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Any other WEST WING fans?

136 replies

ja9 · 14/04/2009 00:14

What did you move onto once you had finished it?

We are loving it but are now on series 7 and wondering what will fill the void when we reach the end of this series?

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ja9 · 14/04/2009 23:20

MrsY - i couldn't help but wonder where CJ, Toby et al where when i was watching Obamas inauguration...

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ja9 · 14/04/2009 23:21

Great ideas here btw re: what next... although i am warming to the idea of just starting back at series 1.

toby, no.

sam... now YES!

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TheOldestCat · 14/04/2009 23:22

True, and it had the same dimly lit quality, procrastinating!

CJCregg · 15/04/2009 00:03

I love W G Snuffy Walden - have got to the stage where I cheer every time his name comes up. The best name ever, indeed.

Has everyone on this thread watched the whole thing? I have a season seven question but don't want to spoil ...

notyummy · 15/04/2009 08:39

There was a programme on BBC4 a few months ago showing the comparisons between Hollywood representation of politics, and real life. It had loads of interviews with WW actors and writers. There was an interview with Jummy Smits when he talked about meeting Obama in 2004 and having a long chat with him and deciding to base a lot of his character around him. Life imitates art eh?

moopymoo · 15/04/2009 09:28

well this thread made me get the box set out last night and start rewatching. There is always something new! Yes to expecting CJ etc to be on the patform during the inaugaration. I am in a facebook group called 'I want Aaron Sorkin to script reality.' sad i know but hey I know loads more about the US election process than ever before. My nephew was told to watch WW as part of his politics alevel studies.

notyummy · 15/04/2009 10:26

Have a look at this for further viewing ideas:

entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6061203.ece

List of the top 50 US shows (in the opinion of the TV critic).

gizmo · 15/04/2009 11:22

Ah, the West Wing. DS2 used to automatically start looking for boob when the theme tune came on: I watched series 1-5, again, during maternity leave, mostly perched on the sofa with DS2 slurping away.

I'm enjoying Mad Men at the moment, although it's nowhere near the quality of dialogue. Studio 60 was getting good but was never allowed to go anywhere,really.

As for fanciable characters, well, I'm not madly inspired by workaholics, so none of them made it into my bad girl dreams, but I do have a massive crush on CJ, to the extent that I have a tendency to think: 'what would CJ do' in moments of crisis.

MrsY · 15/04/2009 11:48

In terms of the women, I heart Ainsley Hayes, a lot, as does my husband, and I think Ellie Bartlett is really nice looking. Loved her wedding dress too. Love, love Debbie Fiderer Fidler Fiderer, and Elsie Snuffin, who has the second best name of all time!

I watched the first episodes of season 4 last night, in bed, while feeding my nine week old, and was telling talking to her about all the characters...

Moopymoo I was told to watch TWW for my degree!

CJCregg - what's the question? I like to think of myself as a WW authority... All those who haven't seen S7, look away now...

CJCregg · 15/04/2009 12:00

I wish I'd had the box sets when the DCs were newborns - breastfeeding would have been a much anticipated pleasure!

I also think Liz Bartlet is really cool, and I wish they'd brought her in a bit earlier. Ainsley Hayes just kind of vanished, didn't she? And I have a soft spot for Annabeth, even though I couldn't understand a word she said to start with - partly because she's so smart and funny, and for the lovely relationship that developed with Leo.

Even though he totally overplayed it, Roger Rees was quite funny as Lord John Marbury. 'Gerald!' God help us if that's how intelligent Americans see us, though.

OK, my season seven question SPOILER -

Who did tell Toby about the military space shuttle? It was never resolved, and apparently Richard Schiff was furious about that storyline, which actually doesn't stack up if you look at it closely. It wasn't his dead brother, and it wasn't CJ. I reckon it was Bartlet ...

Ok, break's over.

moopymoo · 15/04/2009 16:18

Thought he had talked to Gregg Brock? Thats where the leak came from. Yes, then when Brock was due to go to jail because he wouldnt reveal his source, Toby fessed up? Though that was implied rather than overt. It was a very woolly storyline and I agree seemed out of character for one so principled. Though grief over brothers suicide etc.

Hassled · 15/04/2009 16:33

I thought Brock was Toby's source, rather than the dead brother as everyone assumed. So while it would have been easy for Toby to blame the brother, he wouldn't do it - and wouldn't reveal the real source.

Toby leaked it to the press - was it some blog/website that revealed the story initially? So Brock told Toby, Toby told the media.

CJCregg · 15/04/2009 17:23

No, I don't think so - Toby leaked it to Greg Brock at the New York Times, that's how the story got out. Then Bartlet ordered the internal investigation, and Toby confessed when he realised they were going to try to pin it on CJ. Everyone assumed he'd heard about it through his brother, but he said that wasn't it.

