The second in our why ** is great feature. The West Wing is great TV, and an amazing series for many reasons - not least beacuse it:
- Has a great cast of diverse actors - all of whom are superb.
In the extras DVD Janal Maloney who plays Donna reveals that she actually auditioned for the post of CJ Cregg. Can you imagine? Allison Janney is perfect for that role. And don’t even get me started on how wonderful Martin Sheen is as Jed Bartlett. And think about it Abi, Charlie, Sam et al – after a while you think they ‘real ‘ people.
- is well written, with great plotlines and is (in my view) realistic
ok ok I admit it can be slightly cheesy at times – but so what! It does deal with lots of issues that remain relevant today, including terrorism and diplomatic relations, the impact of ‘natural’ disasters and family life.
- Gives the lay person an understating of American politics
Santos and Obama. Vinick and McCain. Preparations for debates. Going on the campaign trail. The processes of nominations, primaries etc – for British people (and for some Americans) West Wing does give us a better understanding of what it MIGHT be like behind the scenes during an American presidential election year., and an ongoing understanding of how the American system of governance works. It is so very different to the British parliamentary system.
At the time of my buying S the entire series on DVD for his birthday, I was convinced I would hate it and hoped he wouldn’t expect me to watch this west wing nonsense with him. How wrong I was: I absolutely love it, it’s addictive and I want to watch the whole lot again. So that’s why Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The West Wing’ is great.
