Its a late show with Stephen Colbert. Tonight west wing with the cast and creator of the west wing. Featuring jon batiste and stay homin. And now, live on tape from the ed sullivan Theater Office building in new york city, its Stephen Colbert stephen hey, everybody welcome to a rare friday late show. Its a special one. Im your host, Stephen Colbert its a very special a late show tonight, because well take a break from talking about what happened in the west wing and instead, talk about what happened on the west wing specifically, a west wing special to benefit when we all itse evt next thursday, october 15, bringing together the cast and creators of one of the most iconic shows of the last 20 years. Plus, its on hbo, so maybe well finally get a peek at josiah bartlets south wing. Im talkin martin sheen peen. Dont let us down, marty. Its all to benefit Michelle Obamas voter initiative, when we all vote. Oh, i know that one november 3. Do it. Tonight, ill be interviewing west wing stars martin sheen, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford, and creator aaron sorkin. In honor of sorkin, i wanted to do the whole thing as a walk and talk. But right now, office hallways are just a disease vector, so we zoomed it. In prepping for tonight, its been a treat to turn my attention to the happiest time in American History fiction. And when it comes to fictional president s, no one inspired our country like president Josiah Bartlett. He led the country at least on tv from 19992006, at which point he retired and found love with sam waterston. You know, donald trump could take a page out of jed bartletts book, especially when it comes to handling illness. When jed bartlet developed m. S. , he initially tried to hide it from the country. But, fortunately, bartlett had another condition trump never tested positive for a conscience. I may not have had sinister intent at the outset, but there were plenty of opportunities for me to make it right. No one in government takes responsibility for anything anymore. We fluster, we obfuscate, we rationalize. Everybody does it. Thats what we say. So we come to occupy a moral safehouse where everyones to blame so no ones guilty. Im to blame. I was wrong. Stephen i was wrong. The only threeword combinations youre less likely to hear from trump are finish my fries, too many nazis, and i love vegetables. When the truth came out about his m. S. , bartlett was clear that he didnt want anyone to lie on his behalf. If you lie to protect me, if you lie just once, if you lie just a little, if you lie cause you cant stand whats happening to me and the people making it happen, if you ever, ever lie, youre finished with me. You understand . Stephen trumps version is a little bit different. as trump if you lie to protect me, if you lie just once, if you lie just a little. Thats not lying enough. You keep that lie choo choo achuggin, and ill pick you up at pardon junction. Woowoo it might be unfair to compare the two president s, but its kind of fun. For example, when trump gets angry, he tweets from the toilet. When bartlett got angry, he castigated god in latin. speaking Latin Stephen to which god responded, take it down a notch, nerd. The west wing wasnt just a romantic vision of the white house. At times, it was straightup romantic. We got the new National Tracking polls times. Its 4444. Were tied. Were tied. Nationally. Holy mother of god. We got em yes we caught em. Stephen the only romantic payoff this white house has given us was when trump finally consummated his willtheywontthey with the coronavirus. as trump my heart is beating so fast, my lungs are working so hard. This virus really plays easy to get. But enough reminiscing about the west wing. Lets talk to the people who made it happen. Joining me now, 20 years and 26 emmys later, the cast and creators of the west wing. Please welcome Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, martin sheen, aaron sorkin, and Bradley Whitford hey, folks. Thanks for being here. Good to see you. Thanks for having us. Good to see you. Thank you, stephen. Stephen im really happy youre here. One thing that bums me out is i wish we had the entire Live Audience at the ed sullivan theater so you could feel the thunderous roaring applause that you could literally lean against when each of you walked out on stage. I can only glow at you. But they would actually give you the love that you deserve. Aaron, west wing fans are giddy that you put together this west wing special. But youre being adamant that this is not a reunion. What what does that mean that its not a reunion . Thats right. Its not a reunion show. You know, reunion shows have a certain stigma attached to them that you feel like its going to be a very brady christmas. So over the years ive resisted the opportunities to do a reunion show. But this opportunity came along to do something at a crucial time for when we all vote. And so, while it is a