Bartlet For America (West Wing)

Member Name: Chev

Product:	West Wing
Date:	11/07/03 (331 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Intelligently written, superbly acted, best show on TV

Disadvantages: It isn't on every night!

American drama, eh? In a league of its own. Let me see now. The West Wing, ER, The Sopranos and 24? Or Casualty, Taggart, The Bill and Hetty Wainthrop Investigates?

Don't get me wrong - I know we come up with some quality stuff this side of the Atlantic now and again (I understand the recent home-grown State of Play was superb), and on the other side of the coin I'm sure the USA churns out some generic rubbish too. It's just that the drama shows that reaches these shores from the States are, the majority of the time, top draw. Take The West Wing as a case in point.

The West Wing chronicles the trials and tribulations of the Bartlet administration. Revolving around the President and the staff that work under him, the hour-long episodes take us behind the scenes in the White House. Policy is made, deals are negotiated, the press are manipulated - the corridors of power are full of incident, and that's before we've even approached the Oval Office.

President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is a highly-intelligent, stubborn, yet deeply charismatic Head of State who happily relies on his immediate staff to help him through the tough decisions, personal and political, he faces on a day-to-day basis. The person who has perhaps most influence over the President is the First Lady. If Abbey Bartlet MD (Stockard Channing) wants something, then she's more than likely to get it - she's been known to withdraw the promise of wearing a 'special garment' at bedtime when Jed has put his foot in his mouth. Which, when it comes to Abbey, is more often than not. Deep down though, she's a loving wife who has devoted herself to her man for more than 30 years.

Charlie Young (Dulé Hill) is a young man given the opportunity of a lifetime when offered the role of Personal Aide to the President. The fact that Charlie is black doesn't go down well with some fanatical letter writers, but he is undeniably the man for the job. P
olite, reliable and intelligent, Charlie keeps the President up to speed with the day's events.

Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is White House Chief of Staff, a wise man who's ties with the President go way back. Indeed, it was he that convinced Bartlet to run for President in the first place. Leo is committed to his job, to the extent that his marriage break-up came as par for the course - and his personal problems don't stop there. However, he does what he's in the job to do effectively, and commands the respect of each and every White House staffer.

Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) is Leo's deputy, a man passionate about his work and the world that he inhabits. Josh is acutely aware of the difference he can make, the opportunity he has been given, and strives to fight for what he believes is the right thing to do for the American people. He has his own share of demons, although they aren't nearly as scary as his groupies (I kid you not). Josh is ably supported by assistant Donna Moss (Janel Moloney), a sweet, committed worker whose sense of fun and banter brightens up many an episode. Josh and Donna are undeniably close - but is there something else there?

Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) was once described in a controversial book about the President as the 'prickly, mumbling Communications Director whose, inner, bitter darkness spelled the break-up of the one marriage we know about'. There's not much to say after that, except that the opinionated Mr Ziegler is perhaps the funniest character on the show. Schiff certainly knows how to pull off a killer line.

Toby's deputy is Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), a man whose loyalty can sometimes land him in hot water. For instance, when the lovely lady he met and bonded with instantly turned out to be a high-class call girl - his selective hearing when given the advice, nay orders, to stay away from her didn't go down particularly well amongst his co-workers.

Sam's speechwriting is second-to-none - his rousing words have been instrumental in Bartlet's rise to prominence.

CJ Cregg (Allison Janney) is White House Press Secretary. Her ability to spin a tough story on the fly has helped the Bartlet administration out of many a scrape. Her relationship with the press is a fascinating area of the show - a real 'give and take' process that seems extremely true to life. CJ is a woman who stands up for her principles, although she has been known to put the cause of the party ahead of her own beliefs when needed.

The show's list of characters is immense - the main players are outlined above, but there are so many more recurring characters, from General Fitzwallace and others who brief the President in the Situation Room whenever military action is a potential necessity right down to reporters in the press room, the continuity is superbly handled.

Sets are as impressive as they are numerous - the Oval Office, the Situation Room, the press room, individual offices - all meticulously detailed. The most impressive aspect of this area is the labyrinth of corridors that set the scene for the show's characteristic 'walk and talk' scenes.

The greatest thing about the show is that it credits its audience with a certain degree of intelligence. Created and written by Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing was always going to be a classy affair. Storylines are not spoonfed to the viewers, instead events play out with a level of subtlety all too rare on television. The show demands your attention, but if you commit the rewards are peerless. Sorkin and his team of writers weave layers of wit, emotion and pure drama and the result is a remarkable achievement. Despite the fact that it is primarily a drama show, The West Wing is consistently the funniest show on TV. The quality of the writing is matched only by the performances of the superb cast.

If the fact that The West Win
g is
concerned with politics puts you off, then sweep your preconceptions aside. I am not an aficionado of the British political system, never mind what goes on in the States, but this has no bearing on my enjoyment of the show. The intelligent, informative, but more than that, entertaining nature of the show is such a breath of fresh air that once you've seen one episode you won't be looking back.

If you've never seen the show, I strongly urge you to give it a whirl. You won?t be disappointed. Season One (Parts 1 & 2) and Season Two (Part 1) are currently available on DVD and VHS, with Season Two (Part 2) due for commercial release on July 28. Season Three is currently drawing to a close on Channel 4, with Season Four set to start on E4 on July 22.

Summary: