West Wing, The – Nostalgia Central

1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 6 (USA)
155 x 45 minute episodes

An intensely idealistic POTUS struggles with the day-to-day demands of leading the free world. His hyper-articulate staff talk a lot and walk even more.

Eccentric, compassionate, hilarious and sweet, The West Wing is Capra-like in its idealism but remains the gold standard for political TV drama and boasts an incredible cast – not least Martin Sheen’s Commander-In-Chief, Josiah “Jed” Bartlet.

Leading the Democratic administration, Bartlet was a brilliant, Nobel Prize-winning economist and a fiercely moral President.

His closest confidant was the fiercely loyal White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer). His Deputy Chief of Staff was the brilliant, hyper-competitive, and witty Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford).

Other key White House staff included C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney), the sharp-witted, fiercely protective Press Secretary; the sombre, deeply idealistic Communications Director, Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff); earnest Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), a talented speechwriter; and the President’s dedicated personal aide, Charlie Young (Dulé Hill).

Creator Aaron Sorkin borrowed many elements from his movie The American President (1995), a romantic comedy about a widowed president.

The show found a new direction in its sixth year when it began to focus on the campaigns to replace Bartlet, an angle it had only touched on before.

Although it tended toward an idealised view of politics, The West Wing created positive role models for a new generation of politicians and a likeable array of characters you wished really were running the White House.

Plotlines frequently mirrored real-world American political debates, tackling issues like foreign policy crises, international trade policy, nuclear proliferation, Mideast peace, conflict between India and Pakistan, legislative battles, drug policy, terrorism, gay rights, women’s rights, civil rights, media scrutiny, and Supreme Court appointments.

The series also featured an assassination attempt on the president’s personal assistant that left the president and an aide seriously wounded, a scandal concerning the president’s health, and the kidnapping of Bartlet’s daughter.

An episode entitled “Isaac & Ishmael” was produced in 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The episode aired just three weeks after the attacks and was preceded by an appeal for donations to charities assisting the victims.

The episode featured a lengthy discussion of the causes of terrorism and exposed assumptions and prejudices at the heart of American responses to terrorism.

The West Wing won a staggering 26 Primetime Emmy Awards over its seven-season run, including Outstanding Drama Series awards for four consecutive years (2000–2003), tying the record for the most wins in that category.

President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet
Martin Sheen
Leo McGarry
John Spencer
Josh Lyman
Bradley Whitford
C.J. Cregg
Allison Janney
Toby Ziegler
Richard Schiff
Sam Seaborn
Rob Lowe
Charlie Young
Dulé Hill
Donna Moss
Janel Moloney
Margaret Hooper
NiCole Robinson
Carol Fitzpatrick
Melissa Fitzgerald
Abbey Bartlet
Stockard Channing
Zoey Bartlet
Elisabeth Moss
Ellie Bartlet
Nina Siemaszko
Vice President Robert “Bingo Bob” Russell
Gary Cole
Vice President John Hoynes
Tim Matheson
Congressman Matthew Santos
Jimmy Smits
Senator Arnold Vinick
Alan Alda
Governor Eric Baker
Ed O’Neill
Reverend Don Butler
Don S. Davis
Glenallen Walken
John Goodman