[.ca] The West Wing: The Complete First Season

From Amazon.com:
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. What emerges is more than a collective liberal dream of an impassioned administration battling back ultra-conservative bogeymen ranging from the religious right to bigots to gun-toting militants. Wonderful episodes like "The Pilot" and "In Excelsis Deo" portray a government led by heroic, intelligent, and decent men and women. Whether or not one regards that as a political fantasy, it's a remarkably refreshing and appealing vision of politics and its practitioners, one that the public embraced with consistently strong television ratings. In a country whose citizens are used to viewing their elected leaders with mistrust and cynicism, that might be The West Wing's greatest accomplishment. --Eugene Wei

Simply the BEST:
I missed WW on TV. When I heard about it I rented the first season DVDs. What a show! It is just great. It will make you laugh and make you cry. This has got to be one of the best shows out there. And, I have seen a lot of movies. One of the few movies that I agree with the critics on. Warning: Be carefull, if you buy it or rent it you will be hooked. Very difficult not to start watching the next episode when the previous one ends. The series deals with many current issues and shows us how the people behind the politics really try to do their best (in most cases). Not that this is real life, mind you. But could sure serve as an inspiration to those that serve as our elected officials and those that aspire to serve in that capacity in the future. What else can I say. Buy a copy, rent a copy but you just have to see this series. Then let us all know what you think. I was blown away. I think you will be too.

Credit where it is due:
I will admit it , I am one of those legions of people that say " Sigh... another political drama..." I Ignored this show with every fiber in my bones , purposefully changing the channel to anything but this show... What was I thinking ... Inspite of this being so centralized arround american government the show is actually watchable... with likable and flawed charectors with heart ( a La CJ ... watch you will see) and Dazzling and despizable guest stars alike... (John Goodman comes to mind for the latter.) Also the show is set in such a realistic style and time , the present and often reflects current events and moral standards . the first 5 seasons have been very very good , in spite of them bringing back a has beens from L.A law and MASH. ( either of these two could be played by my dog and still seem respectable due to the extrodinary writing of the show ... I personally could not see allan Alda as the next president ... The flower on the laurels of this show has to be Stockard Channing as the pres's wife!

Excellent!:
I watch a lot of TV, too much really, and the vast majority of the time I feel guilty about it. But the one show that I never feel guilty watching is The West Wing. There's not a character I don't like, or an episode that does not make me laugh then cry. The writing is at times humorous and at other times inspiring. Finally, I learn something new about government, or people, or the world at large every episode. Makes you feel better about watching all that tv.

Widescreen would be a travesty:
This series is, of course, the best on TV. I can't add anything to the praises in other reviews, but I will repeat that the writing and camera work are without equal. That said, I need to correct some misunderstandings. Comparing it to the Simpsons, as one reviewer did, is silly; it's like comparing Robin Williams's standup routines to Kenneth Brannagh's Henry V. Both are brilliant, but they're entirely different creations, and are incomparable. Second, calling for a widescreen release of Season One is clear evidence of ignorance. Season One was shot for 1:33-1 showing; it was only in the second season that it was shot for widescreen. This collection is as it was meant to be seen. As for the extra (or lack thereof), with a show of this quality, extras are just that: extras. The show alone is worth the price.

All I can say, it "Wow":
I was skeptical about buying the series before I've even seen it but I've always been a fan of movies with a theme like this one. "The American President", for example. While deployed with the US Military, I took a chance and didn't buy just the first season, but both season I and II at once. I was hooked within the first few minutes of the pilot episode. The mix of drama, suspense and humor have been done with expert precision and I couldn't wait until I saw the next episode. The clifhanger from season I to II had be ripping the disk from my computer just to plow the next one in. All I can more is I really wish Season III was available as I have so much more time deployed and really want to watch more of this show. Several of us at work are now watching it as well. This show has my backing!