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Could anyone confirm if Alan Alda or Jimmy Smitts are listed in TWW's opening credits (1 Viewer)

Don Black

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Dec 11, 1998
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please... Or are they just guest stars? By opening credits, I'm talking about the main musical number where the rest of the regular casts are listed (Martin Sheen, Allison Janey, etc.)

Thanks!
 

chuck_b

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Just DVR'd the recent 3/2 episode and Smits is listed in the main credits. Alan Alda was not in the main credits.
 

Dax P

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Apr 30, 2003
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Alda IS in the opening credits of the episodes that he APPEARS in, though (in and out, like they used to do with Stockard Channing, although lately I think she's even in the credits for episodes she ISN'T in...).
 

Chad R

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If you're trying to guess who will be head of the next administration, you won't do it by looking at the credits. John Wells, in an interview, has announced that he doesn't know who will be the next president when Bartlett's term is up next year. He knows that changing parties will certainly change the dynamic of the show, but it won't lose viewers in his opinion. He claims that a good chunk of their audience now is Republican, they watch to disagree with the viewpoints expressed. Wells claims that they will go with whichever candidate offers the most storyline possibilities.

Cynically, I think they'll go with whichever candidate's salary is in line (and who's chief of staff is an established character to hold on to their audience the best they can).

Without being cynical, I think the show has improved greatly the past few months over last season and the first few dry episodes of this season. I'm absolutely loving the perspective of the campaigns and think it's really given the show a shot in the arm. Whenever the show drifts back to the White House, I wish it were back out on the campaign trail with Josh. I'm actually very hopeful for the administration shift next year (regardless of whether it is Smitts or Alda).
 

chuck_b

Supporting Actor
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Just read in the paper today about a recent poll conducted by Zogby which had Smits winning by a wide margin. Based on the track record with early exit polling last year however, I guess a grain of salt is required :wink:
 

PhilipG

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Absolutely! The Josh eps have been great this season.

The problem with having an elected Republican president would be the necessity to change virtually the whole cast. For that reason alone, I think Alda is a dead duck.
 

Lee Jamilkowski

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I also remember reading somewhere that Alda said he wasn't up for doing a weekly series on a regular basis again. However, they could still have Vinick elected and they could change the show back to the original concept: the president will only appear in a handful of episodes per season.
 

Dax P

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Judging by how much screentime Vinick has received in proportion to Santos...

I'd be pretty surprised if Santos didn't win.

ABC has a development-deal-in-waiting with Smits, but Smits and Teri Polo both speak of planning to continue on West Wing next year...

The campaign episodes have been really interesting, agree with those saying that...
 

Nathan_F

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I'm loving the campaign trail. Smits as Pres, Josh as CoS? That would be interesting.. does CJ get hired back as Press Sec'y? What about Toby? Has Donna proven herself enough to get a better job (Josh's old job??) Malina? Lots of interesting possibilities... oh, and we need a new Veep too.
 

Sam Favate

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I think the only way to keep most of the cast is to have Santos win. And although I am more ideologically in tune with Santos, I'd be happy to see either Santos or Vinick win. Smits and Alda have been great and the show could continue with either in charge. I'm betting on a big November sweeps episodes with the election happening. This season's finale should have Santos getting the nomination.
 

Clay_E

Second Unit
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For reasons stated by others above, I too think that Santos will win the election. However, having said that, I do hope that they will make excellent use of Alan Alda before his time on the show is over (possibly even keeping him on the show after the election, maybe as the new Speaker of the House?). One of the criticisms I had of Bartlet's re-election campaign was that Governor Ritchie wasn't much of a fleshed-out character; I think they lost a real opportunity to contrast Bartlet's views with a Republican who was in many ways his equal. Instead they went with a thinly-disguised Bush replacement in Ritchie; this served the purpose Sorkin had in mind, but in this instance I'd like to see more, particularly with an actor of Alda's calibre involved.
 

Craig S

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I agree completely, and so far they've set Vinick up as a conservative with substance, who has the respect of the staff (as opposed to Ritchie, for whom they were unable to disguise their contempt). It was a good move of the writers to set him apart from the pack by having him refuse to "take the pledge" in Iowa. BTW, that Iowa episode, which had the parallel stories with the different campaigns, was amazing! My favorite of the year so far.
 

PatrickL

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Does this show have an exceptionally long hiatus? Reason I ask is because Alda is probably already in rehearsals for "Glengarry Glenn Ross" (on Broadway) and that keeps him 6-days-a-week busy until September.
 

DaveBB

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I think Stockard Channing also only appears in the opening credits when she's in a show.
 

Chad R

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Based on last nights show, they made it clear that the Republican field has narrowed to just Vinnick. There were several lines about Democrats deciding "who would be facing Vinnick in the fall."

However, I'm pretty positive Santos will win. When they first started campaigning, and both Vinnick and Santos seemed like longshots, I thought they might try a cross-party ticket with Vinnick taking up the VP slot, but it seems they want to begin next season with a showdown between two popular candidates. Doing so creates more tension unlike the wipe-out between Bartlett and Ritchie (I also agree Ritchie was too thinly drawn to be interesting, let alone make for any suspense as to the outcome of the election).

It aslo appears that Donna's new role as spokesperson for the Russell campaign grooms her for a press secretary job in the future. I know one of the reasons of putting Donna on an opposing campaign was to open up a possibility of her and Josh, but I think the writers have learned that the show has moved beyond that, and its viewers are more interested in political relationships rather than personal ones.

It's also my belief that Donna and Josh will be the only two remaining cast members next season, possibly Kate. Toby and C.J. have been positioned as staffers who wouldn't move on to the next administration, at least not in vital capacities.

With all that said, last night's episode confirmed what I've been feeling. the writers who've taken over from Sorkin could never get a handle on Bartlett, so he's always seemd like a shadow of his former self. With the creation of a president from scratch, they can finally shake the spectre of Sorkin and transform the show into their own entity.

(Next weeks Castro episode looksto be as lifeless as the Israel/Palestine episodes. Please stay on the campaign trail...)
 

Lew Crippen

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An interesting thought Chad. I assumed that the reason was to eliminate the romantic problems that had grown up between them and that could not be easily resolved.
 

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