Roosevelt Room Broadcast Monitor (flat-panel TV)

A medium‑sized flat‑panel television with a thin, dark bezel and a visible power cable, set in the corner of the Roosevelt Room on a credenza. The screen throws a cool, clinical glow across chairs and rehearsal papers; captions scroll during live feeds. Staff lean toward the glass, test subtle nonverbal cues against its picture, and let its audio fill the room. The monitor functions as a practical, attention‑directing device that converts private rehearsal into public‑facing timing.

5 appearances

Purpose

To receive and display live television broadcasts and network feeds for occupants of the Roosevelt Room so staff and the President can monitor unfolding public events in real time.

Significance

The monitor anchors rehearsal and performance timing: it provides the real‑time public feed against which staff test signals, shapes emotional beats in the room, and links private family concerns to the mechanics of public spectacle. It also figures into references to the President's viewing habits, serving as the tangible bridge between Bartlet's private routines and the White House's public choreography.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments

S1E6 · Mr. Willis of Ohio

Aftermath: Banter, Praise and the Tip of Victory

The Roosevelt Room television supplies the decisive public information: a live roll call that converts backstage nervousness into confirmation. It draws Toby's focus and ultimately catalyzes the emotional relief when the 'yea' is announced.

Before: Tuned to a live network feed in the Roosevelt Room corner, ready to receive the roll call.

After: Remains on as the roll call continues; its broadcast transforms private worry into public outcome and then fades as the scene ends.

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S1E6 · Mr. Willis of Ohio

Roll Call Relief / Willis' Yea

The Roosevelt Room broadcast monitor carries the live House roll call that sustains the scene's tension; staff gather and watch as names and votes are announced. The monitor is the literal and symbolic vehicle for public procedural validation that converts private persuasion into a recorded victory.

Before: Set up in the Roosevelt Room, glowing and airing the ongoing House roll call feed.

After: Continues to broadcast as the roll call proceeds; its announcement of Mr. Willis' 'yea' becomes the moment of release for the staff.

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S1E18 · Six Meetings Before Lunch

Toby Snuffs the Celebration

The broadcast monitor provides the factual trigger for the scene: it announces Senator Crossfield's 'yea,' creating the illusion of victory that leads to staff celebration. It functions as an impartial verifier of Senate arithmetic and the immediate focus of everyone's attention.

Before: On, tuned to the Senate roll-call feed and displaying names/announcements.

After: Remains on and continues to provide the roll-call feed; its information is subject to scrutiny by Toby but physically unchanged.

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S1E18 · Six Meetings Before Lunch

Panda Note Panic — A Comedic Misread That Breaks the Rush

The broadcast monitor in the Mural Room provides the roll-call visuals that anchor Toby's tension; staff watch the television for confirmation tallies and reaction, making the screen the informational fulcrum that converts gossip into immediate stakes.

Before: Operating, showing live feed of the Senate roll-call as staff arrives.

After: Continues broadcasting the vote; its live tally remains the primary informational focus of the room after the group assembles.

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S1E18 · Six Meetings Before Lunch

Panda Note, Mallory’s Interruption, and the Vote‑Watch Tension

A broadcast monitor in the Mural Room is the staff's information centre — rolling names prompt exhalations and silence; Toby watches the screen, and it anchors the group's shift from party to procedural vigilance as the Mendoza vote tallies.

Before: On and displaying the Senate roll call as staff begin to gather for the vote.

After: Continues displaying the roll call and remains the focal point for staff attention throughout the watch.

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