West Wing announces HBO Max reunion ahead of US election to inspire voter participation
Written by News on 27/08/2020
West Wing stars will be reuniting for a one-off special, filmed in front of a live studio audience, which will air ahead of the forthcoming US election.
The show is being produced to benefit Michelle Obama‘s not-for-profit organisation When We All Vote, which she created to inspire increased voter participation in every election.
It will air on HBO Max and original cast members Rob Lowe, Dule Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen will all reprise their roles.
There will also be special guest appearances and a message from former first lady Mrs Obama.
Series creator Aaron Sorkin will oversee the show, which will be a reboot of an episode from the drama’s third season, called Hartsfield’s Landing.
Originally broadcast in 2002, the episode focuses on a tense moment in US–China relations over Taiwan, while Whitford’s character, Josh, worries about a small town in New Hampshire whose voting results are believed to predict who will win the state’s primary.
Sorkin says he is also currently writing additional original material as part of the special.
HBO Max say it will be shot in a Los Angeles theatre over several days in October and will be directed by Thomas Schlamme, who masterminded the show’s famous walk-and-talk style.
It is due to air on an as-yet-unspecified date prior to US election, when Donald Trump is standing for a second term against Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
The West Wing premiered in 1999 and is frequently ranked among the best television shows of all time by critics.
During its seven-year run, it won nearly 100 industry awards.
While it originally aired on NBC, all seven series are now available on Netflix, however it’s likely it will move over to HBO Max in the future.
The new streaming service launched in May and has been building up its archive of content ever since.
Warner Bros Television produced the show as part of WarnerMedia, which will be making a donation to When We All Vote in conjunction with the effort.
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Other series that have mounted reunions since the pandemic began include NBC specials devoted to Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock.
Meanwhile, the long-awaited HBO Max Friends reunion has been delayed for a second time due to coronavirus.
The special, which was announced in February, will feature Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
It will be filmed in front of a live studio audience on the original Friends soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros Studio lot in Burbank.
(c) Sky News 2020: West Wing announces HBO Max reunion ahead of US election to inspire voter participation
