The West Wing: 25 Years Later

September 26, 2024

the west wing: 25 years later

Setting the table: Celebrating the 25th anniversary of The West Wing, one of my all-time favorite shows, makes me feel old.

Key details for The West Wing:
1) Premiered in 1999
2) 7 seasons
3) 154 episodes
4) 26 Emmys (95 nominations)

Seven big questions re: The West Wing TV Show:
1) How many people watched The West Wing?
2) What would an equivalent number of viewers be today?
3) Who was the best character?
4) Which episode has the highest rating?
5) How would President Bartlet’s approval rating compare to other presidents?
6) How did we watch TV when The West Wing premiered in 1999?
7) Which groups drove popularity for The West Wing?

Big question #1: How many people watched The West Wing?

The West Wing’s average viewership (YoY growth) according to Wikipedia:
1) Season 1 (1999) – 13.0M
2) Season 2 (2000) – 17.0M (↑ 31%)
3) Season 3 (2001) – 17.2M (↑ 1%)
4) Season 4 (2002) – 13.5M (↓ 22%)
5) Season 5 (2003) – 11.8M (↓ 13%)
6) Season 6 (2004) – 11.1M (↓ 6%)
7) Season 7 (2005) – 8.1M (↓ 27%)

Big question #2: What would an equivalent number of viewers be today?

Quick answer: Over the past 25 years, the U.S. population has grown by 21%.  A show with similar viewership today would be 21M viewers.  The top show last season was Tracker, with an audience 48% smaller (11M) than the equivalent for The West Wing.

FYI: The West Wing was the 8th most-watched show during its best season (2001-02).

Big question #3: Who was the best character?

Quick answer: Mrs. Landingham was a runaway favorite for Mrs. Screens.  For me, it is hard to choose between the three Daytonians (Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, and Rob Lowe).  I am going with President Bartlet since he rocked a UD mug at the Resolute desk!  

Big question #4: Which episode has the highest rating?

Top-rated episodes of The West Wing according to IMDB:
1) Two Cathedrals (2001) – 9.7
2) In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part I (2000) – 9.4
3) In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part II (2000) – 9.3
4) Noël (2001) – 9.3
5) The Supremes (2004) – 9.2

Big question #5: How would President Bartlet’s approval rating compare to other presidents?

In the middle: President Bartlet averaged a 50.7% approval rating.  He would have ranked #7 out of 13 presidents (12 recent + the show). 

Scandal: His low point came during the season 2 finale when he hovered around 40%.

Big question #6: How did we watch TV when The West Wing premiered in 1999?

Quick answer: Streaming TV was a decade away, and only 2% of U.S. households had broadband.  The pay-TV bundle was growing and 11 years away from peaking before cord-cutting began.

Share of American households in 1999:
1) Broadcast TV – 97%
2) Cable TV – 78%
3) Broadband – 2%
4) Streaming TV – 0%

Big question #7: Which groups drove popularity for The West Wing?

Highest net favorability for The West Wing according to Data for Progress:
1) Income >$150K – +48%
2) College education – +36%
3) Democrat – +34%
4) Live in the northeast – +31%

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