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And as others have said, this was the BEST introduction of any character! I LOOOOOVED Martin Sheen here. And ESPECIALLY loved Bartlett telling Al and that HORRID Mary Marsh: "You'll denounce these people, Al. You'll do it publicly. And until you do, you can all get your fat asses out of my White House."

OH SNAP!!!!!!

 

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18 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Yes, the special airs on HBO Max THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH. I haven’t been able to find the time though. (I’m assuming 8 or 9PM Eastern, but that’s just a GUESS).

Since HBOMax is a streaming service, not a cable channel, there wouldn't be a specific time - you watch it whenever you want starting 10/15.

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1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And as others have said, this was the BEST introduction of any character! I LOOOOOVED Martin Sheen here. And ESPECIALLY loved Bartlett telling Al and that HORRID Mary Marsh: "You'll denounce these people, Al. You'll do it publicly. And until you do, you can all get your fat asses out of my White House."

OH SNAP!!!!!!

 

Oh the good old days. When religious bigots were put in their place.

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15 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Since HBOMax is a streaming service, not a cable channel, there wouldn't be a specific time - you watch it whenever you want starting 10/15.

So Hartsfield Landing opens at midnight, just like the polls in Hartsfield Landing?  Talk about an Aristotlian confluence of events. 

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7 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I ADORE Kathryn Joosten and I LOVE Mrs. Landingham. I'll never understand why they killed her off. Then again, if they hadn't, we wouldn't have gotten "Two Cathedrals" which was so very, very good.

Sorkin killed her off because Kathryn Joosten told him she got a pilot (which ended up not going to series unfortunately) so he started to think about writing her off and realized what a great story it could be. Full details here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56e27eb82fe131d8eec3a4e3/t/59f8d9b6e2c4835d8f536530/1509480886659/2.22+part+2+-+Two+Cathredrals.pdf

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44 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

Sorkin killed her off because Kathryn Joosten told him she got a pilot (which ended up not going to series unfortunately) so he started to think about writing her off and realized what a great story it could be. Full details here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56e27eb82fe131d8eec3a4e3/t/59f8d9b6e2c4835d8f536530/1509480886659/2.22+part+2+-+Two+Cathredrals.pdf

Yeah, I found that earlier today.

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2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Since HBOMax is a streaming service, not a cable channel, there wouldn't be a specific time - you watch it whenever you want starting 10/15.

Wait.  Please explain this to an old person.  We don't watch it on TV?  We download the HBOMax app and watch it on our phone?  Could someone explain this to me ASAP because I have to tell me friend.  Thank you!

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4 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

Wait.  Please explain this to an old person.  We don't watch it on TV?  We download the HBOMax app and watch it on our phone?  Could someone explain this to me ASAP because I have to tell me friend.  Thank you!

You can stream this if you have Roku, as they made a deal with HBO and it's now a supported app; I did a behind the door way to get it on my firestick, so you can watch it on your television. There was a extensive discussion over in the Paid Streaming Services thread about how to "slide load" the app on your firestick.

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8 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

You can stream this if you have Roku, as they made a deal with HBO and it's now a supported app; I did a behind the door way to get it on my firestick, so you can watch it on your television. There was a extensive discussion over in the Paid Streaming Services thread about how to "slide load" the app on your firestick.

I don't even know what Roku is.  Is having that the only way I can watch?  And thank you for responding.

 

 

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1 minute ago, slasherboy said:

I don't even know what Roku is.  Is having that the only way I can watch?  And thank you for responding.

 

 

Roku is an online platform app. Just like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Amazon Firestick, etc. If you don't have a Rocku device or an Amazon firestick, then your phone will be the only way to watch this. I think.

I'm a techno turd, so I hope someone more tech savvy can clarify.

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1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

You can stream this if you have Roku, as they made a deal with HBO and it's now a supported app; I did a behind the door way to get it on my firestick, so you can watch it on your television. There was a extensive discussion over in the Paid Streaming Services thread about how to "slide load" the app on your firestick.

