The West Wing

[Fiderer]

Watching once again. Love the intro in ep1

Thank you to the pp for the link to the podcasts. They're brilliant, hours of wallowing in the West Wing

tribpot

"We're going to raise the level of debate in this country and let that be our legacy."

If only.

I'm watching just now too. NOW tv has the box set. On series 5. Loved it when it was on TV but haven't watched it much since.

Ive just started watching it for the first time ever. Am about five episodes in and am enjoying it. One thing I was thinking this afternoon was that if they were to make it now would they make it with some of the actors not being young/attractive like they did back then. I mean I'm glad they picked good actors over just good looking people but it's a bit unusual these days? I would imagine that CJ would be blonde and early 30s if they made it now.

Confession time: I am closing in on my 50th rewatch of the whole seven series.
It's been in my DVD player since it stopped broadcasting, what, ten years ago?, and I switch whenever live TV fails to interest me.
I have NEVER felt like this about a TV programme. I can quote whole chunks of dialogue verbatim, but I still find something new in every episode.
I know I am amongst friends here but it still feels like a guilty secret 😃

Guilty secret? Not here. We're had whole threads on trivia and quotes and analysing episodes.

Then there are the poker games and the vernal equinox and eggs. Never a dull moment.

Ah, coming to hide in here. TWW is my go to comfort show, and I need to live in an alternative political reality right now.

Big fan of WWW too - one of their hoodies and lapel pins are on my Christmas list.

There is only one fruit with its seeds on the outside - name it please.

Is it the Kumquat?

I knew it was strawberry!

Came in to recommend the podcast too - which I am loving. Combining it and the real news this week has been. ... jarring to say the least. I want America to be Bartlet's America.

TWW is wonderful, engrossing, smart TV. Love it.

I've been watching and re watching for ages but I've stopped for the past few days. I just can't. Just a stark reminder of what could have been and what it is now. It's too hard. (Everytime I think of the First Lady, I now see Melania's awful caricature).

But I'll start again soon.

It just represents such an ideal. Bartlett will always be my favourite TV character. I think I've seen seasons 1-4 around ten times already.

Can I just say - j hated seasons 5-7. Will didn't have Sam's charisma, neither did the blonde woman they brought in. The new characters just ruined it. I get it was Rob's decision to leave, but I think they could have made him stay. What annoys me is that in every cast "reunion" that actor turns up and I'm like BUT WHY YOU AND NOT ROB because it's just not the same. The podcasts are fine but I kind of think he's clinging on to his time on that show a little.

Let Bartlet Be Bartlet. Yes.

This episode makes me cry every time. That end line. "that was an awfully nice thing you did". And then Leo starts crying. Oh God. I just love it so much. I always loved the episodes when they would do flashbacks - seeing them on the campaign trail was the best. When Abi says to Bartlett - "some of these new people are great. I'm going to miss them!". They have no clue what's in store, how they will win.

They could have made Rob Lowe stay - by paying him far more than he was worth. That was his main beef I think - when he started on the show he saw himself as the big Hollywood guy in the production (Martin Sheen wasn't meant to be in it anywhere near as much as he turned out to be). But it was a true ensemble cast and Rob wasn't the male lead that he wanted to be. Out you go I say.

Joshua Malina is a long-time Sorkin collaborator, it's not really that he's just some bloke relentlessly trading on having been in a telly show.

The show certainly did go downhill from Series 5 onwards. There were increasingly ropey storylines but the real low point (for all sorts of reasons) was the death of one of the characters (and indeed actors) in series 7. I won't put who in case we are trying not to spoiler it for anyone although given the show is getting on for 20 years old this seems a bit unnecessary. I would have got Sorkin back in just to write the scene after his funeral - the writers clearly had no idea what to do.

Access was my least favourite ep. I actually quite like the one where CJ returned to Dayton (incidentally both Allison Jannney and Rob Lowe were born there).

I'm in a "seasonal" mood...the best Christmas episode was the one where the deceased veteran was wearing Toby'a old coat. Very poignant.

Favourite storyline was the MS reveal.

I am retiring in January. Post-retirement activity #1: short holiday. Post retirement activity #2: load up the woodburner and rewatch all 7 series alongside podcasts. That should keep me going until spring

Tagetes how wonderful

Roping you in for the next trivia/quotes thread. E.g. "5 Votes Down" -who were they?
What book did President Bartlet receive from Agricultural Secretary Tribbey?

So take notes We had some crackers last time. Makes you want to watch all over again. And again

I think know the first one....it was a copy of the constitution in Latin....

Joshua Malina is a long-time Sorkin collaborator, it's not really that he's just some bloke relentlessly trading on having been in a telly show.

I know, but when you watch a group interview, j would want rob Lowe instead of him and that blonde girl anytime. I just would.

Rob Lowe never seems to do any of the reunion things. I'm not that fussed about him tbh, but it's a shame as the rest of them seem to be such a 'family'.

I've been rewatching series 3 aka the year of Amy. I keep thinking that one of these times I'm going to like her but no, it's not happened yet. Josh and Donna forever!!!

Ok, own up. Which of you lot thought it would be funny to do this

Turns out none of my work colleagues have ever seen the West Wing. The mention of Margaret while watching my inbox fill up with 'reply all' responses was met with blank looks.

Don't you just wish it was real, or at least a closer approximation of reality than what we have?

Hah Rafa. I just came here to post that Margaret works for the NHS now.

I cleared my inbox last week.

How do so many people not know how the reply all button works?