Some television actors, directors, writers, and producers have been known to visit the website. The site's founders notably refer to a point in 2000 when "The West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin posted in the forums, at one point upset over the snark in one of the show's recaps. His experience is believed to have inspired the episode "The U.S. Poet Laureate", in which a character posts on White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman's fansite and is vehemently attacked by members of the forum for his beliefs and his violation of the forum rules. However, most others saw "Television Without Pity"s recaps and forums to be useful feedback. John Wells and J.J. Abrams have spoken to the value of "Television Without Pity" in developing their shows. Both CBS and The WB Network executives have used "Television Without Pity" to judge how to approach and market shows. Bravo's decision to buy "Television Without Pity" was based on the fact that if the site didn't exist, they would have made it themselves.