Secret Service codename is "Flamingo," is often teased because of her height.
The episode also had at least two deleted scenes related to the Sesame Street appearance: one in which C.J. Cregg approaches Elmo and the First Lady with a script (pictured), and another in which Debbie Fiderer mocks Leo McGarry for his fear of puppets (which was included on the DVD).
An insert featuring Channing, Janney, and Lily Tomlin (Deborah Fiderer), dancing in character and on the West Wing set, was filmed at the same time for inclusion in the celebrity version of "Dance Myself to Sleep."
Cast
- Caroll Spinney as Big Bird
- Kevin Clash as Elmo
- Fran Brill as Zoe
- Carmen Osbahr as Rosita
- Joey Mazzarino as Muppet Doctor
- Alice Dinnean as Rosita's Right Hand
- Paul McGinnis as Elmo's Right Hand
Mentions[]
In episode 1.13 "Take Out the Trash Day", White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler defends the National Endowment for the Arts and by extension, Children's Television Workshop, the Muppets and Julia Child. One character references licensing revenues for Big Bird and Fozzie Bear (referred to at first as "Fuzzy Bear").
Connections[]
In addition to the previously mentioned names, several actors on The West Wing also appeared in Muppet/Creature Shop productions.
- Amy Adams played Cathy in "20 Hours in America"
- Alan Alda played Senator Arnold Vinick
- John Aylward played former DNC chairman Barry Goodwin in six episodes
- Corbin Bernsen played Henry Shallick in "Bartlet's Third State of the Union" and "The Leadership Breakfast"
- Ty Burrell played Tom Starks in "The Women of Qumar"
- Stockard Channing played Abbey Bartlet
- Kristin Chenoweth played Annabeth Schott
- Glenn Close played Justice Evelyn Baker Lang in "The Supremes"
- Bill Cobbs played Alan Tatum in "Enemies Foreign and Domestic"
- Jesse Corti played Dave Stewart in "The Midterms"
- James Denton played Tom Jordan in " The Midterms"
- Laura Dern played U.S. Poet Laureate Tabatha Fortis in "U.S. Poet Laureate"
- Taye Diggs played Secret Service Agent Wesley
- Gerald R. Ford appeared as himself in The West Wing Documentary
- David Gergen appeared as himself in The West Wing Documentary
- John Goodman played President Glenallen Walken
- Clark Gregg played FBI Special Agent Michael Casper
- Dave Grohl played himself in "Election Day"
- Philip Baker Hall played Senator Matt Hunt in "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "An Khe"
- Dulé Hill played Charlie Young
- William Hootkins played a U.S. translator in "Impact Winter"
- Felicity Huffman played Ann Stark in "The Leadership Breakfast"
- Allison Janney played CJ Cregg
- Makram Khoury played Palestinian Chairman Nizar Farad in "The Binam Wood" and "Third Day Story."
- Bruce Kirby played Barney Lang in "The Women of Qumar"
- Christopher Lloyd played Lawrence Lessig in "The Wake Up Call"
- John Bedford Lloyd played Lloyd Russell in "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc"
- Jane Lynch played a reporter in "Two Cathedrals"
- Yo-Yo Ma played himself in "Noël"
- Joshua Malina played Will Bailey
- Mary Mara played Sherri Wexler in "On the Day Before"
- Marlee Matlin played Joey Lucas
- Ian McShane played Nikolai Ivanovich in "Enemies Foreign and Domestic"
- Keb' Mo' played himself in "Tomorrow"
- Nick Offerman played environmental lobbyist Jerry in "The Crackpots and These Women"
- Austin Pendleton played Barry Haskell in "Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics"
- Penn and Teller played themselves in "In the Room"
- Robert Picardo played E. Bradford Shelton in "The Supremes"
- Oliver Platt played Oliver Babish in nine episodes
- Richard Schiff played Toby Ziegler
- Martin Sheen played President Jed Bartlet
- Allison Smith played Mallory O'Brien
- Jimmy Smits played Congressman Matthew Santos
- John Spencer played Leo McGarry
- Eric Stonestreet played Oliver Babish Staffer in "Bad Moon Rising"
- James Taylor played himself in "A Change Is Gonna Come"
- Lily Tomlin played Deborah Fiderer
- Paxton Whitehead played Bernard Thatch in "Noel" and "A Change is Gonna Come"
- Ellis E. Williams played Reverend Schuyler in "Bartlet for America"
- Evan Rachel Wood played Hogan Cregg in "The Black Vera Wang"