Conventional wisdom prior to season one of The West Wing was that the only successful television shows were half hour sitcoms and hour long police, legal, or medical dramas. Building on surplus ideas from his film The American President and the walk-and-talk style of comedy and drama from his critically acclaimed television show Sports Night, Aaron Sorkin bucked the trend and created his masterpiece, one of the most memorable American political depictions to reach the big or small screen. Season one introduces viewers to a Nobel Prize-winning economist and unabashed intellectual president Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his key staff members, a newly elected Democratic administration trying to find its footing amidst the corridors of the White House's west wing. To the credit of its cast and their brilliant ensemble acting, The West Wing manages to immediately conjure nearly a dozen distinct and memorable characters. Perhaps the greatest star of all is Sorkin's rapid-fire dialogue, especially as delivered by Press Secretary C.J. Craig (Alison Janney), Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), and Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer). They carry on conversations while stalking purposefully and unhaltingly down corridors, around corners, and through doorways, and all of it unfurls with the choreographic precision of a classical ballet and the pace of an Olympic ping-pong rally.

Where is Season 3!!!!???

As a UK resident, I the proud owner of the first two seasons of the West Wing, I came in to Amazon.com to find out about the release of season three and was astounded to discover that you guys Stateside are only just about to get the first season!! What a poor show, this is one of, if not the finest drama ever ot come out of US television. The writing is sharp, the direction splendid, the acting and casting tremendous! The only bad thing about the West Wing is the depressing feeling you get after it when you realise that Jed Bartlett ISN'T the President! Get this DVD, its gripping stuff! And by all accounts, despite your wait, it seems you are getting a far better deal in the Extras department, so enjoy you guys..... Im actually a bit jealous!

Best Show on TV

This DVD has the first eleven episodes with a bonus of interviews with the writer Sorkin and most of the cast.

West Wing is one of the better ensemble dramas ever screened on television. However it was only after seeing the interviews of Sorkin and the cast members that one realised how it was done. Sorkin is clearly highly intelligent and his scripts are powerful and the basis of the show. This becomes clear when you hear the cast members talk. They lack the presence of their on screen personalities and although they are talented actors one realises that it is the structure of the plot and their lines which creates the characters.

Sorkin also indicates how in reality the plots have a high level of sentimental resolutions. One doesn?t pick this up in watching it. Sorkin explains how he uses humour to break up the flow of the story and to prevent the material becoming mawkish. He also indicates that although the White House portrayed is a Democrat one, he interplays conservative and liberal story lines. On first viewing the show it appeared to be moderately liberal but on re-watching the episodes on the CD Sorkin is right. The second episode is highly nationalistic and the last scene is the character played by Martin Sheen regretting that Americans cannot walk the earth with the same protection that was afforded the ancient romans. In other episodes the character Donna argues strongly the Republican line on taxation.

Watching these eleven episodes after watching them on TV some years ago, one is still struck by the strength of the characters, the frantic pace of the action and the fact that the scenes are seldom static. Even though one begins to see that there is a sentimentality which initially slips by you, one can still be moved when Toby arranges the funeral and honour guard for the homeless war veteran. It is however the humour and intelligence which is the driving force of the series and what makes it so watchable.

Outstanding Writing/Acting Overcomes Stereotype Plots

First this show is a masterpiece, in spite of the fact that it portrays an often bigoted view of the political "right" and make no mistake, many positions presented are exagerated. One reason given for Rob Lowe leaving the show was that he was the only Republican member of the cast.

Despite occassional token flashes of Conservatives protrayed as acting in an honorable way, Sorkin's view of Republicans is drawn strictly from the furthest extremes of the party and does a disservice to the majority of Americans who refuse to subscribe to the fanatical fringe of either side, left or right.

That being said, it is an extremely entertaining show, even for Republicans, if you can choose not to let yourself feel offended by the stereotyping. Sometimes, in fact, I find myself chuckling at the irony of Martin Sheen portraying a president often resorting to military force while the actor himself is so publically critical of President Bush's use of force with far more provocation!

Pres. Bartlet by the way, if far from being without flaw... he has lied to the American people by concealing the fact he has MS, and he has sanctioned the cold blooded murder of a foriegn dignitary and then conspired to conceal that fact. They are flaws which make the character more human, and Bartlet often seems a man aware of his limitations... a trait it wouldn't hurt Mr. Sheen to learn.

By all means, enjoy... just remember always that the white hats are not always so white, and the black hats not always so black. And seldom does one man, or one party have all the answers.

Alas, the current season, without Aaron Sorkin at the helm is proving to be disappointing so far. Perhaps this will make the earlier seasons that much more of a joy to own.