‘The West Wing’ Is in a Rush to Wrap

“The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin’s ardor to address real-life issues relating to last month’s terrorist attacks within the fictional White House drama has left the show’s cast and crew scrambling to meet a virtually unprecedented production schedule for an hourlong dramatic series.

Producers of the program have refused to discuss particulars of the episode, which NBC will broadcast Wednesday, determined to avoid the appearance that they are grandstanding or in any way seeking to commercially exploit the tragedy. They have stressed a desire to let the work succeed or fail on its merits, encouraging viewers to judge for themselves.

Though specifics regarding the plot have been kept secret, reports have indicated the episode will obliquely deal with the aftermath of a major act of violence against the United States that may or may not be identified as terrorism. Because the story deviates from the show’s time line--last season ended in a cliffhanger, with the character of President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) preparing to announce whether he would seek a second term--the episode will be introduced by cast members in front of a black backdrop, explaining that Wednesday’s hour is meant to stand on its own.

When the special episode was announced, insiders characterized the decision as arising from Sorkin’s passion to articulate a certain point of view about tolerance in the wake of the attacks. And what better forum could one have to do that, the writer apparently concluded, than within one of the highest-rated programs on television?

Though NBC officials were reluctant to delay the third-season premiere and break from the show’s continuity, the network ultimately relented, with NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker saying when the switch was announced, “I don’t know if there are many people who could pull this off, but Aaron Sorkin is a passionate writer who we feel can.”

While Sorkin declined an interview request, “West Wing” producer Llewellyn Wells conceded the episode represents a formidable logistical challenge for the directors, editors and cast, who in the last instance “had to learn a tremendous amount of dialogue in very little time.”

The stress has been especially difficult from a post-production standpoint, given that there is usually a 21-day gap between the conclusion of principal photography and when an episode is broadcast. With the final scene being shot Monday, the time differential this week will only be about 48 hours.

Wells, the younger brother of executive producer John Wells, noted that two staffs of editors have been working simultaneously on the episode, 16 hours a day, beginning to patch the show together as it was being shot last week and continuing straight through the weekend.

One advantage that has helped in turning around the episode so quickly has been the nature of the script, which places the action primarily on the show’s established sets as opposed to requiring any sort of location filming--an approach Sorkin chose in part to facilitate production. For that reason, Wells said, additional expense associated with the accelerated production and editing schedule didn’t cause a major breach of the show’s standard episodic budget.

“The cost was offset by the somewhat simple structure of the story,” Wells noted, adding, “It’s just a great, giant group effort .... Everyone very much respected Aaron’s need to address the issues in the real world.”

An NBC source maintained that whatever viewers think of the episode, Sorkin deserves credit for having the courage to address a topical issue at a time when other programs are for the most part rushing to excise references that might recall the attacks from upcoming programs.

Moreover, NBC announced Monday that another John Wells-produced show, “Third Watch,” will deal with the events of Sept. 11. The series, which focuses on New York police, paramedics and firefighters, will open its season Oct. 15 with an unscripted episode in which cast members talk with their real-life counterparts, followed by two episodes that explore the fictional characters’ lives immediately before (the first is titled “September 10”) and a week after the World Trade Center attack.

NBC officials say they have not experienced any difficulty selling advertising within this week’s “West Wing” episode. The program normally commands a high premium from media buyers, given that the Emmy-winning show boasts one of the most affluent and educated audience profiles of any prime-time series.

Llewellyn Wells said the show’s overall production schedule hasn’t been thrown off by the race to produce this week’s episode. Producers were in the midst of preparing this year’s sixth installment when Sorkin called his audible, causing them to halt production on that hour and immediately dive into the new script, which the writer generated in a matter of days.

Asked Monday whether viewers would notice any discernible difference between Wednesday’s episode and a conventional hour of “The West Wing,” Wells said, “I’ll let you know when it’s done.”

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The special episode of “The West Wing” can be seen Wednesday at 9 p.m. on NBC. The network has not yet rated it.