group of people coming back together after having not been together for a while, it is not a reunion. It has a purpose. And what weve done my producing partner the west wing, tommy schlamme, was also our principal director, he has taken an episode of the show, and restaged it as a play. Hasnt changed a word. Hes just restaged the whole thing as a play, and then we shot that play as if it were in the style of a modern playhouse 90. So, again, not a reunion show. Character ntire time. E ing we are doing an episode of the west wing. Sorry, go ahead, brad. I was going to say we are are now doing the brady opening credits. Stephen thank you, because for a moment there it sounded like aaron was talking smack about the brady bunch and im not going to sit here and let him run down an american treasure. Ill be honest with you. I was a little disappointed with the second reunion. The fist one, out of the park. laughter stephen okay, the the episode that you are staging is a 2002 episode called hartsfield landing. Bradley, whats it like returning to the character of josh after this this period of time . You know, oh, my gosh. It was, i think, emotionally lovely for all of us to go back. You know, theres a little i have a little vain fear that people are going to wonder who the old fisherman playing josh is. laughter but we loved im not just saying this. I really think the key moment that made the cast chemistry come together was was martin, because we feel such infection and protection for him as our characters do. It was its a little intimidating. Theres a certain pace to sorkins writing. I dont know if hes aware of that. And and you could feel that first second, you would h, god. Youd e in others when you were you were riding the pace of the words. And all of us got to ride aarons writing like a glorious motorcycle. And it was great to have that feeling again. Stephen when you guys one of the of course, one of the hallmarks that Everybody Knows about the sorkinesque writing, if i can use that word, is that there are moments when the character finds exactly the words they would need in that moment. Its a fantasy of having just the write thing to say at exactly the right moment. When you were reading throughout the seasons, would you go through and, like, see a full block of text on a page and go gasps i have one of them in episode . Did you guys go through that . You know, i did. Personally, i lived for those those moments for c. J. , because i get very nervous with public. I nt ve aot of cfidence at it ando ble to memorize and own aarons words and make them my own empowered me. It was exhilarating to say them. Even the press briefings. I just loved sounding like i was the smartest woman in the room which i, you know, all my lovely castmates, everyone knows im not. It was really it was just a thrill. Stephen martin, i have a question for you from a superfan who was on the show last night. Its mr. Jon bon jovi asked me to ask you this question. He said im a fan of jon bon jovi as well. Stephen he said, president bartlett was my man. What is president bartlett doing in retirement . Bartlett is in retirement, but im still at it. Stephen richard, what about some of the other characters . Richard, whats toby doing thesy welinhe f, woumay wou ve gotten so appleptic about the political situation in this country, that he would have gone back to more of a grassroots situation and maybe taken out a specific enemy, say Lindsey Graham of south carolina. He would go down and join and help the candidate in this case harrison. He would go and help one candidate kind of surreptitiously, without being visible, kind of in the basement, he would write him speeches and yell in his ear piece during debates so that so that we could we could have one victory. He would be focusing on one important victory, i think. Stephen toby was a speechwriter. Aaron, as a writer yourself, how what do you think of the plot of the year 2020 . Because every so often, i just want to yell, okay, 2020, thats a little too on the nose. Thats a thats a little too much. Really, the person who is spreading the coronavirus is named hope . Why did you name the character hope . laughter 2020 jumped the shark a long while ago. But i think the problem, in terms of writing it writers are going to have plenty to write about these these last four or five years. But i think that youll very seldom see donald trump as anonstage oronscreen character. Hell be off stage. Hell in news footage, because hes implausible. And in fact the one place right now where you see him as a character, stephen, is on your show, is on our cartoon president which is by far the most generous portrayal of donald trump ive ever seen. Stephen yes. Because in every episode, he does what a tv character does he changes by the end of the episode. He learns something by the end of the episode. Stephen that is the hardest thing about donald trump as a character is how can