The West Wing - Complete Series 3 (Box Set) > Reviews > TV Drama that will have you hooked.

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Compelling political drama set in teh White House
Disadvantages:	Helps if you watch it from Episode one  -  so buy Seasons 1 and 2 first

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The West Wing is a brilliantly written drama that is set in the West Wing of the White House, where the President's political staff work. This gives the show an interesting view on American politics, as it shies away from the normal focus on senior politicians, but the hard working staff and their lives intertwined with their jobs. I think what it does best is it allows us a peek into the characters lives in such a way that it helps the stories along, and they don't become an annoying distraction.

Cast:

Martin Sheen as President Jed Bartlett
Stockard Channing as Dr Abigail Bartlet, wife of the President
John Spencer as Chief of Staff Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford as Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman
Janel Moloney as Donna Moss (Josh's assistant)
Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler Communications Director
Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn Deputy Communications Director
Allison Janney as CJ Cregg White House Press Secretary
Dule Hill as Charlie Young Personal Aide to the President

These main characters are suplemented by an excellent group of recurring characters such as NiCole Robinson as Margaret, Leo's secretary, and a superb range of guest characters, all of which means that you have an outstanding group of actors working on this show. This would however be for nothing without the sharp, witty and dramatic writing and dialogue of Aaron Sorkin (responsible for A Few Good Men), which gives you a fabulous package with all the ingredients for a wonderful show.

I have to say up front I am a huge, huge fan of the West Wing, and became hooked by catching it on occasion on Channel 4 or E4. But I have to say the absolutely best way to watch the programme is to buy the Box DVD sets for a range of reasons.

1) No adverts means uninterrupted vieweing pleasure (this takes an hours programme slot down to 43 minutes per episode)
2) No waiting till next week, with some of the great and gripping story lines that run across multiple episodes
3) You get to listen to the show in Dolby Digital 2.0, which is fabulous when played through a half decent sound system.

I'm also posting reviews of Seasons 1 and 2, and also Season 4 which will appear in the coming days when Ic an find the time to do them justice. However season 3 is at hand so here is a brief episode guide.

ISAAC AND ISHMAEL - an episode that doesn't fit the general story line and was recorded after 9/11, with an interesting moral perspective on events.
MANCHESTER (Part 1) - Bartlett is running for President after announcing his MS to the world
MANCHESTER (Part 2) Continuation of Pt 1 with the tensions between the WW staffers and the campaign consultant Bruno Gianelli (played by Ron Silver) and his team.
WAYS AND MEANS The prosecutor being touted to investigate the "conspiracy" in hiding Bartlett's illness is being smothered with kind words from CJ through the press.
ON THE DAY BEFORE- Busy episode with storylines from the middle east and domestic touble in the Democratic party for the President.
WAR CRIMES - The staffers start to be deposed (interviewed formally) by the prosecutor, and Donna lands herself in trouble.
GONE QUIET - Trouble for Abby as the opposition to Jed try to get at him by raising malpractice suits against his wife
THE INDIANS IN THE LOBBY - Mix of smaller story lines, including two Native American Indians who wait in the lobby and refuse to leave until they have their application heard.
THE WOMEN OF QUMAR - Fictional middle east country where a fire causes the death of women who were not allowed to leave the building beacuse they were improperly dressed, and so burned to death.
BARTLET FOR AMERICA - Mostly set in flash-back, Leo testifies in front of the investigation in to Bartlett.
H.CON - 172 - Bartlett is offered a way out of the investigation if he accepts a Congressional censure
100,000 AIRPLANES - Episode centres around the next big policy decision, and an idea to push for the cure fo cancer gets investigated.
THE TWO BARTLETS - infighting amongst the President and hi staff, while Donna on a lighter story line tries to avoid jury duty.
NIGHT FIVE - Jed secretly see's a Psychiatrist (played by Adam Arkin prhaps best known from his Chicago Hope stint)
HARTSFIELD'S LANDING - Donna is despatched as the White House represntative to the first of the Presidential primaries.
DEAD IRISH WRITERS - Episode centred around Abbey
THE U.S. POET LAUREATE - An off-mike remark made by the President about a rival is picked up and gets out of control.
STIRRED - Centres around an accident with a lorry carrying nuclear fuel.
ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC - Russia is helping a middle eastern country build a nuclear reactor, and CJ gets a death threat.
THE BLACK VERA WANG - Sam botches the handling of a political manoever from an old buddy and gets toasted, while more on CJ's death threats. She is assigned her own Secret Service detail headed up by Agent Donovan (Mark Harmon)
WE KILLED YAMAMOTO - Moral exploration of a political assisination ordered by Bartlett.
POSSE COMITATUS - Bartlett wrestles with a major foreign policy decision.

Please let me know if the episode guide is too much.

All in all the West Wing represents the finest in TV drama, and comes highly commended as gripping viewing. We bough the first two seasons and watched as many as 3 episodes a night non stop until it was finished, and then promptly ordered this box set! A loan of the set to a friend had them hooked too - beware it might have the same effect om you.

Special Features - the main dissappointment of the UK discs is the absence of these, although there is a writer (Sorkin) and directors commentry soundtrack, with occaisional contributions from some of the cast members.