the West Wing

[EIM]

So, on a scale of 1 to The Wire, where does the West Wing come in at?

IS it worth me losing even more hours of my life getting in to it, or shall I just let bygones be bygones and concentrate on other things, such as getting a life, etc.

[Bruno]

the West Wing

I think the earlier seasons are worth watching. It started to get pretty soap opera-y ER-ish by the end.

[wingco]

the West Wing

It ranges from witty, absorbing, idealistic, gratifyingly "difficult" and therefore more involving, sober observation of realpolitik - to nauseatingly self-satisfied, unctuously patriotic, wishful thinking so far removed from the probable reality of the White House as to amount to an inadvertent soft-focus propaganda for the Office of the President, as opposed to a pertinent critique of it. What's more, every character speaks in exactly the same Sorkin-ese.

Still, I watched several episodes of series 4 back to back over a couple of nights the other week, overcoming the occasional urge to vomit.

[hobbes]

the West Wing

West Wing is both ace and aces. Pamela made me watch all 7 series.
The first 4 series are brilliant. Series 5 and half of 6 are a bit ropey and then 7 is great again.
You WILL be addicted. Haven't seen The Wire for the same reason you're questioning West Wing. Too much telly.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

the West Wing

It's the sacharrine fantasies of some sort of coke addled Democrat who created a tv show to enable deluded democrats live in a fantasy world where the president was noble, wise, incredibly intelligent, patient learned and brave.

Needless to say Toro toro loves that shit.

[Ray de Galles]

the West Wing

Er, you do realise it was drama not documentary?

It's brilliant, it did have patches in the third quarter of it's run that it lost it's way but it was consistently the second best thing on TV to Sopranos.

[Bruno]

the West Wing

The comment about everyone talking Sorkinese is on - there's a bit too much 'witty rejoinder followed by even wittier rejoinder' going on. But it's ameliorated by the actors having distinct personalities that are all likable and sympathetic in different ways. West Wing is a good show because you can't help being interested in and rooting for the characters, and however unrealistic the dialogue or politics it still managed to be very well-written much of the time.

[Bruno]

the West Wing

And I am the Life wrote:

It's the sacharrine fantasies of some sort of coke addled Democrat who created a tv show to enable deluded democrats live in a fantasy world where the president was noble, wise, incredibly intelligent, patient learned and brave.

Just like Obama...except he's really dreamy, too.

[hobbes]

the West Wing

Another thing that impressed me is that not only are the 2 main female characters, CJ and the first lady, well written, strong, rounded, interesting characters, but the rest of the female cast are interesting too, rather than just being typical drama eye-candy.

[EIM]

the West Wing

So what should I watch after The Wire ends? Mad Men or The West Wing?

[Gerontophile]

the West Wing

dont watch the 'West Wing', cos you will hate that...

and Stockard Channing is the D B's

The West Wing is easily the best TV programme that has ever been, and I challenge anyone to say otherwise.

Mentalists. And you all thought the Sopranos were good... (let you off with The Wire... the ex liked that, and if anything can shut HIM up for an hour or so per week...)

[Gerontophile]

the West Wing

EIM: If you get to watch the whole thing of the West Wing, do it.

Please, do it, I know you will love it.

[EIM]

the West Wing

The end is nigh for my The Wire adventure. And the same goes for The Shield. I'm not sure where to go after that. My life will be missing something. A substantial part of it will have just... gone.

[Gerontophile]

the West Wing

dead simple: watch the West Wing.

[Guest]

the West Wing

Bruno nailed it. So long as you remember it is fantasy, and can suspend your disbelief accordingly, it's (mostly) great.

[Amor de Cosmos]

the West Wing

West Wing is pretty good but Mad Men and The Wire are in a different league.

[hobbes]

the West Wing

Not seen The Wire yet, but Mad Men was rubbish.

[Gerontophile]

the West Wing

Amor... did you wake up so early to post something so Phoebe-esque in its wrongness?

The Wire might be good, but Mad Men is/was fucking awful.

[Amor de Cosmos]

the West Wing

Mad Men is stone brilliant. Here are the reasons why:

www.wsc.co.uk/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,35/func,view/id,88072/catid,30/

(You'll have to paste in the URL I'm afraid. I've no idea why it's not possible to link the entire address.)