you play a man who doesnt change at all . You know, thats right. You cant. You can have a bad guy. You can have a good guy, but theres no such thing as an interesting character who doesnt have a h hed be except on your show, where you kind of like him. laughter . Kind of like George Steinbrenner on seinfeld. Right. He would always be off camera, and the voice of larry david. Larry david will voice him, and youll just see the back of his head. I think if there is a god, shes a terrible writer. She cant even pick a genre. I dont believe the beginning. The second act goes on forever. And the ending i terrible. Stephen we dont know the ending yet. 2020 could could end on a high note. Please. Everybody breathe. I think it might. Stephen well be right back with more Allison Janney, richa whitfo. Knowing who we are is hard. Its hard. Eliminate who you are not first, and youre going to find yourself where you need to be. The race is never over. The journey has no port. The adventure never ends, because we are always on the way. This was the theater i came to quite often. The support weve had over the last few months has been amazing. I have a soft spot for local places. Its not just a work environment. Everyone here is family. Gonna go ahead and support him, get my hair cut, leave a big tip. If we focus on our local communities, we can find a way to get through this together. Thank you. If you are ready to open your heart and your home, check us out. Get out and about and support our local community. We thought for sure that we were done. And this town said not today. And this town said not day. My gums are irritated. I dont have to worry about that, do i . Harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. Crest gum detoxify works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. Crest. Der can be rewarding when you use the app. No matter how you pay, youll be closer to earning rewards and getting more of your favorites for free. More ways to pay, more ways to get rewarded. Starbucks rewards. Stephen hey, everybody were back with the creator and cast of the west wing, aaron sorkin, Bradley Whitford, alison janney, Richard Schiff and martin sheen. Everybody was heartbroken by the loss of john spencer in 2005, and his character, leo, such an important character, he martin, your character, Josiah Bartlett, were the mom and dad of that show. What did it feel like a, when you were back performing with john spencer . Did you guys was that the vibe for you as performers, like your inluence on the rest of the cast . You know, well i you know, we didnt project it influence per se, but we just tried to accept the responsibility of who we were in real life. He and i were the oldest guys. We adored each other. We had a similar background in theater over in new york. And i remember my favorite story personally, i adored him and i still miss him, frankly. And it was hard to get through this recent performance without him. Because his presence was so powerful. Stephen how did you how did you deal with that. I remember stephen im sorry, finish your story. Allison janney revealed some years ago when we were still doing the show, h she was doing an interview with a reporter who said, well, the west wing is all well and good but theres no love interest. And allison said, of course there is. And he said, between who . And she said, between john and martin, of course. Stephen i love it. I love it. I totally agree. Leo is in this episode. Aaron, how are you dealing with the loss of john spencer . First, i just want to disagree with martin when he says neither he nor john had any influence over the rest of the cast. Of course they did. The rest of the cast you know, john and martin set the bar. The rest of the cast absolutely didnt want to disappoint them, and they were very happy to be working with these two giants. We needed an actor to play leo. And, you know, we wanted it to be somebody that we knew, that john would admire. And so we got sterling kay brown. Stephen oh, wow. Wow. Yeah. Stephen i i imagine that was that was a challenge for him to step into. Good for him. Oh, he did it beautifully, though. He rose to the challenge, and it was just brilliant. And i it was my first time working with him, and i adored him. I think he was a great i think john would have been proud of what sterling did. I d little zoom rehearsal with him, and i just i couldnt get through it. I i i started to cry because because it was leo and it was an actor who who lived up to the stature of john. So i think it was it was great to work with sterling. Yeah. Stephen this episode is actually about reelection, basically how is president bartlett going to run this time . Richard, what is that episode mean today . You know, 18 years later, how do you perceive that story in the light of our present campaign . You know, its a great question because when i first read this years ago, ive never i had never seen the episode