The West Wing remains one of my favorite shows. I have seasons 1, 2 and 3 on dvd. I finished watching the remainder of season 3 today. My daughter and I watched watched them together. The thing I forgot about the series dvd sets is the last dvd is usually just an extra, and not part of the series. We watched the last episode and were upset to realize that was it. She was really into it. She jumped and nearly cryed when Special Agent Donovan was killed. That last episode was jammed packed.

We actually made a day of it and watched a couple episodes from seasons 1 and 2. I think Season 2 remains my favorite. The one thing I don't like about season 1 is the Moira Kelly character. I don't remember her character's name, or even her job. She was just annoying.

My daughter laughed along with me at some of the show's funny spots. That's why it's so great. It makes you think and laugh at the same time. I watched my favorite episode, "In Exelsis deo". We also watched the end of season 1 and beginning of season 2 with the shootings. I love that time of the show. The part when the President went into that old book store was a hoot. Charlie telling the President that Zoe would love an old book more then a new stero was great. Leo's expression was priceless.

I guess now I have to put season 4 on my Christmas list.

You know what I wonder?

What if Aaron Sorkin never left WW?

They definitely forgot to bring the funny when Sorkin left.

But the last 2 seasons would have been on a decline anyway I think since Bartlett would have been winding down his second term. The show would have had to focus on new presidential candidates anyway. Once they got away from the current administration the show didn't have the same feel.

A former co-worker of mine use to watch the West Wing all the time. She loved it. She was my "political" conversational pal. Considering all our political talks/interests, she was shocked that I never watched it. I wouldn't mind except, like with 24, I don't want to come in somewhere in the middle. Anyway I have heard it's very good.

If they ever repeat it from season one, perhaps I'll watch. I really don't know why I never saw it before except if it was back to back with another show I favored.

TIS

They used to have the reruns on A&E I believe. I doubt it'll be on tv again. You should buy the dvd's. They're not that expensive. I think it came on at 10:00 at night, so that may be a reason why some have never watched it. The shows comic relief moments made it something different.

I don't think you have to belong to any particular party either to like it. One of my niece's husbands is a staunch republican and he absolutely loves the show. I think he has the dvd's up to Season 6.

Oh, I miss me some West Wing!! I absolutely loved that show!! It was funny, witting, touching and even educational. My daughter's teacher used The Stackhouse Filibuster in Civics class because they were learning about filibusters (one of my fave episodes).

Beth, I'm with you. Charlie was one of my favorite characters, and I always had the serious hots for Josh. Honestly, aside from Mandy (the character you mentioned), I never really disliked any of the characters. I was watching Criminal Minds the other night, and the guy who played Ron Butterfield (the head of POTUS' Secret Service detail) was on. I was all excited, and I just kept saying, "Hey! It's Ron Butterfield!" until Mr. Babe told me to be quiet.

Edit: Btw, it used to be shown on Bravo, since it's owned by NBC. I was just wondering the other day why they weren't showing the reruns!! I wish they would!

Yeah, Bravo is the station that ran the re-runs. I can't keep them straight.

The actor who played Butterfield was spot on. He did a great job on the episodes around the shooting. Bartlett telling the doctor Butterfield had about 7 broken bones in his hand, so someone might want to give him an aspiring was great. Those early years are my favorites.

Can't leave out Ainsley either. When she mistakenly went into Leo's closet instead of the bathroom, and Bartlett's reaction was great. I almost wet my pants laughing so hard.

I love the Josh/Donna scenerio. Watching them flirt during the first years was fun to watch. Josh could be a nimrod sometimes. I did not like Amy. She was too snooty for him.

Oh, the Amy hate!! I forgot about Amy!!! Miss Lockjaw! YUK!

I always hoped for something between Sam and Ainsley! The best was the episode centered around the State of the Union, when she was dancing in her bathrobe to Blame It On the Bossa Nova, and the president walked in.

And my absolute favorite episode for bringing the funny was Celestial Navigation - The President's Secret Plan to Fight Inflation, I had Woot Canaw!!, Toby and Sam unable to find the police station in CT, and on the serious side, Edward James Olmos doing a superb job as the President's nominee to the Supreme Court.

The first two seasons of "The West Wing" are among the best written and acted I've ever seen on tv. I started to lose interest in it during the third season when the show kind of lost focus and only watched it periodically after that.

The best of the series was Bartlett's "showdown" with God after his secretary died. It was one of the best hours EVER on tv!!

Oh, how Martin Sheen never received an Emmy for that role defies belief. Granted, he had tough competition from Gandolfini, but he should have won for that episode alone.

I think Martin had a love/hate relationship with the Emmy people. Half the people on the Emmy Nominating committee wouldn't know a good show if it fell into their lap. I wonder if Martin's outspoken political views played a role in him being passed over.

Mrs. Landingham's death was one of the most riveting episode ever. Bartlett's relationship with his loyal secretary was very relevant in those epidodes.

