The West Wing in the Media

[Bastet]

Quote

 

The Ringer.com (Bill Simmons's website and pod network) put out a list of the 100 greatest TV episodes of the 2000's

http://besttv.theringer.com/?_ga=2.155561467.1328473227.1533061423-23725661.1484873071

I'll save you time-it's at #12. The rules are only one episode per series.

Personally, I have always felt that Two Cathedrals is over-rated. I would have gone with ITSOTG or maybe B4 A or may In Excelsis Deo or maybe Celestial Navigation or maybe.... And so begins the annual debate as to the best episode.

Clearly this is a flawed list-they have The Suitcase for Mad Men over The Wheel and Sit Down...Shut The Door. 

 

I wouldn't have picked that episode, either.  I'd have to deliberate a fair bit on which one I'd choose, but I know that wouldn't be a contender.

That's how I am about the list as a whole, though -- I only watch about ten shows on it, and of those ten, only a few of their episode selections line up with mine.

Edited July 31, 2018 by Bastet
Because every frakking time I reply to a post without quoting it, my reply winds up being the first on a new page and I have to edit to provide the context

[PeterPirate]

A line from the season 6 finale of Orange Is The New Black:

It is not unusual for some Latino men to have fair pigmentation.  Martin Sheen was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estevez.  

[Guest]

Two Cathedrals is so overrated.

[Zola]

14 hours ago, deaja said:

Two Cathedrals is so overrated.

My love for The West Wing, has waned over the years. It is still up there in my top 5 TV dramas, but I think as I get older, along with far more choice available for me to watch, TWW doesn't quite have the same resonance as it once did. This is best exemplified in the fact "The Two Cathedrals" was my favourite episode a few years back, but now it's good, powerful and very dramatic in places; but then it was an end-of-season cliffhanger, so you would expect something above and beyond a normal episode.

By the same token I used to love the first 4 seasons of the show, but even that has changed quite dramatically these days, where only seasons 2 and 3 really register, while season 7 and to a lesser extent 6, blow 1 and 4 away! (for me at least)

 

As a consequence, my favourite episode these days would have to be season 3's "Bartlet For America", followed quite closely by season 2s "Noel"  - both episodes dealing with personal emotions/issues rather than the usual political matters of the day, but both episodes still grip me, and more so for the late John Spencer's Leo - God, I love that man and his character; and he triumphed perfectly in "B4A"

 

Thank's, Boss!

[Guest]

Celestial Navigation is my all-time favorite. But I agree with you that seasons 6 and 7 are pretty overrated. Season 4 got derailed too much by the California subplot, I think.

[BW Manilowe]

From The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN) via the Washington Post: Liberals Find Escape with ‘West Wing’ 

This article is about both the TV show & The West Wing Weekly podcast.

[ProudMary]

A tweet to put a smile on your face, courtesy of Richard Schiff.

[BW Manilowe]

Lisa Edelstein (Laurie, the call girl/law student Sam slept with, then wanted to reform from being a call girl in S1) is currently playing the oncologist (cancer specialist) for the character played by Richard Schiff’s regular character (he’s the mentor to the title character, an autistic savant medical student/resident/official doctor) in the second, & current, season of ABC’s show The Good Doctor. I recommend the show if you haven’t seen it. It’s also available on Hulu, if you subscribe.

[BW Manilowe]

With apologies, this is rather belated, happy news from People:

Bradley Whitford and Amy Landecker Are Engaged 

The announcement was made during Oscar weekend & I somehow missed it until now (I found it while looking up something else about BW). The happy couple met while co-starring (but apparently not sharing scenes) in the Amazon Prime series Transparent. They’ve been dating since 2015.

Edited November 2, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To change a word.

[wendyg]

Yeah, on TRANSPARENT Whitford played two roles. One was Mark/Marcie, who gave Tambor's Maura her new name in S1 flashbacks, and Tambor was the only one of the main cast Whitford interacted with. The other was the head of the German institute in the S2 flashbacks to 1930s Berlin, and in that role Whitford only really interacted with guest star Michaela Watkins among the regulars/recurrings. So no, they didn't have scenes together, but the way the show was shot it's not surprising that they met (and had time to get to know each other).

Lisa Edelstein seemed to be everyone's favorite guest star until she landed a leading role on HOUSE. I've always liked her.

[UYI]

[Bastet]

Allison Janney is one of those rare people who likes/is liked by most people she works with, and she also becomes - and stays - friends with a number of them.  Her enduring friendship with Melissa Fitzgerald - who worked almost exclusively with her, yet for usually just one shooting day per episode - particularly warms me.