after we shot it. When i first read the episode years ago, i thought, well, this is an ode to democracy, you know, that every little vote in every small town matters. And and how lovely it is that you encourage people to be at their very best and to be themselves. When i when i read it now, 20 15 years later whenever it is it brought me to tears. I was almost devastated by it, because given the state of our democracy and the threat to an existential threat to it, reading this beautiful ode to voting and to being the best person you could be when youre running for that office was so touching to me. I didnt think that id be able to get through it. Its just so much more poignant today with this threat hanging over us than it was just a beautiful episode 15 or 17 years ago. Stephen did any of you watch the show . You know, i would watch the show when it aired, wednesday nights at 9 00. And then i wouldnt watch it again. I didnt i looked at hartsfield landing again a month or so ago when we were putting this together, and i needed to choose an episode. But i dont like to watch them again for fear that its not going to live up to my memory, that it wasnt as good as i thought it was. And i have to say, watching hartsfield landing, these guys were always good, but every once in a while, they just all the bat on the ball, and everything worked in that episode. And like i said, in this new iteration, as a play, which is which is what tommy dreamed up, a play which is then filmed it still works. No problem 20 years later. We could have aired the episode last week. Stephen we have to take a quick break. Stick around well be right back with more of the west wing. Fwhere Machine Learning will track your sleep. Excuse me, maam . Yes . sleepily yeah, this already does that. Oh, i didnt know that. Well now you do. Lets try this again. Imagine, one day youll be able to take an ecg. It already does that. Really . What about detect hard falls . Does it do that . Does that. Does that. Does that. Thank you. Encourages you to stay fit . Does that. Oh i dont know. Imagine a tiny device d l muffled it already does that. Well. That was fun. Go go go go go go go on a real vacation. 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Side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration which may worsen kidney problems. Wake up to whats possible with rybelsus®. Please dont take my sunshine away. You may pay as little as 10 per prescription. Ask your Healthcare Provider about rybelsus® today. The unfair money bail system. He, accused of rape. While he, accused of stealing 5. The stanford rapist could afford bail; got out the same day. The Senior Citizen could not; forced to wait in jail nearly a year. Voting yes on prop 25 ends this failed system, replacing it with one based on public safety. Because the size of your wallet shouldnt determine whether or not youre in jail. Vote yes on prop 25 to end money bail. Stephen hey, everybody. Were back with the creator and cast of the west wing. Obviously, being on the show changed the arc of all your years. Allison, do you remember auditioning . Oh, yes, very well. It was my first foray into the world of television, and i i i auditioned with the first c. J. Press briefing, where she had to tell the press that the president had run his bicycle to tree. Historically funny. This incredibly important position that c. J. , press secretary, having to deliver this kind of news to a press pool and not, you know, laugh. And it was a lot of fun to do. But i remember auditioning for aaron and tommy, and i did it, and they were very they had poker faces. I left there and thought, well, that didnt happen. Im not going to do that part. So i was very surprised when i got a call back and did the same speech again, and not a lot of direction as i remember. I just remember thinking that i just hadnt gotten it each time. Then went in to test for it, which is always a very nerveracking experience. It was my first, and you sit there in the room with all the other actors who are auditioning for your role. And i saw who i was up against stephen wait a second. The first show you tested for was west wing . Yes. Stephen as someone who did many pilot seasons, you go to hell. laughter i was very lucky. I was not, you know, the normal story. It was my first time. And i hit it out of the park. And im so grateful. I got the phone call from aaron that i was joining the team. I was over the moon. And i always wanted to ask aaron if the reason i got this part was because of primary colors mike nichols. I feel like that was why i got this part, one of the reason s. Stephen aaron . Yes, it is. I had seen allison do exactly one thing, which is trip while climbing up a flight of stairs with John Travolta in primary colors. And like a lot of people, i fell in love with her in that moment. She was good enough to come in and read. I i dont know why you had to come in three times. You had it