Today in TV History: President Bartlet Called Up the Butterball Hotline On ‘The West Wing’

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone. 

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: November 21, 2001

PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRED ON THIS DATE: The West Wing, “The Indians in the Lobby” (Season 3, Episode 7). [Watch on Netflix]

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:  If any TV show in the post-2k era has demanded its place at the Thanksgiving table, it’s The West Wing‘s “The Indians in the Lobby.” Not for its (intentionally but still) backwards title nor for its lead storyline. No, it’s the fairly random inclusion of a scene in which President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) seeks some pointers on the subject of stuffing preparation by calling up the Butterball hotline.

There are times during these scenes where it feels like The West Wing is doing native advertising for Butterball, so complimentary and glowing are the President’s remarks. But given that The West Wing never did that sort of thing, and that it’s actually pretty easy to imagine a TV writer becoming enraptured with the handiness (and odd specificity) of the Butterball hotline. However the scene came to be, though, it is an undoubted masterpiece that displays The West Wing‘s light touch with comedy, and the bottomless potential of Bartlet’s know-it-all-ism butting up against the rest of the world. And of course Toby is the absolute perfect character to play the straight man in that scenario.

That WAS great. We SHOULD do that once a week.

[You can watch “The Indians in the Lobby” episode of The West Wing on Netflix]

Joe Reid (@joereid) is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn. You can find him leaving flowers for Mrs. Landingham at the corner of 18th and Potomac.