The West Wing

Faith Based Initiative - S6-E10

Other mistake: In the flashback episode where the early days of the first Bartlet campaign are shown, Toby is "teaching" C.J. the proper technique for passing a basketball, something she is not very good at. Yet in this episode, when C.J.'s sexuality is questioned in the news, her history as a star basketball player in high school and college is revealed.

The Two Bartlets - S3-E13

Other mistake: At the beginning of the show, the TV news program on the president's jet shows the time of 5:16 and that it is a "Live" broadcast. However, the time on the bottom of the screen, setting the context for the viewers, is 5:40.

What Kind of Day Has It Been? - S1-E22

Other mistake: I call this one an "Escher Mistake". As Donna and Josh near the end of their chat about the chair that needs repairs, they pass an office door on their left (Nancy McNally's office) just before going through another doorway. The camera that follows them passes "through" a solid wall and emerges in an office, facing a hall and stairwell as Josh and Donna enter from our left as if this has all been a continuous shot. But the camera-through-the-wall moment is actually a cut so that the actors can be on a totally different part of the set. This would be fine, except the staircase they are about to turn left to and climb only rises up about 3 feet, then the user turns left again and heads to our left - but that sends the user into McNally's office, and does so 3 feet off the floor, yet they are seen entering the press room instead. (00:11:50)

johnrosa

The Long Goodbye - S4-E13

Other mistake: CJ is in Dayton, Ohio visiting her father. She is in the middle of her high school reunion speech when Toby calls from the West Wing. It is light in D.C. outside Toby's office window, but CJ is giving her speech at night when it's dark out.

TopRamen17

Show generally

Other mistake: The actress who plays Nancy McNally, Anna Deavere Smith, sometimes has her name spelt Anna Deveare Smith in the credits. It's happened in quite a few episodes. Not sure which is the correct way.

Daioni

Gaza - S5-E21

Other mistake: As Donna and the photo-journalist are about to leave the checkpoint, they each shake the soldier's hand. Just before the journalist passes in front of the soldier, the soldier goofs and looks directly into the camera, then catches himself and instantly tries for a 'thoughtful gaze' at the ground. (00:31:50)

johnrosa

Twenty Five - S4-E23

Other mistake: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Fitzwallace tells Bartlet that he wants to attack targets in Qumar. The first he mentions is "the Bahji C3I" which he explains is "Communications, Command, Control and Intelligence." The explanation shows the actor John Amos flubbed his line and should have said "the Bahji 3CI", as in "C.C.C.I" or "Triple-C I." This is common governmental and military abbreviation jargon, much as the show often uses "D-triple-C" to mean the D.C.C.C. (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee). (00:16:50)

johnrosa

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: C3I is similar to C2, pronounced "C two" and commonly used in military to refer to command and control.

17 People - S2-E18

Other mistake: In a scene with Leo and the President, Toby confronts them about the fact that there was no clear person in charge while the President was in hospital after being shot. He references the shooting as taking place 'last May'. However, in an earlier episode, 'The Midterms', there is a title card that states the date as August 14th and in the scene that follows there is discussion about the staff job approval in which CJ states, 'A week ago the job approval is at 51, we got shot at and its at 81.' This would mean that the shooting took place in August not May.

The Crackpots and These Women - S1-E5

Other mistake: When the President and his staff stop preparing for his upcoming press conference they decide to meet again "this afternoon" implying that it is still morning. In the very next scene Sam meets with the representative from United States Space Command he tells Sam that at 6:35 AM local time UFO's were detected over Hawaii. That's not possible. Hawaii is 6 hours behind Washington D.C. If it were noon in Washington, it would only be 6 AM in Hawaii, 35 minutes before the time the gentlemen mentioned.

The Birnam Wood - S6-E2

Other mistake: During the peace talks between the Arabs and Israelis CJ tells the press that the group had Maryland Crab Cake for lunch. Jews would not eat crab and some Muslims also would not.

Pilot - S1-E1

Factual error: The Lockheed 1011 was only produced until 1984. There's no way that in 1999 Toby would be flying on one that "just came off the line 20 months ago."

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Trivia: Martin Sheen also played the President in the mini series "Kennedy" and in another character's vision in 1983's The Dead Zone.

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In Excelsis Deo - S1-E10

Question: This is as good a place to ask as any. In various US TV shows (including this one, and this episode), someone says "I could care less", when they always seem to mean "I couldn't care less", ie. they have no interest in what's going on. Surely if they COULD care less that means they actually care a reasonable amount? Is there any logic to this, or is it just a really annoying innate lack of sense?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: A really annoying innate lack of sense. My friends and family say the same thing all the time, and I'm endlessly trying to correct them. I think people just don't know any better and (ironically) couldn't care less that they're speaking incorrectly.

Answer: It's an endlessly annoying dropped negative, and it's been a common colloquialism for far too long. I believe it comes from an original (and now omitted and merely implied) "As if" preceding the statement. "As if I could care less." (Meaning "As if it were possible that I could care even less than I do.") But there's really no way to know.

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