Sorkin approaches pretty much everything he writes as though it’s a ‘50s screwball comedy, and in a show that could have been dry and po-faced, it works very well indeed. And this reviewer has three of those things placed very highly on her list of ‘Stuff On Telly That Gets My Goat’. “Thou shalt worship no other God but me.”. Season 1 Episode 1 of The West Wing resulted in a 0.00 rating in the 18-49 demographic. During the President's absence, chief of staff Leo McGarry must handle several crises including Cuban refugees trying to escape into Florida and the conservative Christians' reaction to a comment made by deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman. The West Wing Season 1. That’s more than evident by the five-minute mark. Charlie Young is introduced as an applicant for a messenger job whom Josh decides to hire as President Bartlet's personal aide. The White House staff springs into action when they learn that President Bartlet was injured in a bicycle accident. “I am the Lord thy God,” President Jed Bartlet bellows from the doorway. (season 2) DVD box cover. Meanwhile, the President virtually orders his staff to sample his prized chili when he arranges a reception for … The West Wing Season 1 Episode 1: Pilot Summary: The White House staff springs into action when they learn that President Bartlet was injured in a bicycle accident. Toby voices strong opposition to many of President Bartlet's plans for an upcoming California trip. Season 1 Episode Summaries. Maybe, or so this reviewer thought, these smart-arses aren’t so bad after all…. Your President’s a geek.”) we are finally shown why these characters are so devoted to their Chief. Have a question or a suggestion not covered in the F.A.Q.? A list of the most recent or latest TV show additions. Request it now, or vote for other shows on the list, A handle lets you share your Calendar and Profile with others, Read the latest news about your favourite shows and updates about the TV Calendar, Securely log in to your account to view your filter and profile, An account will save your setting permanently, Choose a custom show specific background for your Calendar, Securely reset your password if you are locked out of your account, Use forgotten password if you are locked out, Hopefully answers some of your questions about the TV Calendar. But since it’s one of the few modern series that didn’t end with, ‘guess what, they’re all dead’, perhaps it’s time Den Of Geek took another look…. Cregg; First Lady Abbey Bartlet; and Charlie Young, Bartlet's Personal Aide. The West Wing (season 2) The West Wing. 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One of the defense lawyers on the case is Sam's old high school bully, and he … A drug dealer's appeal of the federal death penalty is rejected by the Supreme Court, which upholds the death sentence with execution scheduled for the following Monday. Next to her, the smug-git brigade in the White House suddenly look like people you wouldn’t mind having a drink with. The inaugural episode of The West Wing finds the staff concerned with Cuban refugees, and the fact that President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) has injured himself riding a bicycle. There’s too much going on for an opening episode, and we’re seeing plotlines that ought to appear further down the line (why should we care that Josh might be fired when we barely know him?). Halfway through the episode, Sam discovers the woman he slept with the night before is a call girl, before embarrassing himself spectacularly in front of a party of schoolchildren. Well, The West Wing Season 1 Episode 8 was rather uneventful. There are no pauses or quiet moments of reflection here. The action and dialogue hurtle along at a cracking pace and no one even has time to stop for a chat. Remember The West Wing? fends off Danny's advances when she suspects he's after a … Between its debut in 1999 and its final season in 2006, Aaron Sorkin’s drama about the senior staff of the White House was – apologies here, but sometimes only a worn-out cliche will do – a TV phenomenon. Season 1 guide for The West Wing TV series - see the episodes list with schedule and episode summary. The audience can’t pause for reflection, because the characters can’t. The eff. As season 6 unfolded, the show shifted its focus from the current administration to the Arnold Vinick vs. Matthew Santos race for the presidency, presidential election, and transition to the new administration from the Bartlet administration. Summary: Leo meets with the Israeli Foreign Minister to enlist Israel's assistance with the Shareef investigation, but is ultimately foiled by the Qumari; the debate about the Ritchie debates rages on until the staff comes up with a brilliant tactic; Josh and Amy argue over whether Stackhouse is siphoning votes from Bartlet; Ritchie tries to bait Bartlet on needle exchange programs; Bartlet is faced with … The show has been praised for its high production values and repeatedly recognized for its cinematic achievements. It consisted of twenty-two episodes, the first of which aired on September 24, 2003 and the last on May 19, 2004. But is it a product of its time, or does it still stand up today? To say ‘Pilot’ is frantic and overly busy would be an understatement. It’s a hell of a lot to take in, and for this reviewer, whose knowledge of US politics is about equal to her knowledge of Cantonese or the workings of an internal combustion engine, it’s a little overwhelming. The inaugural episode of The West Wing finds the staff concerned with Cuban refugees, and the fact that President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) has injured himself riding a bicycle. It’s magnificent stuff, and after all the misleading build-up (“He’s a klutz, Mrs Landingham. The first season, which begins in the middle of Bartlet's first year in office, is loaded with … S1, Ep4. But while the episode is far from perfect, the final few minutes more than make up for the flaws, when Josh, along with Press Secretary CJ and Communications Director Toby, sit down with Christian conservative Mary Marsh to make amends for