The West Wing

Let Bartlet Be Bartlet - S1-E19

Factual error: In the Don't Ask Don't Tell meeting, the USAF Major is wearing a JCS service badge on his right. That is the position for females. It would actually be worn below his ribbons. He is also not wearing a name tag on his blue shirt after he takes his jacket off. That is the one mandatory item required on his shirt.

Tomorrow - S7-E22

Factual error: In the show's final scene Ronna comes into the oval office to remind President Santos that it's nearly 6 PM and he needs to get ready for the various inaugural balls. The Oval Office is filled with sunshine, however in Washington D.C. in January the sun would have set nearly an hour before and it would be dark outside.

The Drop In - S2-E12

Factual error: Leo asks how long it will be before the missile system being tested will hit the target, and is told "two minutes, ten seconds". He decides the President should see it, and leaves to fetch him. But doing so results in them both arriving back In the Room exactly 3 minutes later. 7 seconds after that, they are told there are still 50 seconds to impact (but it should have occurred 57 seconds ago). After the 50 seconds pass, Leo states the impact will occur in 20 more seconds, and the moment of expected impact does pass at that time. In all, 4 minutes, 16 seconds pass from when "2 minutes, 10 seconds" to impact was announced. (00:01:30)

johnrosa

Galileo - S2-E9

Factual error: When describing the location of the "oil refinery" / missile silo, it is said to be in the Oblast Region of Russia. Clearly, some intern was asked to Google Russian Regions and accidentally came back with the Russian word FOR region. It's like saying something was in State State or County County. Also, in the same episode, Bartlett berates the Russian ambassador about people being crazy in Minsk...which is in Belarus.

H. Con-172 - S3-E11

Factual error: When Leo is talking with Jordan about why he doesn't want the President to be censured, he states that this would be the first time a President was censured. This is untrue. Both Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan were censured by Congress (although Jackson's censure was later expunged). (00:11:25)

tinsmith

Dead Irish Writers - S3-E16

Factual error: Lord John Marbury says he is "the Earl of Croy, Marquess of Needham and Dolby and Baronet of Brycey." His title according to the British peerage rules would be "The Earl of Croy" and he would be called Lord Croy in conversation. Lord John Marbury would be what one of his younger sons also named John would be called.

Mr. Frost - S7-E4

Factual error: At the end of the episode, a chamber music ensemble plays at the White House. One of the close-up shots is of the oboist as well as the sheet of music on her stand. The music on the stand is not the same piece as that being played, and it's not even an oboe part, but rather a piano score of some solo instrument piece, as can be told by each system having three staves, two of which are bracketed together. (00:39:20)

Show generally

Factual error: Whenever the king of Sweden is mentioned by name they always refer to him as "King Gustaf." The king of Sweden is actually named Carl XVI Gustaf. His given name is Carl Gustaf and he holds the throne as the sixteenth king Carl. Thus they should refer to him as "King Carl Gustaf" or, less common but technically correct, "King Carl." Since Bartlet has met the Swedish king in person and talked to him about Ellie's mathematical skills he ought to know the correct name.

7A WF 83429 - S5-E1

Factual error: In the television clip introducing the bombing in Turkey, the footage almost certainly comes from a Palestinian terror attack in the vicinity of Tel Aviv, Israel. Clearly visible in the frame is a Magen David Adom (Israeli Red Cross) ambulance marked with the Hebrew word "Dan" - a term for the area around Tel Aviv. The vast majority of raging fires that MDA ambulances responded to around Tel Aviv were the result of suicide bombings.

365 Days - S6-E12

Factual error: When Will comes to Leo's office at the scheduled time of 6PM, the sun is shining brightly through Leo's window. Since this is the day after the State of The Union address which is mid-January, it would already be dark in DC.

bnemirow

The Birnam Wood - S6-E2

Factual error: Near the end of episode 1 in series 6, General Alexander is briefing Leo, and the screen shows the Alpha strike headed east toward Syria from the USS Lincoln, which is depicted as being in the Mediterranean. In episode 2, he briefs the press, telling them that the strike was launched from the Lincoln in the Gulf.

Inauguration: Part I - S4-E14

Factual error: In the first shot after the recap, the overlay text reads "United States Capitol/Sunday/Inauguration Day". During this episode and the one that follows there is an inauguration day celebration and President Bartlet makes his inauguration speech. Historically, however, when inauguration day falls on a Sunday the celebrations and speeches are scheduled for the next day, a Monday. The president is still sworn in on inauguration day (March 4th until 1933, January 20th after that), but all other activities are moved back one day. The inauguration date has only fallen on a Sunday 6 times since 1798, and only twice since the current inauguration date was set, so it is understandable that this arcane but important bit of scheduling tradition was missed by the show's researchers. (00:00:45)

Season 5 generally

Continuity mistake: When the plan to kill the Qumari defense minister is being contemplated, several times in the last episodes of Season 3, and at least once in season 4, he 's referred to the Sultan's brother. In season 5, he is referred to as both his cousin and his brother.

More mistakes in The West WingMore quotes from The West Wing
More trivia for The West Wing

The Dogs of War - S5-E2

Question: How did they find Zoe and who kidnapped her? At first they said that the Bahii were taking responsibility for it, then Leo tells Will that they never found the Bahii sleepers. Also, the man on the helicopter tells the President and the First Lady that Zoe was dropped off on the side of a road and she called 911 on her cell phone, then, later, on the ground, another man tells the Bartletts that they found her tied up in a closet. What really happened?

Answer: One of the kidnappers was having an argument with his girlfriend and dumped her. She called 911 about Zoe.

No, some woman had an argument with her boyfriend, and he kicked her out of the car in the rain. She tried to take shelter in an abandoned farmhouse and noticed the kidnappers holed up in there, and called 911.

Brian Katcher

More questions & answers from The West Wing

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.