--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Working on The West Wing was similar in…" description: "\"Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my experience on M*A*S*H, because you had people willing to work late at night to get it just righ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png" --- # Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my… ![“Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my experience on M*A*S*H, because you had people willing to work late at night to get it just right.” quote by Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png) > “Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my experience on M\*A\*S\*H, because you had people willing to work late at night to get it just right.” [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both shows required late‑night dedication and collaborative perfectionism to achieve high‑quality storytelling. **In simple terms:** Hard work and teamwork produce great TV. Key Takeaway Embrace late‑night collaboration. Themes teamwork dedication creativity production collaboration Mood determined reflective Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - TV production - scriptwriting - post‑production - crew coordination Key Concepts process craftsmanship quality Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance quality with personal well‑being? - What practices keep a team motivated? A Different Perspective Long hours can cause burnout and personal strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Late night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-night/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Night Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-just-697624/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [West wing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-wing/) [Willing Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing-work/) [Working West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-west-4279554/) ## Related quotes > [But there is a big difference in working for the West and working for a totalitarian state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/but-there-is-a-big-difference-in-working-for-the-west-and-working-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The one hour live debate in the West Wing that we did was one of the most exciting times for me on stage or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/the-one-hour-live-debate-in-the-west-wing-that-we-did-was-one-of-the/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [The best time of my life is when I'm holding her in my hands for a night,it just makes me make up for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fena-ramasilo/the-best-time-of-my-life-is-when-i-m-holding-her-in-my-hands-for-a/) [Fena Ramasilo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fena-ramasilo/) > [Every night I go out there, I just try to be the best I can be on the court. Off the court, I be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-schroder/every-night-i-go-out-there-i-just-try-to-be-the-best-i-can-be-on-the/) [Dennis Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-schroder/) > [When your child is looking up at you, and you are putting them to bed at night, and they are just lying there, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-filan/when-your-child-is-looking-up-at-you-and-you-are-putting-them-to-bed/) [Shane Filan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-filan/) > [Those night you just break down realizing nobody cares...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/those-night-you-just-break-down-realizing-nobody-cares/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [On fight night, I just like to come and fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-ortiz/on-fight-night-i-just-like-to-come-and-fight/) [Luis Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-ortiz/) > [I never asked for someone who could offer me the stars in the night. Just someone to lay down and watch them with is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-asked-for-someone-who-could-offer-me-the-stars-in-the-night/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every performer will have a bad night. It's just inevitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-edwards/every-performer-will-have-a-bad-night-it-s-just-inevitable/) [Alyssa Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-edwards/) > [The night is just a part of the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-night-is-just-a-part-of-the-day/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [That one night, was more than just fright~~~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-one-night-was-more-than-just-fright/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Was it enough to wear the night with me just once? I am unsatisfied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saundra-mitchell/was-it-enough-to-wear-the-night-with-me-just-once-i-am-unsatisfied/) [Saundra Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saundra-mitchell/) > [For 'We Are the Streets,' we'd just gotten off Bad Boy. So we were just back in our element and were going up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/for-we-are-the-streets-we-d-just-gotten-off-bad-boy-so-we-were-just/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [He died every night just to let her breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-died-every-night-just-to-let-her-breath/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All I'm asking for is one night together. Just you and me. All alone. And if you can honestly say you don't feel anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-i-m-asking-for-is-one-night-together-just-you-and-me-all-alone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Alan Alda > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [We need to be more conversant with it because science is in our lives. It's in everything. It's in the food we eat. