"West Wing," adieu

As many of us have suspected, this will be the final season of "The West Wing." Minutes ago, NBC entertainment president Kevin Reilly announced that the series finale will air May 14, preceded by a one-hour retrospective. No, Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme won't be involved in writing it. No, John Spencer's death hadn't anything to do with it. "That was kind of determined before" Spencer died, said Reilly. "There's been some outstanding work done this season. I just wish more people had seen it.”

Allow me to suggest the correct way for "The West Wing" to end: The Republican wins.

Press release on the jump.

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 BURBANK - 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.