Josh’s comment that ‘the God (she prays) to is too busy being indicted for tax fraud’. Sadly, it’s clear her role will be expanded in the coming episodes, although this reviewer already wishes she’d go away. So, Navy doctor Morris Tolliver is dead, and Bartlet is royally (or, rather, presidentially) pissed off about it. After going into seclusion following the scandal, a rival senator from a Southern state poses a threat to her reign as president. Working closely with the President are close friend and Chief of Staff Leo McGarry; Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman; Josh's assistant Donna Moss; Communications Director Toby Ziegler; and his Deputy, Sam Seaborn; Press Secretary C.J. Storyline. We open on Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) making eyes at a woman in a bar whilst glibly avoiding giving any kind of substantial answer to the journalist he’s drinking with. Cast from left to right: Toby, C. J., Charlie, Leo, President Bartlet, Sam, Donna and Josh. The West Wing Season show reviews & Metacritic score: Bartlet and Hoynes argue in front of the Cabinet; C.J. (The West Wing became famous for its ‘walk-and-talk’ scenes, long Steadicam tracking-shots of two or more characters discussing the issue of the day whilst race-walking down White House corridors being all busy and important, and initially, the device made this reviewer desperate for them to just stand. In a unique glimpse of the inner-workings of Presidential politics, The West Wing takes viewers inside the White House and follows the lives of the staff as they help President Jed Bartlet make the crucial decisions that shape the nation and the world around it. Check back next Friday as our The West Wing retrospective continues…! It’s during the ensuing argument over the order of the Ten Commandments that, finally, we get to see the man in charge. 1 Summary 2 Cast 2.1 Guest Cast 3 Episodes Zoey Bartlet has been kidnapped. The sodding Wire) and The West Wing is no longer relevant. It was the first time I wished President Bartlet was a little more professional around the … It turned even the most hard-nosed, cynical viewers into devoted pseudo-politico-fanboys and won more Emmys than you’ve had hot dinners. The series had a budget of $2.7 million per episode. And for now, these rather basic snapshots are all the information we get on the main characters: Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is the intellectual pedant, CJ Cregg (Allison Janney) the goofy one who falls off treadmills, Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) the workaholic who falls asleep at his desk, Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) the obnoxious smart-arse. See which shows are starting and returning this April, See which shows are starting and returning this month, View the full list of networks shows status as they stand at present. View the full list of currently airing shows that you have selected or partially watched, View the full list of cancelled or no longer airing shows that you have selected or partially watched, View the list of your selected shows having episodes that you have not yet watched, View the shows you've hidden from being counted in your profile, Is your favourite show not on the Calendar? Meanwhile, Sam learns that the woman he picked up at a bar was actually a call girl and Toby gets into an argument over the Ten Commandments. The second season of the American political drama television series The West Wing aired in the United States on NBC from October 4, 2000 to May 16, 2001 and consisted of 22 episodes. The episode is stuffed to the gills with plot, but what sticks with you is the brief but all-important sight of Martin Sheen as Bartlet delivering an almighty smackdown to Marsh and her cohorts. Or rather Sam, Toby and Josh collectively are. ), But wait, there’s more. Whoops, spoke too soon. And, despite feeling confused, politically-ignorant and, quite frankly, knackered, this reviewer suddenly can’t wait to see more. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! View the full list of popular shows on The TV Calendar and add them to your favourites filter, Note: "The" isn't treated as part of a show name; e.g. With Santos and Leo effectively strangers - and Leo not an experienced campaigner - adjustments of roles and responsibilities are required in order to deliver a strong and consistent message. And she’s horrendous. Sam's fling the previous night with Laurie, who unbeknownst to Sam is a call girl, puts him in hot water, which he compounds when ineptly lecturing a … Still. The series has also been praised for Sorkin's rapid-fire and witty scripts. While Santos and his winning camp are nervously gearing up for the presidential inauguration, current President Bartlet (Martin Sheen), CJ (Allison Janney) and the others fondly look back as they prepare to leave the White House forever. Season 5 of The West Wing aired on American television network NBC. Gemma revisits the first season of political drama The West Wing. In its first season, The West Wing attracted critical attention in the television community with a record nine Emmy wins. For all the plaudits it received, it also suffered accusations of being sentimental, unrealistically optimistic, unfairly biased towards the political left and far too clever for its own good. The president ultimately agrees to the initial option, but is not happy about it. An optimistic and hopeful dramatization of governance and public service. The West Wing Season show reviews & Metacritic score: Bartlet struggles to name a nominee to the Supreme Court when the perfect nominee turns out to be not so … Episode Summary EDIT The staff scrambles to respond to pages telling them that the President has been in an accident -- he's fallen off the bike he borrowed from Leo; C.J. The West Wing Season 1 Episode List, Summaries and Show Guide. The West Wing staffers are introduced as each learns via phone or pager that the President was in a cycling accident. When a Supreme Court justice retires, President Bartlet has a golden opportunity to impact the court's composition by nominating a favorite