 This was the first American drama series to react to the 11  September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.  Aaron Sorkin (qv) wrote a special episode ("Isaac and Ishmael")  that was filmed and broadcast within only a couple of weeks. The  episode, which featured the lead characters discussing a terrorist  threat upon the US and being locked down inside the White House due  to the name of a man on a Terrorist Watch List matching that of an  (innocent) White House worker, was not considered part of "West  Wing" continuity.