I doubt that liberal politics could prevent you from winning in Hollywood. I think it was just poor decision making by the Emmy people.

My favorite C.J. moment is "The Jackal". How out of character was that for her.

That one, and when she couldn't sleep because she slipped to that reporter about the Grand Jury. "I rode the lifecyle for and hour and a half this morning. If it was a real cycle, I would be in Belgium by now."

The flashback scene after the shooting showing here in her old job showed her in a new light too. Her poor client fell from #3 to #9 on the best list. "They take that stuff seriously". Her slipping in the pool was hilarious.

Avert your eyes!! That was the best! I always thought, after that scene, that there had been something between CJ and Toby in the past.

Emily's list. "Early money is like yeast. It helps raise the dough."

Toby needed a love interest. The closest he got I think was when he had a crush on Laura Dern's poet character.

I never liked him with Andy. She was mean to him I think.

As serious as Toby was he had his moments too. My favorites are:

I forget what bill he and Andy were talking about, but they were in his office and she reached for a muffin or something and he told her she couldn't have one.

When he was in the meeting with the network execs and one reached towards the fruit basket and he said, "Don't eat the fruit".

Of course, when Josh runs in that "Sam's getting beat by a girl" and Toby says, "Ginger, get the popcorn".

Sam: About a week ago I accidentally slept with a prostitute.
Toby: Really?
Sam: Yes.
Toby: You accidentally slept with a prostitute?
Sam: Call girl.
Toby: Accidentally?
Sam: Yes.
Toby: I don't understand. Did you trip over something?

Seeing Toby led out of the White House when he was fired was very sad.

This was another great scene.

Bartlet: C.J., on your tombstone it's going to read, Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc.
C.J.: Okay, but none of my visitors are going to be able to understand my tombstone.
Bartlet: Twenty-seven lawyers in the room, anybody know post hoc, ergo propter hoc? Josh?
Josh: Uh, post, after. After hoc. Ergo, therefore. After hoc, therefore something else hoc.
Bartlet: Thank you. Next?

Here you go SB.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojhg1zTOef8

Very touching!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FScv89J6rro

Not a favorite show of mine but it was a very good show. I stopped watching it after awhile, don't remember why.

Thanks for that link, Beth. Even though I have the first two seasons on DVD, its been awhile since I saw that ending. It still gives me chills.

I'm fascinated by stories about men in power (one of the reasons why I like "The Godfather" so much) and a show about the president of the United States would certainly interest me. "The West Wing" added to that fascination because it (so greatly) showed the "human" side of the president. Another excellent epiosde I love is the one about the religious zealots whom Bartlett threw out of the White House. Imagine, the most powerful man in the world telling you to get out of his house!

That was the pilot episode I believe. Where the woman called Toby and Josh on their "New York sense of humor".

Bartlett told them "You can all get your fat asses out of my white house".

http://www.mediaresearch.org/Profiles/westwing/welcome.asp

That was a great scene.

I loved Toby. I always felt that he was like Eeyore, just too sad. And yet he could be so very funny, in that dry Toby way. Like in Celestial Navigation, when Sam starts going on about how Justice Mendoza would drive down from Nova Scotia, "I would imagine he'd take the Trans-Canada Highway..." and then does it again to POTUS when he's already pissed off at all of them, and Toby just rubs his head and says, "Shut UP". Or when Josh mocks them in that episode for not being able to find Wesley, CT, Toby simply asks him to tell them more about the President's secret plan to fight inflation. He delivery was so perfect.

I think that like you, Beth, I loved Toby most in In Excelsis Deo. He was always so great when he was doing something that he knew was politically wrong, but morally right. When POTUS calls him into the Oval Office to ask if he had used the president's name to order the full military burial for the homeless man, and he defiantly tells him that he did, and that he hopes that all veterans would do so. He stands there looking a bit sheepish and a bit defiant, a tough combination to pull off, but he somehow did.

Thats the scene... its one of my favorites from not only the series, but from what I've ever seen on television. Here is the president of the United States of America, arguably the most powerful person on Earth, getting "down" with some people he really can't stand. And you just KNOW there ain't nothin' they can do about it. He doesn't lose his temper per se, but its just boiling under the point where he'd explode. (It reminds me of Vito Corleone's veiled threat to the Mob bosses "warning" them not to dare to try another attempt on Michael's life before he returns from Sicily). GOTTA LOVE IT!!

What a hoot it was when he told that Reverend, "I do think $5.00 is too high a price to pay for pornography".

And to think, the early concept of the show was to focus primarily on the West Wing staff and not the president. Bartlett was to only be on occassionally.

I watched this episode with Nicole specifically because I think it's my favorite episode.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SfOfUtkbiHQ

C.J's shining moment.



http://youtube.com/watch?v=TTFhd1QxkaQ

I never saw these before. They're a tribute to John Spencer.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2mrUe_jJhMU

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p1aBHD-rGIk