25 Mind-Blowing Facts About The West Wing

21. The Live "Debate" Episode Was Created Twice For Both The East And West Coasts... But Only The West Coast Version Can Be Bought Now

Vinick Santos The West Wing Live Debate

In a unique episode of The West Wing, Democratic Presidential nominee Congressman Matt Santos (above left, played by Jimmy Smits) debated Republican nominee Senator Arnold Vinick (above right, played by Alan Alda) live on TV.

For the seventh episode of the seventh and final series, the pair debated live in a forum moderated by real-life American broadcast journalist Forrest Sawyer - just as actual presidential nominees would in the USA.

Bizarrely though, due to the time differences on the West and East Coasts, two episodes were filmed so that it could be live for both audiences - yet only the West-Coast version is available to purchase and view now.

Contributor
Contributor

NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.