Seaborn ... OUT!

NBC recently announced that it would be cancelling "The West Wing" at the end of this, its seventh, season. While undoubtedly a disappointing announcement for many loyal viewers, I think it is safe to say that the show had lost much of the magic that made it the success it was for several years. Admittedly, I was turned onto the show during its fourth season, and through the magic of DVD and the Bravo channel, found myself riveted by the program. However, I will also admit that my interest did not extend beyond the fourth season, partly because I found other shows to watch and because the show seemed to be losing its touch after creator Aaron Sorkin left. Later, when my then-roommate informed me of a plotline involving an asteroid heading towards Earth, I felt vindicated for having abandoned the show in the nick of time.

However, if you've never seen the show and are interested in the inner workings of the White House, I strongly encourage you to give the first few seasons a try. The show, which garnered a host of awards, boasted a fantastic ensemble cast, excellent writing, and storylines that never attempted to insult the audience's intelligence (disclaimer: I'm ignoring Seasons 5+, so you can't get me for the asteroid plot) while remaining compelling throughout. What could be more fitting during the newly crowned Bush administration than to have a Democratic President on television running the country the way you only wished the actual one could?

Martin Sheen shines as Josiah Bartlet, the President Of The United States (or, POTUS for short), as does John Spencer as Chief-of-Staff Leo McGarry. You may remember Spencer from "The Rock", when he played Womack, the double-crossing FBI chief who Sean Connery tosses off the balcony of the Fairmont Hotel near the beginning of the film. Sadly, art mirrored reality, when Spencer passed away last month from a heart attack, about a year after his character, Leo, had to step down from his position for suffering a heart attack as well. Also, stand-out performances are given by Richard Schiff (White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler), Bradley Whitford (Deputy Chief-of-Staff and resident hothead Joshua Lyman), Allison Janney (White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg), Dule Hill (The President's Executive Assistant/"Body Man" Charlie Young), Janel Moloney (Josh's assistant, the ever-adorable Donnatella Moss), and the resurrected Rob Lowe (Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn from Orange County, CA!). The show focuses on the decisions made by the White House, how those decisions are made, and how those decisions are then communicated to the people.




In case you're worried that this show will be slow and boring, fear not. You're talking to a guy who, in early 2000, did not know that the George Bush running for President was actually the son of the former president, and not the same guy running again. Really. I'm not proud of that fact, but it's true. Maybe it has to do with my recent transfer into the Health Policy and Management department at school, but I am more excited than ever to watch, talk, read political stuff. I just re-read "The Agenda" by Bob Woodward, about Clinton's struggle to pass his economic plan during the first year of his presidency. Politics is a nasty game, and Washington is a nasty place. But it makes for great copy. So, now I'm rewatching Seasons 1 and 2 of "The West Wing" (bought them each on sale for $16 and $17, respectively) and loving it. You should too. (And seriously, how could you not love a show that brought the sublime Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years" out of retirement as a speechwriter named Elsie Snuffin?)