after you tripped on the stairs. You didnt have to come in at all. My life changed when you did it. And then you gave me another fall. You gave me another fall on the treadmill. I gave you a fall on the treadmill. Thats right. Turned out that, unsurprisingly, that you were great at physical comedy. laughter . By the way listen, everybody on this show slips on a banana peel at some point or the other. But they do it while theyre reaching high, you know. Stephen martip, you have the greatest opening line of any character in any television series. You come in declaiming the first commandment. laughs as if you were moses coming down from the mountaintop yourself. When you read that, did you know, like, okay, i have to absolutely. It was the most disarming, most extraordinary entrance i could imagine being given. And i accepted it without hesitation. And, mind you, when i agreed to do the show, it was only to perform in four or five episodes per season because bartlett was not the main character. He wasnt the focus was the staff, the west wing staff. Stephen this staged reading, this staged play dont say it like that. Its stephen how do you describe it again . What is it again . Im not going to say reunion. I will not say reunion i promise you. Its a staged reading, but your reading had skepticism in it. Stephen i think there should be a better word for reading. Youre off book so its not reading. I know that, i know that. Stephen the staged play how about just a staging. Its a benefit for when we all vote, as you mentioned. And i do want to mention them nonprofit, Nonpartisan Organization that aims to get out the vote, that aims to combat voter suppression, and we we have what we want to do is were aiming at a very narrow demographic. We want to move fans of the west wing to the polls. Just stephen what do they do for you . What does when we all vote do . Can you go to a web site and get the information you need . Yes. You can go to whenweallvote. Org. You can quickly find out if youre not registered to vote, how to register. Where your volg place is. You can volunteer to become a poll worker if youre young and healthy. Thats something we need. Most poll workers are Senior Citizens who are not going to be able to risch being poll workers this time around. So one of the ways we can fight those five, sixhour lines is for young people to show up and work at the polls. And i also just wanted to mention that a few of us are missing today. Rob lowe, dule hill, janel moloney. Theyre in the show. So is stephen i have a picture right here of there you go. Stephen martin, bradley, and dule. Dule with the p. P. E. Good for him. And we were when we were shooting this, the safety place in america was the orphum theater in los angeles, the Covid Protocols we were under were strict as could be. We also hear from during the show, mrs. Obama, president clinton, lin manuel miranda, marley martin, donna moss. Stephen in the show. Its fun. In the act breaks, where commercials would be, if youre getting the sense that its not a reunion, youre right. Stephen its on hbo max. If the original show had been on hbo are there things you would like to have been able to get away with on premium cable that yocouldnt get away with o broadcast . Re there whe words youd like to be able to have written, put in the characters mouths . Was there nudity you would have liked to have been able to share with the American People . Some bartlett butt, would that have been martin, would you have gone martin, would you have gone full frontal if the if the plot called for it, if it was in keeping with the characters intention . He doesnt need that much to go full frontal. laughter stephen let the man answer. I was 59 when i started, so i dont think that i would have had anything that anybody would have been interested in. Stephen i beg to differ. That hurts. That really hurts. Stephen i beg to differ. As a 56yearold i hope it doesnt all go away in the next three years. Admittedly, theres some of it i cant see anymore. Okay. laughter okay, we have an exclusive clip right now. Ive been told we have an exclusive clip from the special. And i know youre working really hard to get it to us, aaron, but we dont actually a, we dont really have it, nor do we or you know what the clip will be. So lets just run the clip rt now, and when we come out of it, weve all really enjoyed it, and well say a few vague but really informative things about the clip. Oob. So you think the strike against me is nobody likes the smartest kid in the class. I dont know, sir. Being the smartest kid in the class is a pretty good pitch. Its not a strike unless you watch it as it sails by. I dont do that. And im not a snob. I dont believe you are. The guys a good neighbor. He puts in a day. If every once in a while he smiles. If every once in a while he thinks of someone else and if he find his way to tolerance and compassion hes my brother. What i cant stomach