The West Wing Cast Is Filming a Reunion Special to Promote Voter Participation This Fall

The original cast of The West Wing is getting together after 17 long years apart to promote a cause their characters would approve: voter participation.

As Variety reports, the reunion special aims to raise awareness and support for When We All Vote, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to register new voters and make sure they know how, when, and where to vote. The program itself will be a stage adaptation of the 14th episode from season three of the series: “Hartsfield’s Landing.” Highlights include a couple of spirited chess matches between President Bartlet and his staff members, high-stakes discussions about the possibility of war with China, and a New Hampshire primary that hinges on a few dozen votes. Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford, and Martin Sheen have all signed on to participate in the production, and Aaron Sorkin has even promised to write some new material for the script.

According to a press release, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote will be filmed this October at Los Angeles’s Orpheum Theatre, and it’ll air on HBO Max sometime in the following weeks (presumably before the presidential election on Tuesday, November 3). If seeing your favorite fictional defenders of democracy come alive onstage hasn’t convinced you to tune in, you can also look forward to messages from Michelle Obama—a co-founder and co-chair of When We All Vote—and other to-be-announced special guests.

“With A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, we are excited to revisit this legendary series and offer our passionate fans something that is substantial, meaningful, and unforgettable, while also promoting an important message for our time,” Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max's head of original content, said in the press release. HBO Max has also pledged to donate to When We All Vote, and you can make your own donation here.

[h/t Variety]