Well, it's official...

NBC ANNOUNCES SPECIAL TWO-HOUR FAREWELL FOR MULTI-EMMY-WINNING "THE
WEST WING" ON MAY 14 AS DRAMA CONCLUDES EPIC RUN WITH ONE-HOUR
RETROSPECTIVE FOLLOWED BY SERIES FINALE AFTER SEVEN HALLMARK SEASONS
Published: January 22, 2006

BURBANK, Calif. -- January 22, 2006 -- NBC announced that its multi-
Emmy Award-winning drama "The West Wing" (Sundays, 8-9 p.m. ET) will
conclude its storied run on Sunday, May 14 after seven hallmark
seasons with an hour-long retrospective (7-8 p.m. ET) followed by a
special series finale (8-9 p.m. ET), it was announced today by Kevin
Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"We are proud to have had the opportunity to bring television viewers
one of the most acclaimed series in television history," said
Reilly. "From the venerable, moving performances by the first-rate
cast to the sterling creative team behind the camera, this series has
left an indelible imprint on the landscape of television drama."

As the critically acclaimed winner of four consecutive Emmy Awards as
Outstanding Drama Series, "The West Wing" -- under the direction of
executive producer John Wells (NBC's "ER") ? has always offered
viewers a realistic, behind-the-scenes peek into the Oval Office and
the campaign trail that leads there.

The sophisticated, one-hour drama series stars Emmy winner Martin
Sheen ("Apocalypse Now"), the late Emmy-winning John Spencer ("L.A.
Law"), Emmy winner Bradley Whitford ("My Fellow Americans"), Emmy
winner Richard Schiff ("Deep Impact"), Emmy winner Allison Janney
("American Beauty"), Emmy winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "L.A.
Law"), Emmy winner Alan Alda ("M*A*S*H"), Emmy nominee Dule Hill
("Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk!"), Emmy nominee Janel Moloney
("Sports Night"), Emmy winner Stockard Channing ("Six Degrees of
Separation"), Joshua Malina ("Sports Night"), Kristin Chenoweth
("Wicked") and Mary McCormack ("Private Parts").

"The West Wing" holds the record for most Emmys won by a series in a
single season (its first) and has earned 90 total nominations to
date. Other awards include a Peabody Award for Excellence in
Television, five Golden Globe nominations and one Golden Globe Award
for Best Drama Series, and three Television Critics Association
Awards.

At the core of the current 2005-06 season is the campaign between
Democratic nominee Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican challenger
Vinick (Alan Alda) for the Presidency. President Bartlet (Sheen) and
his team find themselves leading the country with the
administration's days coming to a close.

"The West Wing" is from John Wells Productions in association with
Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. Wells serves as the executive
producer along with Christopher Misiano, Alex Graves, Lawrence
O'Donnell and Peter Noah. Aaron Sorkin is the creator.