is people who are out to convince people that the educate read soft and privileged and out to make them feel like theyre less than. He may be educated but im plainspoken just like you. When we know education can be the Silver Bullet for crime, unemployment, poverty, drugs, hatred. Who are you trying to convince . Im just saying i dont watch the pitch go by. S check. Stephen amazing. Amazing. applause wow. Stephen its like its its like youre there. Its like its like laughter its like, i mean, ive got goose flesh. Ive got goose flesh. Me, too. Ill tell you what it was like. It it it took these guys a matter of seconds to get right back to where they were 20 years ago during the show. It took no warmup time at all. They were right in the groove. Stephen we have to take a quick break. Well be right back with more martin sheen, aaron sorkin, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, and Richard Schiff. Imagine the places well go. Together. Expedia your happy place. Find your breaking point. Then break it. Every emergenc gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergenc. Now any order can be rewarding when you use the app. No matter how you pay, youll be closer to earning rewards and getting more of your favorites for free. More ways to pay, more ways to get rewarded. Starbucks rewards. Dynanana, nana, nana, eh dynanana, nana, nana, eh dynanana, nana, nana, eh light it up, dynamite shining through the city with a little funk and soul so ima light it up like dynamite cause, ahah, shining through the city with a little funk and soul ima light it up like dynamite, whoa [sniffing] is the salmon wildcaught . She only eats wild caught. [cash register beeps] uh, i need a price check on honey. Dont get mad. Get e trade and get more than just trading. Investing. Banking. Guidance. Get e trade and get more than just trading. Knowinits hard. Re is hard. Eliminate who you are not first, and youre going to find yourself where you need to be. The race is never over. The journey has no port. The adventure never ends, because we are always on the way. When was the last time your property tawhat . L went down . Never. Are you kidding me . For years, the residential burden has gone up. While the corporate burden has gone down. Prop 15 reverses that. It closes corporate loopholes and invests in schools, small business, and firefighters. And when the big corporations pay more, your tax bill goes down. Thats right. A savings of a hundred twentyone dollars a year for the average home. Give homeowners a break. Vote yes on 15. Stephen hey, everybody. Were back with the creator and cast of the west wing, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, martin sheen, aaron sorkin and Bradley Whitford. How much did the actors themselves influence the characters . You know, i understand, richard, you made some choices. I understand richard made some choices that would sometimes box you in a corner. Yeah. It was while we were shooting the pilot, maybe four or five days in. I noticed he was wearing a wedding ring. And i went to him between takes and said, you know, i just hadnt thought that toby was married. And richard said, yeah, me neither. I said, youre wearing a wedding ring. He said, yeah, i was going to let you figure that out. Okay, i have to tell my version of the story because its fascinating how we remember things. Stephen okay. Because because aaron came up to me, kind of desperate, actually, and a little frantic. Youre wearing a wedding ring. And i went, yeah. And he goes, are you married . And i went, no. What i said was, tone is a i decided that he was a widower, which is why hes so much so intense and so focused and maybe a little bit sad and gave him some depth, that he lost someone very close to him. You remember it as you figure it out because you were thinking, damn, i have to figure this out now, because you had written my exwife. Right, right, i guess youre right. But more to the point, yes, of course the actors influenced the characters as we went. Thats its one of the really nice things about doing series television, about staying with something. You know, i stayed with it for four years, that youre kind of on your own with the pilot, and then with this group, starting with episode two, you know, you start to get to know them a little bit, and theyre really filling out these characters, and it just starts to work. I mean, i think that we had some very good episodes in the first season, but i feel like it took us the first year to learn how to do the show. Show. Stephen allison, what was your favorite episode . Oh,. Oh, gosh stephen you get the tough question pbecause re are so many momeov and emotionally as an actor was women of kumar, which was i believe, aaron, let me see. Season three, episode nine. Okay. Was i right . Okay, i dont know. I think it was that. But i loved it because it was c. J. , you know, her personal beliefs and convictions coming up