judge but when further study reveals the candidate's conflicting ideology, the President might change his mind and opt for another judge. Leo gradually must talk him down, while Bartlet snipes at everyone, including Abby. And we just don’t have time to decide whether or not they’re likeable smart-arses, because 1200 Cubans on rafts are about to arrive in Miami, recent polls indicate the White House has lost energy and focus, the President has been injured in a bicycle accident and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh may very well get fired for insulting a powerful right-wing Christian on national TV. It was the one critics wouldn’t shut up about before the arrival of The bloody Wire. Four days after the Democratic convention, Josh begins to staff up the Santos campaign. It’s a great little scene which shows, thankfully, how these very smart people can sometimes be very clueless (when asked to give the children a history of the building, he begins, “The White House was built several years ago, mostly, if I’m not mistaken, out of cement…”), And for all the frenetic zipping about and endless character introductions in the pilot episode, there’s never a missed opportunity to generate a laugh. Add them to your filter. Bartlet continues to work out campaign strategy, which may include dropping Vice President Hoynes from the ticket. The West Wing Season show reviews & Metacritic score: Toby and Mandy push for a commerce bill with a census-counting provision, with three votes as the deciding factor; Sam tutors C.J. President Bartlett talks with C.J., Toby, Josh, and Sam about the remaining Cuban refugees that have made it to Miami. The West Wing Season 3 Episode 17: Stirred Summary: A truck carrying uranium fuel crashes in an Idaho tunnel, leaving the staff to prepare for an environmental crisis. Self-important, arrogant and rude. But, over a decade on, does its first season stand up to a re-watch? Posted in: The West Wing. And what an entrance. Marsh – face like a bulldog chewing a wasp, aura of undiluted evil – demands the President speak out against free condoms, or in favour of school prayer, by way of apology. Well, to be fair, they all have a touch of the smart-arse about them. Check out which shows are most popular at this moment in time. India is going to war with Pakistan on The West Wing Season 1 Episode 11 but it's the struggles inside the White House that are the real threats. Season 1 is a bit rough, and the Mandy character is painfully out of place, fortunately she's gone by the time the good stuff starts (believe me that's not a spoiler, that's a tip, it. The Newsroom Season 3 Goes Out On Top Or Something Like It, West Wing Producer/Director Comments on Possible West Wing Reboot, The Newsroom: First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers, Review, How Pokémon Snap Helped Pioneer the Photo Mode Era, Line of Duty Series 6 Episode 5: Marcus Thurwell, Homozygosity, Lawrence Christopher Questions & Theories, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 5: Marvel and MCU Easter Eggs, What It's Like to Play Control on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop. Summary: After seven seasons of the Award-winning drama series, the Bartlet Administration prepares to leave the White House and The West Wing. During the President's absence, chief of staff Leo McGarry must handle several crises including Cuban refugees trying to escape into Florida and the conservative Christians' reaction to a comment made by deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman. An alternative view of which shows are airing next (list format). Oct 27, 4:47 pm. An overview of your most recently watched episodes and most total watched shows. The episode pushed the scheduled season premiere back a week and encouraged viewers to donate to charity—profits from the episode and cast members' weekly pay were also donated. For here comes Character Introduction #3,410 in the form of political consultant Mandy (Moira Kelly). She’s speeding in her convertible with girly punk-pop at full blast, wearing a ridiculous beret and haranguing some poor minion on the phone. But as we close with Bartlet in the Oval Office asking his secretary, “OK, Mrs Landingham, what’s next?”, it’s clear this is just a normal day in the White House. The West Wing launches its third season with this special stand-alone episode, designed to address the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The first was a terrorism-themed episode produced in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Halfway through the episode, Sam discovers the woman he slept with the night before is a call girl, before embarrassing himself spectacularly in front of a party of schoolchildren. Leo instructs the senior staff to meet with various special interest groups. Where Josh is 'da man'. Track The West Wing season 1 episodes. Josh faces the possible loss of his job after an on-air insult of a political opponent, which Toby tries to prevent by having Josh make a personal apology. "The Simpsons" is found under "S", All current and ended shows are viewable on these pages. Sam Seaborn's well-intended relationship with a call-girl, the breakdown of White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry's marriage and Charlie Young's courtship with Zoey Bartlet, Add to that a distinct whiff of anti-Semitism (“these people with their New York sense of humour”) and Toby is done being polite. Ah right, he’s the eager, witty ladies’ man then. The most belligerent and difficult to warm to of the main cast until now, he defends both Josh and the White House’s integrity with passion and fierce loyalty, and this reviewer can’t help but cheer him on. The season was released on DVD as a six-disc boxed set under the title The West Wing: The Complete Seventh Season by Warner Home Video being released first in Region 2 on September 11, 2006 and then in Region 1 on November 7, 2006. , he ’ s the eager, witty ladies ’ man then gritty fare ( cf after the convention. White House and the West Wing but me. ” highly on her list of Stuff. 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