I'm getting a bit obsessive about this! Looked it up on various websites and it's clear that they never actually said where he got the information from, but that he was definitely covering for someone. I'm just speculating ...

mrsgboring · 15/04/2009 17:24

Brock is the media, so that doesn't make sense. Would be a far bigger scandal surely if Brock had told Toby - who told him?

Toby leaked it to Brock, hence they put Brock in jail to try to get him to reveal his source.

I initially thought POTUS but have discarded that idea - POTUS wouldn't have been so angry and ungenerous towards Toby if it had been him, I don't think. Wonder about Josh. Can't have been CJ - she cracked up completely worrying about that Grand Jury thing a few series back and Ainsley had to explain she hadn't broken the law after all.

mrsgboring · 15/04/2009 17:27

X-post with CJ.

Josh doesn't know anything about anything military, actually. So perhaps it was Leo?? I don't think they ever talk after the thing leaks. Hmm.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2009 17:30

Did he officially know at all? CJ hinted at it. His brother hinted at it. He's not stupid. He leaked to force their hand. Perhaps. Who knows?

Hassled · 15/04/2009 17:46

Yes, you're right and I'm losing my marbles - Toby did leak to Brock. And I call myself a WW fan .

Now it could well have been Leo. He would have known. And when Leo was sub-poenad (sp), there was much discomfort that I always attributed to the Vice President candidate thing solely in terms of bad press, etc., but it could have been because the truth would out and then the whole Santos/McGarry thing would have collapsed.

CJCregg · 15/04/2009 17:59

I still think it could have been Bartlet. His anger towards Toby was because of the betrayal, not to do with the information itself. Which makes it even more fabulously ironic that Toby was willing to go to jail to protect Bartlet ... and explain Bartlet's awkwardness about pardoning him.

Wish I was mates with Aaron Sorkin and could ask him. But then, my life would be better in so many ways if that was the case.

BirdyArms · 15/04/2009 18:26

I thought that CJ told Toby, but I thought that this was very clear so I think I'm probably mistaken!

We have moved onto the Wire, dh probably likes the Wire better than WW but I have a WW shaped hole in my heart.

We've also watched Entourage, not in any way a WW replacement but good lighthearted TV. We are planning to watch The Sopranos when we've finished The Wire.

curlygal · 15/04/2009 19:27

hmmmmm I kind of assumed that he didn't know for sure but that he had put two and two together and then leaked that information?

Now that you bring it up that is a v g point. Now I am going to obsess over this too.

I've tried to wire but just found it a bit too grim. I like my TV to be a bit (ok a BIG bit) escapist (in a good way) and I just found that the wire was too real. Not that I live in a drug riddled project in Baltimore what I mean is I know that that whole world exists but I'd rather watch a more glossy drame when I want to relax after a hard day. YEs I am that shallow.

In terms of west wing trivia

There is a lot of cross overs between various shows - I used to love Thirtysomething (when it was on I was a very precious teenager!) so recognised the name Snuffy and then Danny plus that some episodes were directed by Ken Olin. Brothers and sisters has a few cross overs - Len Olin Patricia Wieteng (sp) Rob Lowe of course.

Am so west wing obsessed that I have done searches in lovefilm for some of the cast and have watched random films such as "Little Manhatten" (Josh as a Dad) and Juno with CJ. YEs I am that Sad.

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ja9 · 15/04/2009 19:30

I just clocked recently that CJ is the voice of one of the fish in Nemo! [Random movia trivia of the day!]

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curlygal · 15/04/2009 20:24

Yes she is the star fish in the tank!

MrsBartlet · 15/04/2009 20:40

Nothing will ever compare to The West Wing! We are watching The Wire at the moment, which is good but not TWW. Also enjoying 30 Rock and Brothers and Sisters.

I loved Charlie in TWW - loved the whole father/son thing he had with Bartlet. We are just coming to the end of our box set and I am sure we will have to just start all over again. I love all the extra behind the scenes stuff you get with the box set too!

MrsBartlet · 15/04/2009 20:45

Just to add - we have no choice but to start watching TWW again when we finish series 7 as Friday night is West Wing night in our house. It just doesn't feel like Friday if we don't sit down and open a bottle of wine and watch West Wing! How sad are we?

MrsY · 15/04/2009 21:59

Not sad at all MrsBartlett - perfectly understandable!

Did you know that Aaron Sorkin used to go out with Kristen Chennoworth who played Annabeth, and based CJ's character on her? I always think of that when the two of them are walking around before Annabeth's press conference, 'cos of the height thing!

Re: the Toby thing, he says his brother hinted at 'something' that he knew but Toby didn't, and then CJ asked him that veiled question. I think he put two and two together, and then told Brock because it would force their hand - because it could of been his brother in the shuttle...