20 Ways Your Favourite TV Shows Were Almost Completely Different

9. The West Wing - The President Was Only Supposed To Be A Supporting Character

The West Wing President Jed Bartlet
NBC

The President wasn't initially going to be in The West Wing at all, at least not properly. Instead he'd merely be someone that was occasionally glimpsed in the background, to keep the focus on the staff.

Once they realised that wouldn't quite work, they brought in Martin Sheen for the pilot, plus sporadic appearances from that point out, with the actor only signing on for four episodes at first.

Aaron Sorkin and his team were so impressed, and also realised audiences might find it strange to only catch occasional glimpses of the President, that they brought him in full time, and Jed Bartlett became a leading figure in the show, with Sheen winning numerous awards for his performance.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.