Roku doesn't have HBO Max yet. I just checked to make sure I didn't miss that news. You might be thinking about Peacock.

I stream HBO Max to my phone and cast it to my TV.

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11 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Leo didn't always know. Bartlett told him in Season 1, shortly after his recent relapse. Leo was hurt...and asked why he didn't tell him? But there was no rage, no flailing of the arms or any "how could you NOT! Tell MEEE!" drama.

Meep! Forgot to add Leo to my favorites list! Which I just did!

Jed Bartlet didn't tell Leo. Abby told Leo, after Leo realized something was very wrong and pushed her for an answer.

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It’s (the special’s) up for viewing! It must’ve gone up at Midnight Pacific/3AM Eastern; I looked at Midnight Eastern & the trailer was all that was up. So I surfed elsewhere awhile & just found it about 10 minutes ago (a little after 3:30AM Eastern). I have to admit, I almost teared up when Snuffy Walden & a small chamber orchestra played the opening theme. And I think you’ll like the narrator. No other spoilers unless someone wants them. Stopped watching long enough to post this—going back now. Enjoy!

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Coming out of a long-term, self-imposed posting hiatus to say that the past hour I spent with The West Wing special has got to be the only hour I have had in the last seven or so months where I didn't think about the crazy world I live in. Instead, I spent an hour with friends I have known for more than a decade, and felt as safe and secure as I do when sitting with a comfy comforter in front of a fire, drinking a spiked cup of glorious coffee.

I want more of that, please.

LOVED.EVERY.MOMENT.

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22 hours ago, blondiec0332 said:

I agree that their reaction seemed to be an overreaction.  I justified it by thinking they were mad because their jobs could be in jeopardy.  

Not only their jobs, but everything they had hoped to accomplish in their jobs. If the investigation had gone on instead of the resolution, the White House wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything.  At one point, Charlie was told he would be paying roughly $100k in legal fees. All the senior staff likely would have needed similar legal counsel. 

Fraud on the American people may have been hyperbole, but the Bartletts were breaking the law with the shipping medicine in Abby's name, etc. so it wasn't as innocent as they wanted to pretend nor was the criticism of Abby as out of line as the show tried to pretend.

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Lin Manuel Miranda's schtick was very funny.  As was Marlee Matlin's complaint about having to "play the moron".  As I recall, the term used by people for that role is "exposition fairy".

I wasn't impressed by the actor who played Leo, but the more I think about it the more I realize that John Spencer was irreplaceable.  

And I gotta say, there was something in the way that Janel Moloney played Donna, then and now.  I know there is a substantial constituency of people here who don't like the Donna character, but that doesn't take away the extra vibrancy that Janel brought to the role.  I don't have a problem with the way Donna moved up the ranks in the Democratic party, and that's mainly due to the way she was played.  

 

Edited by PeterPirate
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14 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Jed Bartlet didn't tell Leo. Abby told Leo, after Leo realized something was very wrong and pushed her for an answer.

Oh, right! Sorry, I was just remembering the conversation with Bartlet and Leo later.

D’OH!!!

And this is also a huuuge peeve. The mispronouncing of Kashmir. It is not pronounced as if it was a sweater made out of cashmere! It’s Kush-Meeeer.

Okay, off my soap 📦.

ooh! Dulé!!!! Laters!!!!

Edited by GHScorpiosRule
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3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Just as an FYI, this show is STILL on Netflix as of this morning.

I read that Netflix supposedly has it until December 25th.
From Republicworld.com: Is ‘The West Wing’ Leaving Netflix? Learn More About the Political-Drama’s Fate

The article is from July this year; I believe the publication/site involved is from India, given “clues” on the linked page.

Edited by BW Manilowe
To add an article link and comments about it. Then to fix the publication/website’s name.
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50 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

I believe the publication/site involved is from India, given “clues” on the linked page.

What does India have to do with it? Honestly asking because I don't see why that had to be pointed out as if coming from India means it's suspect.