coming in conflict with what the Bartlett Administration was putting out, because they were selling arms to the fictional country of kumar, that was abusive to women. And it was very c. J. It cost her something emotionally. So that was a great storyline to see, you know, her conflicted and showing that was an amazing episode to be a part of. And then, you know, conversely, i look the silly things i got to do. Making bartlett pardon two turkeys on thanksgivin silly comedy things. But then an episode like the women of kumar fulfilled me as an actress. So its hard to answer that succinctly. Stephen well, you nailed it. You nailed it. Martin, bartle the second catholic president the yut ever had. And i think its known that you wanted Josiah Bartlett to be a catholic. Why was that important to you as a performer . You know, well, im a practicing catholic. I still havent gotten it right, so i continue to practice. I wanted bartlett to have a personal reference of morality so that it went beyond the normal course of politics or public life, that he took it personal. There was reward and punishment. But i also wanted him to have a notre dame degree, for obvious reasons. I didnt have one. So im grateful that aaron gave me both. Stephen we have to tack a quick break but stick around well be right back with more of the west wing. The right plan for you. Nd just the zero copays means more money for rumba lessons plan. And the visit my doctor while eating pancakes plan. Unitedhealthcare is the 1 medicare plan provider, so youre sure to find the right plan for you. Including the only plans with the aarp name. Get medicare with more. Leggo a big mac no pickles please. There you go. Medium fries. Con ketchup. And an oreo mcflurry. Of course ooof the j balvin meal. Get it on the mcdonalds app and the mcflurry is on me. Im lovin it charmin ultra soft is so soft and thmuch are you hon . Me. Youll have to remind your family they can use less. Charmin ultra soft is twice as absorbent so you can use less. Enjoy the go with charmin. To the best bargains ever at ross yes oh, yeah yep. Yesss savings on savings on savings . Thats yes for less. At ross. Taking california for a ride. Companies like uber, lyft, doordash. Breaking state employment laws for years. Now these multibilliondollar companies wrote deceptive prop 22 to buy themselves a new law. To deny drivers the rights they deserve. No sick leave. No workers comp. No unemployment benefits. Vote no on the deceptive uber, lyft, doordash prop 22. One ride california doesnt want to take. Doordash prop 22. Oh, yeah yeohh s always somethiat ross. N store sa,thst brands. And check you out bargains savings from top to bottom thats yes for less. At ross. This was the theater i came tque the support weve had over the last few months has been amazing. Its not just a work environment. Everyone here is family. If you are ready to open your heart and your home, check us out. We thought for sure that we were done. And this town said not today. Oh, oh, announcer ® onceweekly ozempic® is helping and this town said not today. Many people with type 2 diabetes like emily lower their blood sugar. A majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. Heres your a1c. Oh my a1c is under 7 announcer and you may lose weight. Adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. I lost almost 12 pounds oh announcer for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. It lowers the risk. Oh and i only have to take it once a week. Oh oh, oh, oh, ozempic® announcer ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not share needles or pens. Dont reuse needles. Do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or Family History of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. Stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. Serious side effects may include pancreatitis. Tell your doctor if you have Diabetic Retinopathy or vision changes. Taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. Common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. Some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. Onceweekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. Oh, oh, oh, ozempic® you may pay as little as 25 for a 1month or 3month prescription. Ask your Health Care Provider today about onceweekly ozempic®. Stephen hey, everybody. Were back with the creator and cast of the west wing. People have characterized this show and this is a question for aaron, but, really, id love to get everybodys reaction to this people have characterized this show as a political liberal softcore, you know, political porn. How would you characterize it . How do you look back on the spirit of this show and what you think it meant to the audience . You know, well, i dont think i get to characterize it, first. I think thats up to the audience. But ill go ahead. Stephen how about your intention . You know, yeah, thank you. My intention was that i feel