The West Wing!?

Glad I spotted this thread, I'm just finishing off 24 s8 and this is next on my list. I'd heard good things but after the action of 24 and the sheer brilliance of The Wire (which I don't think will ever be bettered) I was wondering how another show could come close.


these are my 2 best shows ever.
got a box set of 24 day 1 for xmas and now i have watched them all inc. day 8.
also the wire is excellent, the writing is second to none.

after reading this, i will give west wing a try
 
Agreed. It falls apart at the end of series four, when Sworkin left. Series five is bad melodrama, and the first half of series six doesn't seem to know where it is going. Once the election campaign starts it gets better, but with one major problem: it's not the West Wing any more. It has a load of characters with the same names, but they act so differently to the same characters in the first four series that you can't even see the connection. Time after time characters act in a particular way just to advance the plot, rather than because it is consistent to who they are: the sure sign of lazy writing.
Spot on. I was beginning to think I was the only one that didn't like it after Sorkin left.
 
Now on episode 12 of season 2 (episode 34), watching this at a ridiculous pace, must mean I'm enjoying it! Racing through season 2 cause I can't wait to see this whole 'two cathedrals' thing.
 
All I can say, has to be one of my favourite speeches of all time, and in the setting it is in, even more powerful..

"You're a son of a (removed word), you know that? She bought her first new car and you hit her with a drunk driver. What? Was that supposed to be funny? "You can't conceive, nor can I, the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God," says Graham Greene. I don't know who's (removed word) he was kissing there 'cause I think you're just vindictive. What was Josh Lyman? A warning shot? That was my son. What did I ever do to yours except praise his glory and praise his name? There's a tropical storm that's gaining speed and power. They say we haven't had a storm this bad since you took out that tender ship of mine in the North Atlantic last year, 68 crew. You know what a tender ship does? It fixes the other ships. It doesn't even carry guns. It just goes around and fixes the other ships and delivers the mail. That's all it can do. Gratias tibi ago, domine. Yes, I lied. It was a sin. I've committed many sins. Have I displeased you, you feckless thug? 3.8 million new jobs, that wasn't good? Bailed out Mexico. Increased foreign trade. Thirty million new acres of land for conservation. Put Mendoza on the bench. We're not fighting a war. I've raised three children. That's not enough to buy me out of the doghouse? Haec credam a deo pio? A deo iusto, a deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem. Tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui. Officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem. Eas in crucem!"
 
TV at its best !

Fantastic acting and writing and it'll be a long time before something better comes along.
 
Glad I spotted this thread, I'm just finishing off 24 s8 and this is next on my list. I'd heard good things but after the action of 24 and the sheer brilliance of The Wire (which I don't think will ever be bettered) I was wondering how another show could come close.

Have you watched The Shield? An absolutely awesome show.
 
2nd favourite speech from The West Wing..

"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, and always clears the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath, Exodus 35:2, clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important, 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing, while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tightass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits."
 
2nd favourite speech from The West Wing..

"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, and always clears the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath, Exodus 35:2, clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important, 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing, while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tightass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits."

That woman got seriously wtfpwned.

Do people that intelligent really exist though :p I mean can someone really come up with that on the spot!
 
2nd favourite speech from The West Wing..

"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, and always clears the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath, Exodus 35:2, clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important, 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing, while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tightass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits."
That's a speech I've seen in The West Wing and loved it. :)

That woman got seriously wtfpwned.

Do people that intelligent really exist though :p I mean can someone really come up with that on the spot!
President Bartlett sure can! :cool:
 
Didn't some American TV critics say they preferred the fictional President Bartlett to the real George W Bush? :D


who wouldn't ;)


Brilliant series, even if it did decline somewhat after season 3, but still magnificent. Great cast, great writing (most of the time) - what more could you want?

I can't remember the name of the episode, but the one where Leo was at the grand jury (was it 'Bartlett for President' ?) was fantastic. And the end of season episode with CJ and her bodyguard? I could go on and on.

Dunno if it's fair to compare to The Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield - its a different genre. Doesn't mean you can't enjoy them all though :)

OP - if you've got them, watch them.
 
Leo said:
This guy's walkin' down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you! Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can ya help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are ya stupid? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.
 
that part took my breath away :)

The only criticism you could have is the dialogue is too good! In a sense unrealistic, but screw that, onto S02 E15!
 
I adore all the characters but Leo is an amazingly well played character.

Credit to all the actors in this thought, highlight of their careers.

I don't find the dialogue unrealistic at all, love the banter and speed of the conversations. It feels all too natural to me.
 
The live debate, was doubly amazing, as it was actually done as a live debate, albeit an entirely scripted one, but still, the characters involved had to know their entire scripts flawlessly.
 
I adore all the characters but Leo is an amazingly well played character.

That for me was the trouble with the later series - nobody else apart from Sorkin seemed to know what to do with Leo. And seeing as he was, for me, the best character in the entire thing then it lost a bit of its shine. I still enjoyed the increased focus on Josh and CJ but I missed Leo.

Also, if Two Cathedrals is the best episode (which by far and away it is), any nominations for the worst? I'd go with The Long Goodbye, the one with CJ and her Dad. The West Wing doesn't seem to do CJ-centric episodes very well, Access (the 'documentary' about CJ) was rubbish as well.
 
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