[Driad]

NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" replayed an interview with Bradley Whitford.  Much of it is about his other work but he did mention the enthusiasm of the "Wingnuts."

[BW Manilowe]

Sorry! Stupid Paywalls! If I find a better link I’ll repost the deleted content.

Edited November 27, 2018 by BW Manilowe
Stupid paywalls.

[BW Manilowe]

From Deadline.com: Richard Schiff Confirms Talks of Long-Rumored ‘The West Wing’ Reboot

[Driad]

New book:  What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald (Author), Mary McCormack (Author), & 2 more

[SoMuchTV]

22 hours ago, Driad said:

New book:  What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald (Author), Mary McCormack (Author), & 2 more

There's a new episode of The West Wing Weekly Podcast, with a panel of a lot of the people involved talking about the book and other stuff.  I never unsubscribed from the podcast (4 years or so ago) so it popped up in my feed today.  A fun chat.

[ProudMary]

More press for the What's Next book, but this one couldn't have a better interviewer. Authors Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack sat for an interview (8:18) with The West Wing producer, writer and actor Lawrence O'Donnell.

 

[caitmcg]

Another 8-minute interview, this one with Martin Sheen and Melissa Fitzgerald on NPR (or you can read it). Interestingly, they both say their favorite episode is "In Excelsis Deo."

[Orcinus orca]

Honest to god, I only have to start "In Excelsis" and I start to cry.  I must have seen it 25 times and it never gets easier to watch. But what an episode - the story, the acting, the message, the directing - all outstanding.

[Moose135]

On 8/31/2024 at 11:14 AM, caitmcg said:

Interestingly, they both say their favorite episode is "In Excelsis Deo."

Same here...

I can only hope so, sir...

[ProudMary]

From Variety:

'West Wing’ Cast Reunites at Emmys for 25th Anniversary, Slams Modern Politics as ‘Utterly Ridiculous’

[caitmcg]

On a shallow note, they all looked great.

[ProudMary]

The West Wing's 25th Anniversary is celebrated at the White House. 

 

[ProudMary]

Martin Sheen, Mary McCormack and Melissa Fitzgerald appeared on The View.

 

[ProudMary]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this. I thought we always had a thread for "The Cast in Other Roles," but I couldn't find one, so I'll put it here.

Netflix's political thriller The Diplomat, which has TWW alumni Debora Cahn as its Showrunner and Alex Graves as one of its Executive Producers, has dropped a first look trailer for its second season, set to premiere on October 31st. The trailer gives us our first look at Allison Janney, who is guest starring as the Vice President.

From Variety:

‘The Diplomat’ Season 2 Trailer Shows First Look at Allison Janney as VEEP Grace Penn

[Orcinus orca]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Netflix's political thriller The Diplomat, which has TWW alumni Debora Cahn as its Showrunner and Alex Graves as one of its Executive Producers, has dropped a first look trailer for its second season, set to premiere on October 31st. The trailer gives us our first look at Allison Janney, who is guest starring as the Vice President.

I had not heard of this but will check it out if I live through the elections.

[caitmcg]

The first season was fun. It works well as a binge watch.

[ProudMary]

3 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

I had not heard of this but will check it out if I live through the elections.

I didn't state it in my original post, but I watched Season 1 of The Diplomat when it first premiered and liked it. 

It shouldn't be too triggering as it's set in the UK. Keri Russell is the US Ambassador to the UK, so it's not really about American politics; it's more about American diplomacy in international politics.

[anna0852]

Rest in Peace Admiral Fitzwallace 😢

[ProudMary]

This hurts. 😢 Rest well, Fitz.

 

[sinkwriter]

From "Enemies Foreign and Domestic"

Fitzwallace walks in.

FITZWALLACE: Mr. President.

BARTLET [hurries to shake his hand] Fitz! Fitz, you old polecat, you old so-and-so!

FITZWALLACE: You trying to be one of the fellows, sir?

BARTLET: Yeah.

FITZWALLACE: Well... well-done, sir.

BARTLET: Thank you.

--

From "A Proportional Response"

FITZWALLACE: You're gonna have to set him down, Leo.

LEO: I know.

FITZWALLACE: He's gonna have to talk to the country a little bit. This is not the last one of these we're gonna have to do, but you're gonna have to set him down.

LEO: Any advice?

FITZWALLACE: It's not my place.

LEO: Yeah, it is.

FITZWALLACE: Tell him it's always like this the first time. Tell him he's doing fine.

LEO: He's not doing fine.

FITZWALLACE: Yeah, he is. Presidents don't make new friends, that's why they gotta keep their old ones. You'll know what to say.

 

Rest in Peace, John Amos. ❤️💔