West wing complete season 1-7

This show is about President Bartlet and his staff through particular legislative or political issues. The typical episode loosely follows the president and his staff through their day, generally following several plots connected by some idea or theme. A large, fully connected set of the White House allows the producers to create shots with very few cuts and long, continuous master shots of staff members walking and talking through the hallways. These “walk and talks” became a trademark of the show. The final two seasons presented a narrative change, with the focus of the show divided between plots in the West Wing with President Bartlet and his remaining senior staffers and plots revolving around the rest of the main cast on the campaign trail for the 2006 election.

The West Wing is an intelligent TV. The show is fantastic and the writing is both poignant and entertainingly charming. Aaron Sorkin is an intellectually witty writer who uses his craft well, building a composition of dialogue and coordinating it all the time with the temperment and talent of a very gifted cast.

I have always found West Wing a welcome retreat from normal television. Given our current schedule overrun with ridiculous brainless and unentertaining Reality-TV shows, it’s nice to take these fictionally informative alternate reality trips to the White House. It feels like you are walking along side informed people, no matter their political party. Smart TV is hard to find. West Wing, whether you agree with the politics or not, fits that description.