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Related: Film discussion forum.

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Related: Film discussion forum.

Telly addicts

West Wing

29 replies

redorwhite · 15/08/2009 12:30

I have been watching the weekly More 4 repeats of the West Wing since the very first episode 3 or so years ago having somehow missed out first time around. Tonight is the very last episode!

DH and I have not missed one and it has been the best thing I have ever seen on TV.

I am officially in love with Jed Bartlet but rather scared that Aaron Sorkin seemed to have had some sort of premonition of Barack Obama when he wrote the Matthew Santos character.

I must go now and make sure I have some nice wine to get me through this sad time. Any suggestions for a replacement?

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TheDMHatesMe · 15/08/2009 12:32

It is superb, isn't it. I liked the Alan Alda character too.

Very impressed that you haven't missed a single one!

The Wire might be a good replacement - it has a reputation for being 'difficult' but actually is very entertaining and has some great characters and good human interest.

redorwhite · 15/08/2009 12:38

Good suggestion for The Wire - I have heard it is excellent.

I liked Alan Alda too, in fact I liked all most of the cast apart from Toby although I seem to be alone in this. I found him to be rather dogmatic and unsympathetic as a character.

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TheDMHatesMe · 15/08/2009 12:46

Josh was my absolute least favourite - and all his annoying girlfriends!

redorwhite · 15/08/2009 12:51

But he ended up with the lovely Donna though (barring any events in tonight's episode of course!)

I wish I was CJ but not sure I would fancy "Elliot from thirtysomething" which is his official title.

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TheDMHatesMe · 15/08/2009 14:04

Sorry, not keen on Donna either.

I dunno about Danny, there's something a bit sexy about him - definitely not as Elliot though!

squeaver · 15/08/2009 14:11

You should get The Wire

Or Studio 60 on Sunset - also written by Aaron Sorkin and with Josh and Chandler from Friends.

All the parallels with the real life Presidential campaign are amazingly spooky. The only thing he didn't predict was Sarah Palin!

redorwhite · 15/08/2009 18:46

To be fair if he had written a character like her people would have said he had taken dramatic licence too far!

We did watch Studio 60 when it was on and enjoyed it - shame it was only the one series though as it felt a bit "rushed" at the end

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GreenPeas · 15/08/2009 18:56

I won't have a bad word said about Josh. . Am now thinking DH and I should dig out one of the box sets this evening (he likes Donna...)

Bumperslucious · 15/08/2009 20:25

DH and I are on the third time round of the boxsets. Love love love it! The only replacement for the west wing is... more west wing!

Though DH and I finally succumbed to Desperate Housewives, which we both really enjoyed and can't wait for the next season.

TinyPawz · 16/08/2009 01:49

I could recite th whole west wing series!!! I adore it....currently watching it for what must be the 30 time.

Toby is the best

bloss · 16/08/2009 05:41

Message withdrawn

MotheringHeights · 16/08/2009 05:51

I love WW and all the characters

Apparently Josh was based on Obama's real life campaign manager, which makes Sorkin scarily prescient when you think how long ago it started. While he didn't predict Sarah Palin as a pollie, he did foresee that shift with the new appointee to Vinek's team half way through.

DH and I have given up counting the number of times we've watched the box set. Another vote for The Wire as an alternative. It's brilliance becomes more apparent the further in you watch.

sayanything · 16/08/2009 20:53

Hands off Josh, Josh is mine. I was hooked from the victory dance in the first episode.

I was watching Richard Gibbs, Obama's Press Officer, on TV giving a press briefing the other day and all I could think of was "CJ could do so much better than this."

Yes to the Wire from me too, but I do wish the WW could come back somehow.

redorwhite · 17/08/2009 08:43

So that is is it. No more West Wing

Bartlet for America!

Love love love it. It seems that we should watch the wire next.

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Grandhighpoohba · 17/08/2009 11:07

Buy the box set, yoou can never tire of the West Wing. And how can you not love Toby?

I went for Battlestar Galactica after, Loved it, not as sci-fi as I had feared. Some really interesting moral dilemmas, where one minute you are absolutely sure whose side you are on, and the next, it all twists and you find yourself in the opposite position.

Am tempted by the Wire too tho

squeaver · 17/08/2009 11:09

Interesting side-bar: the actor who played Toby (Richard something??) was very unhappy about what happened to him in the last series. He did not think Toby's actions were true to the character. I agree with him actually.

notyummy · 17/08/2009 11:18

Josh is GREAT!!!

Definitely second the vote for Battlestar Galatica - it is absolutely superb and not just a sci-fi/geeky watch at all.

Currently on series two of the Wire and is good - but you have to concentrate!

Generation Kill is also good - was on FX eralier this year and I imagine the DVD set is out now.

Lastly, British TV wise - what about The Street? Fantastic writing and acting all round, although you may need a hamky more often than you do with the West Wing.

TinyPawz · 17/08/2009 23:27

squeaver totally agree with you there....I was so disappointed in Toby. I was sure it was Leo.

On The Wire, its brilliant too. The language is foul, but being Irish I didn;t find it too bad although I have talked to other who stopped watching for that reason.

Dominic West is yummy in it, but Stringer Bell Idris Elba is sex on legs

notyummy · 18/08/2009 08:48

People have stopped watching because of the language? I don't know why I found that surprising, but I suppose I do in this day and age - at least some people still take a stand!

My mum and dad (both in early 70s) are hooked on The Wire! My BIL (27) was ashamed to discover that whilst he has to watch his boxed sets with the subtitles on because the street slang is beyond him, my aged parents watch the series without (although with the sound turned up - because 'sometimes they mumble love' )

squeaver · 18/08/2009 10:11

Oh God yes, Tiny. Stringer Bell.....

notyummy · 18/08/2009 10:23

And he's another Brit!

MotheringHeights · 18/08/2009 11:11

Oh my god, Stringer Bell is a Brit? I had no idea, god he's good - the actor that is. And sexy!

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dinkystinky · 18/08/2009 11:25

and Jimmy McNulty is from leeds too - who'd have thought it...

Another Wing nut here - so much so that we named DS1 after Mr Lyman (DH's favourite character) and was a close call with naming DS2 after Mr Seaborn (who was my favourite) Was bereft when it ended. Though studio 60 distracted me for abit and the wire is truly addictive.

notyummy · 18/08/2009 11:40

Leeds via Eton...

Not exactly what you imagine for the hard bitten cop!

redorwhite · 18/08/2009 12:09

The West Wing did influence our DS2 name choice as well, albeit we didn't think we could get away with Josiah much as we were tempted!

We have tried some episodes of the wire - an excellent replacement. Thank you for the advice. I read somewhere that Omar was Barack Obama's favourite TV character. Has anyone else heard that?

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