The West Wing

[nothingisasitseems]

Thanks for the heads up re. Rob Lowe, JH.

I wasn't aware of how little time they had for his shoots.

There is a mystery surrounding the ending of the show. Lawrence O'Donnell the leading producer said that it was intended Vinick would win but John Spencer's death changed their thinking and the last episodes were then re-scripted by John Wells. However Wells denied this and in fact the scripts showing Santos winning were written long before John Spencer's death.

Then in another interview in 2008 O'Donnell contradicted himself saying that it was planned at the outset for Jimmy Smits to win but Vinick came on so strong that it became a real contest in the West Wing writer's room and they left the final decision until the very last minute.

Various other producers on the show have also given conflicting accounts of what was intended.

I thought it was a good ending. I can't begin to imagine how it would have gone if Vinick had won.