1x01 Pilot - The West Wing Episode Guide

The West Wing

- Episode 01x01

Episode: 01x01 (pilot)
Title: Pilot
Type: Regular Episode
Production Code: 475151
First Aired: Sep. 22, 1999

Season 1 » Episode #01 - Pilot

Summary: The White House staff springs into action when they learn that President Bartlet was injured in a bicycle accident. During the President’s absence, chief of staff Leo McGarry must handle several crises including Cuban refugees trying to escape into Florida and the conservative Christians’ reaction to a comment made by deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman. Meanwhile, Sam learns that the woman he picked up at a bar was actually a call girl and Toby gets into an argument over the Ten Commandments.

Who appeared in this episode?

Guest Stars:

Mandy Hampton	played by Moira Kelly
President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet	played by Martin Sheen
Mary Marsh	played by Annie Corley
Brittany 'Laurie' Rollins	played by Lisa Edelstein
Cathy	played by Suzy Nakamura
Mallory O'Brien	played by Allison Smith
Billy	played by Marc Grapey
Rev. Al Caldwell	played by F. William Parker
Dolores Landingham	played by Kathryn Joosten

	Season 1 / Episode 1: - Pilot Toby Ziegler: You think the United States is under attack from 1,200 Cubans in rowboats? Sam Seaborn: I'm not saying I don't like our chances. Toby Ziegler: Mind-boggling to me we ever won an election.
	Season 1 / Episode 1: - Pilot President Josiah Bartlet: Mrs. Landingham, what's next?

[More Quotes]

MISTAKES/GOOFS

SYNC: Sam speaks to Mallory for the first time, not knowing she is Leo's daughter. When he says the line, "And it turns out, I accidentally slept with a prostitute last night," his mouth does not match his words.
FACT: The Chief of Staff is often seen entering the oval office from his adjacent office. The only rooms directly next to the oval office are the secretary's office and the study. The Chief of Staff's office actually sits on the opposite side of the West Wing.
FACT: In the pilot episode, Sam tells Mallory's class that the Roosevelt room is named after Franklin D Roosevelt. Mallory later corrects him stating that it is named after Theodore Roosevelt and pointing out the painting over the fireplace. In fact, while originally named for Teddy, Richard Nixon dedicated it to both Roosevelts, and the painting over the fireplace changes depending which party is in office, Teddy for the Republicans, FDR for the Democrats. This means that with Bartlet in office it should probably have been FDR's painting hanging there, although Bill Clinton did decide to keep Teddy's painting in place as he preferred it.
DATE: When Toby is talking to the flight attendants he says that the plane is a Lockheed Eagle Series L-1011 that came off the line 20 months ago. This can not be true as the last L-1011 came off the line in 1984 and the series takes place in 1999.
CHAR: When Toby is irate about getting the names of the "damned commandments right," he states that "Honor thy Father and Mother is the Third Commandment." It is the Fifth Commandment - although in Roman Catholicism and Lutherenism is it the 4th commandment.

TRIVIA

Rob Lowe (I) says the line, "Alger Hiss just walked in with my secret pumpkin." Hiss was a State Department official in the 1940s accused of spying for the Soviet Union. His accuser was Whittaker Chambers, who hid copies of government files in a pumpkin on his farm before giving them to then Rep. Richard Nixon, a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The line most likely refers not to the original incident, but to North by Northwest (1959), in which Cary Grant's character asks, "Did you get the pumpkin?".