We were curious about whether the number given in #26 "In This White House" was the real White House number and we heard from the following on that:
- Michael J. Rudolf wrote:
- "Yes, that is the real telephone number of the White House.
See the "contact" page at the official White House website
"(Aaron Sorkin also used the number in "The American President" in the scene
where President Shepherd is trying to make a first date with Sydney.)"
- Jim Hinkley wrote to send us a different link to the White House Phone number:
- The White House
- According to the story at The Post Gazette from 2001, Sorkin tried to keep mentions of current people out of his West Wing stories but occasionally gave in to temptation. (We learned about this through a posting by Maureen Collins at Television Without Pity's West Wing Forum.)
- "Sorkin has regrets about an episode last season that featured Bartlet's staff visiting Hollywood to drum up donations.
"'There was this party scene by the pool and Jay Leno's there and a bunch of other people, and I felt uncomfortable about that,' Sorkin said. 'The reason why is that I feel like in a world where there is Jay Leno, Bill Clinton is the president of the United States and we immediately know that. Moreover, for Jay Leno to do a scene with C.J. Cregg a week after Allison Janney was on 'The Tonight Show,' it's a strange line that's a little bit difficult.'"
- "Sorkin made a change in the episode that aired Wednesday. One story had Leo regretting a joke he made about the shoes of a powerful New York Times columnist. In the original script, the columnist was real-life writer Maureen Dowd. Sorkin changed it to a fictional character.
'It started to feel like 'The Larry Sanders Show,' like we were getting mileage off the fact we were tossing around a contemporary name,' Sorkin said."
- Who was the other person at the funeral near the end of episode #110 "In Excelsis Deo"?
- David Giddens emailed us, "Being not only a history buff but an Arlington Cemetery buff as well, I wanted to inform you of a cameo.... In the episode 'In Excelsis Deo' the guy who pulls up in the hearse at Arlington National Cemetery and attends the vet's grave side services is Arlington Superintendent John C. Metzler Jr.... Of some interest, it should be noted Mr. Metzler 'grew up' in the cemetery as his father, John C. Metzler Sr., also served as Superintendent of Arlington overseeing the JFK services." Mr. Gibbons also send us the following references:
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The White House Phone Number
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