like in popular culture, by and large, our leaders have been depicted as either machiavellian or dolts. And now we have both. Sorry. I wanted to do a show set against this very exotic backdrop, the white house, where there could be highstakes problems. But the people who work there are ever bit as competent and committed as the doctors and nurses on a hospital show or the detectives on a shop show or the lawyers on a david kelly show, that they were going to win as much as they were going to lose. But they were going to wake up every morning thinking about us and trying to do the right thing, wanting to do the right thing. And, you know, back when we were doing the show, youd get mail, actual mail, from viewers. The lions share of it would always begin with somebody selfidentifying as a republican or conservative or saying, you know, i dont agree with most of the opinions your characters express, but i love the show. And the reason they liked it was because they really liked the sight and sound of competence and dedication. The show was a valentine to Public Service and to american institutions and democracy. And it just it showed a brand of patriotism that we didnt commonly see on tv back then. By the way, the criticism would come from both sides. I got a letter in my trailer after an episode we did on social security, where toby solves social security. And i had to go to all of the experts that the consultants on our set Lawrence Odonnell and pat goodell and everybody else, to ask them how in fact this all really works, because i dont understand it. Its like greek to me. And they all had their different explanations about how this plan will work completely different3 than the other. So i had to do it as if i was speaking greek and just get through it. Weeks later, i got a letter in my trail saying, thank you so much for tackling this very difficult issue. Here are 10 reasons why where you are plan wont work. Signed, senator from new york, Hillary Rodham clinton. Oh, my gosh. Did you write back and tell her i didnt write that episode, i had left the show already. laughter thats really important to me. I did not. Stephen before we go, obviously, as i said, you all loved saying aarons words. And, aaron, i asked you if you would give me the opportunity to do one of your monologues. And you nicely enough wrote the outrow to this interview. Im going to do it with your indulgence. Imagine the camera slowly pushing in on me and the American Flag in the background and maybe some strings come in at a person point. A west wing special to benefit when we all vote airs october 15 on hbo max, because were freer, were fairer, were smarter, and were better when we all vote. Because on this one day, election day, the most powerful people in the world are not kings or prime ministers or president s. On this one day, the most powerful people in the world are American Voters. And American Voters know in their hearts that this is not a reunion show. Richard schiff, martin sheen, aaron sorkin, Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney thank you, thank you, you beautiful people. Well be right back. Thanks a proposition 16 takes on discrimination. Some women make as little as 42 of what a man makes. Voting yes on prop 16 helps us fix that. Its supported by leaders like Kamala Harris and opposed by those who have always opposed equality. We either fall from grace or we rise. Together. Proposition 16 provides equal opportunities, for all of us. Vote yes on prop 16. Heres the very model of a modern daily family meal when food ideas are scarce and everything becomes a big ordeal you want something nutritious that your family will devour but add one thing thats healthy. Ugh the taste will overpower so. Only lightlife can return the balance to your every dish our food is always made of plants and it is totally delish cause nobodys ingredients are quite as simple clean or real lightlife is the model of a modern daily family meal lightlife. Try a clean plantbased burger for a change. Lightlife. When you take a it all begins to unravel. Ann ravels no reformer, shes backed by big corporations whove poured hundreds of thousands into her campaign. And she opposes ballot measures to make the economy more fair for working people. Only dave cortese is endorsed by the California Democratic party. Hes helping us battle the pandemic with a sciencebased approach. And expanding Health Services and child care to those in need. For state senate, Democrat Dave cortese. Late show. I want to thank aaron sorkin and the cast of west wing. This was a special night for me. I hope it was for you. Now, lets say goodnight with some music from jon batiste and stay human. Captioning sponsored by cbs captione d by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org captioning sponsored by cbs the late late show oh, oh the late late show, ooh the late late show oh, oh the late late show oh, oh its the late late show