The first season of The West Wing was some great drama. Mixing political and social commentary with deft humor and pop culture references, the show gave us a number of entertaining and thought-provoking episodes. There were hints of bigger and more dramatic events during the season, but nothing so earth-shattering that it changed the dynamic […]
“It’s the characters, stupid!” I know you’ve heard me say it before: the most important piece of any good drama — be it television, film, literature, or theater — is having good characters. On my favorite show, it’s easy to identify my favorite: Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman … sure he has a different […]
When you think about it, there are only a few TV shows that have aired over the last 50-plus years that have had memorable Christmas episodes. Shows like M*A*S*H, All in the Family, Little House on the Prairie, and ER. You can add The West Wing to this list, as well. While not on for […]
Ah, the post that started it all. The West Wing Week is an outgrowth of this here weekly feature; the series was simply too mammoth to be contained in just one post. Either that, or I figured it was a good way to get everyone else to carry the load for me (a thought that […]
When it came to casting, The West Wing was a rock star. And I’m not just talking about one-off guests or mini-arcs, but the heart of the cast as well. But since I could likely get lost saying “a little something” about each one, let’s just leave it at this: job extremely well done. There […]
The writing was always an incredibly important part to the success of the show. Aaron Sorkin, all things being equal, is probably the best dialogue writer on television. Ever (Yes, I said ever). When he left after season four, it took some time for the show to find its voice again, but I contend that […]
As much as I love The West Wing, and as much as I was feeding into the hype surrounding its premiere (being the SportsNight nut that I was at the time), I actually forgot it was on the first night, and only caught the last act. I was instantly hooked, because, well Sorkin is a […]
