MUMBAI: The final episodes of US broadcaster NBC's presidential drama The West Wing will see many familiar faces return to see the Emmy Award-winning series off.

Rob Lowe, Mary-Louise Parker, Marlee Matlin, Timothy Busfield and Annabeth Gish among others will return to the drama to reprise their characters in one or more of the final episodes - but all will not specifically appear in the finale on 14 May.

Lowe will come back to serve as a senior political official. The season-long presidential race between Senator Adam Vinick (Alan Alda) and Congressman Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) will be decided before Lowe's return.

From the drama's inception in 1999 until 2003, Lowe portrayed Seaborn, a deputy communications director who left to run for Congress in California. For his performance as Seaborn, he earned an Emmy nomination in 2001.

Oscar winner Matlin reprises polling expert Joey Lucas. Busfield comes back as intense reporter Danny Concannon; and Gish will portray Elizabeth Bartlet Westin, the married daughter of President Bartlet (Martin Sheen).

The West Wing holds the record for most Emmys won by a series in a single season (its first). 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.