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/we-need-to-be-more-conversant-with-it-because-science-is-in-our-lives/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [When I studied how to think in school, I was taught that the first rule of logic was that a thing cannot both be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/when-i-studied-how-to-think-in-school-i-was-taught-that-the-first/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I was brought up as a Catholic, and I'm no longer a Catholic. I don't talk about my beliefs too much in public probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-was-brought-up-as-a-catholic-and-i-m-no-longer-a-catholic-i-don-t/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [life is meaningless unless you bring meaning to it; ... it is up to us to create our own existence. Unless you do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/life-is-meaningless-unless-you-bring-meaning-to-it-it-is-up-to-us-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-mother-didn-t-try-to-stab-my-father-until-i-was-six/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe - you can't take a taxi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/originality-is-unexplored-territory-you-get-there-by-carrying-a-canoe/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [M\*A\*S\*H' was a collection of people, in front of and behind the cameras, that really clicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/m-a-s-h-was-a-collection-of-people-in-front-of-and-behind-the-cameras/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively-the-creative-is-the-place-where-no/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [To do a musical takes a tremendous amount of energy because you have to act and sing at the same time. And everything has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/to-do-a-musical-takes-a-tremendous-amount-of-energy-because-you-have/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Be brave enough to live creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“You can't get there by bus, only by hard work, risking, and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/you-can-t-get-there-by-bus-only-by-hard-work-risking-and-by-not-quite/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I used to read science fiction a lot, and I still like science fiction when it is a model of how we really are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-used-to-read-science-fiction-a-lot-and-i-still-like-science-fiction/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) [Explore all 203 Alan Alda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## More Late night quotes > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [I relish the time I have when there are no interruptions. Most often the best time for writing is late at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-armstrong/i-relish-the-time-i-have-when-there-are-no-interruptions-most-often/) [Franny Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-armstrong/) > [Love makes you a singer love makes you a poet love makes you a fighter love makes you a forgiver love makes you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/love-makes-you-a-singer-love-makes-you-a-poet-love-makes-you-a/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [All the small things True care, truth brings I'll take one lift Your ride best trip Always I know You'll be at my show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blink-182/all-the-small-things-true-care-truth-brings-i-ll-take-one-lift-your/) [Blink 182](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blink-182/) > [“The thing about late-night cookery was that it made sense at the time. It always had some logic behind it. It just wasn’t the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-thing-about-late-night-cookery-was-that-it-made-sense-at-the-time/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I can't tell you how many fights I've seen late night at Waffle Houses. I've not been in one myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-kracker/i-can-t-tell-you-how-many-fights-i-ve-seen-late-night-at-waffle/) [Uncle Kracker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-kracker/) > [“Love is warmth. It’s the inside jokes. It’s the reassuring touch. It’s the late night talks. It’s the finding of common interests. It’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nessie-q/love-is-warmth-it-s-the-inside-jokes-it-s-the-reassuring-touch-it-s/) [Nessie Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nessie-q/) > [I'm on the Internet a lot more than I watch TV and most everybody I know is, and yet if you watch most late-night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-milonakis/i-m-on-the-internet-a-lot-more-than-i-watch-tv-and-most-everybody-i/) [Andy Milonakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-milonakis/) > [My big dream is to be a late-night host, but it's like, what does that even mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dobrik/my-big-dream-is-to-be-a-late-night-host-but-it-s-like-what-does-that/) [David Dobrik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dobrik/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Life's Highs... 1. Laughing hysterically 2. Dancing your heart out 3. Star gazing 4. Shopping 5. Going to the beach 6. Listening to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-s-highs-1-laughing-hysterically-2-dancing-your-heart-out-3-star/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-you-succumb-to-the-temptation-of-using-violence-in-the-struggle/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [About a year after I moved to Los Angeles, I decided I wanted to be a joke writer for a late night talk show.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/about-a-year-after-i-moved-to-los-angeles-i-decided-i-wanted-to-be-a/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [It's all about the crowd and what type of event I am DJing. If it's a corporate party, I keep things upbeat but light.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-bronfman/it-s-all-about-the-crowd-and-what-type-of-event-i-am-djing-if-it-s-a/) [Hannah Bronfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-bronfman/) [Browse all 409 Late night quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-night/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my experience on M*A*S*H, because you had people willing to work late at night to get it just right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Alda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in-many-ways-to-my-experience-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Late night" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in-many-ways-to-my-experience-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/alan-alda-1859_late-night_working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in_2940287.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Working on The West Wing was similar in many ways to my experience on M*A*S*H, because you had people…” — Alan Alda", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Alda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Working on The West Wing was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in-many-ways-to-my-experience-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/working-on-the-west-wing-was-similar-in-many-ways-to-my-experience-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```