Why Did ‘The West Wing’ Get Canceled?

The hit political drama from Aaron Sorkin, 'The West Wing,' ran for seven seasons until getting canceled in 2006. Ahead, find out why NBC pulled the plug on the award-winning series.

by Mandi Kerr

Published on March 7, 2020

2 min read

Every good thing must come to an end, even award-winning TV shows.

As much as we hope and wish our favorite programs would go on forever, inevitably we have to say goodbye to them whether it be after a long and prosperous run or one glorious season before the dreaded c-word, canceled, befalls the series.

One drama part of the former category is The West Wing from Aaron Sorkin, who is also responsible for The Newsroom, Sports Night, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Pretty much the archetype for modern political dramas, The West Wing premiered on Sept. 22, 1999.

Airing its final episode on May 14, 2006, the show ended after seven seasons but not before leaving its mark on the TV landscape. During its time on TV, the program became known for its fast-paced dialogue and trademark walk-and-talk scenes. Ahead, find out why the much-lauded series got canceled.

What is ‘The West Wing’ about?

As the name suggests, the show is about the White House’s West Wing and the senior staffers who run the office of the president.

Cast of 'The West Wing' — Cast of ‘The West Wing’ | James Sorensen/NBC/Newsmakers

In arguably his most recognizable role, Martin Sheen played Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, the fictional president of the United States. Other cast members included Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman), Allison Janney (C.J. Cregg), Janel Moloney (Donnatella “Donna” Moss), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler), John Spencer (Leo McGarry), Dulé Hill (Charlie Young), and Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn).

The show, loosely based on the George W. Bush-era White House, followed the characters as they did their best to champion good while sometimes making mistakes.

Ratings fell in later seasons, led to show being canceled

Despite accolades (26 Emmys, three Golden Globes) and positive reviews from both critics and audiences during most of its run, Season 7 of The West Wing became the show’s last. The reason? Ratings took a hit when the show ran out of story ideas, according to HuffPost.

When news of the cancelation went public, many weren’t surprised because the show had been on the decline for some time, Today reported in 2006 following the cancelation announcement.

Key players were no longer part of the show

Throughout the series, a number of people left, making it all the more challenging. First, Lowe exited the show while on-screen his character left the White House to run for Congress. The now-55-year-old actor later said he had “no regrets” about his decision to leave because of what happened shortly after.

Moira Kelly, Dule Hill, Rob Lowe, Richard Schiff, Martin Sheen, John Spencer, Allison Janney, and Bradley Whitford on ‘The West Wing’ | NBC

What happened? Sorkin also bid farewell to The West Wing. He later admitted to having only watched 15 seconds of Season 5 acting on advice from Seinfeld’s Larry David to never watch a show after leaving. After his departure at the end of Season 4, the once sparkling dialogue took a noticeable step backward.

Spencer, who played the White House Chief of Staff and confidant to Sheen’s Bartlet, died in 2005 following a massive heart attack in a strange parallel to his character, according to The New York Times, causing another blow.

Watch all seven seasons of The West Wing on Netflix.