If it's not coming from Netflix or a source I trust/that is known to me, I'm not clicking on it.

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It was so good to see this cast again. Nancy , and members of the press corps,Carol and Ed and Larry (i wasnt expecting that)

The music ,seeing Marlee Matlin , Elizabeth Moss and Emily Procter all of it was great.

I thought  Sterling K Brown did a nice job. He wasnt John Spencer but no one could have been. It had to hard to jump in with a cast who have known each other for more than 20 years.

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1 hour ago, slasherboy said:

Who narrates this?

Emily Procter. She played Ainsley in the original show.

This was really well done. I got all the FEELS! 

And while Sterling K. Brown did a credible job, there’s only one Leo and only one John Spencer. 

Of course I’m now watching the original, and aside from the set and that 18 years have passed-all slipped into their characters as if this show was still on the air!

Edited by GHScorpiosRule
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1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Emily Procter. She played Ainsley Haines in the original show.

This was really well done. I got all the FEELS! 

And while Sterling K. Brown did a credible job, there’s only one Leo and only one John Spencer. 

Of course I’m now watching the original, and aside from the set and that 18 years have passed-all slipped into their characters as if this show was still on the air!

Ainsley’s last name was Hayes, not Haines.

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I started smiling right off the bat when I saw Emily Procter as the scene setter. Great way to bring her back, even though Ainsley wasn't in this episode.

We knew that the actors playing all the major characters would be in the production, excepting John Spencer of course, but it was GREAT to see so many of the supporting players: Carol, members of the WH press corps, the Asst. Secretary of State, Ed and Larry, and the magnificent Anna Deavere Smith as Nancy McNally. 💖

I did miss the great James Hong from his guest role as the Chinese Ambassador. His absence was felt in that scene.

I liked the set design, with the offices set apart on stage and the characters walking out the office door and into the "hallway" over to the other office. The hallway was so important to the show.

That theater was gorgeous!

While I admit that overall I haven't seen him in too many different things since the show ended, I am an avid watcher of Grace and Frankie, and I have to say that I'm rarely impressed with Martin Sheen's performance there, with one notable exception: He shines when he's in scenes with only Lily Tomlin. Those two have a comfort level that's apparent. So, I was a bit concerned going in to this production, if he could still bring it as Jed Bartlet. The answer is a resounding YES. To me, so much so, that I wonder if there's a way Martin Sheen could FINALLY get an Emmy for playing Jed Bartlet? I'm not sure where this production might fit though. It's not a television movie; It's a dramatic special but while there are writing and directing categories for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special, the acting category only seems to cover the first two of those. 🤔

The breaks between acts were fantastic. First, seeing some of the behind the scenes footage was wonderful. I loved the use of black and white for them.

Then we had the guest spots or spots with cast members giving valuable voting information:
Bradley Whitford and Marlee Matlin still have great chemistry together!
I thought the appeal to young voters with Elizabeth Moss and Dule Hill together was excellent.
Samuel L. Jackson! Loved his spot, although I fully expected him to end by saying, "Get out there and vote, mother f***ers!" Hey, it's HBO. 😄
The bit with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Janel Maloney was a bit too cutesy, but I did like that LMM began an anecdote about James Madison, only to be rebuffed by Janel's "No, no." I immediately thought of "You should read the James Madison. It'll help you." I'm assuming that was the intent.
And, Michelle Obama. During her speech the DNC in August, I said that I wish she could speak to Americans every night.  She was great. That woman can do no wrong in my book. ❤️ 

I am definitely a fan of Sterling K. Brown having seen and been impressed by him in many different films and shows and although he did a good job, I was taken out of each scene just a bit, each time he made an appearance. What seemed wrong to me was that in light of how much the major characters have aged since the show ended, SKB just seemed too young for the Chief of Staff role in comparison. Hell, even Dule Hill's a bit older than SKB is! He's a great actor at the top of his game and it's not as if I have anyone else in mind. I guess seeing anyone but John Spencer as Leo was going to be tough on all of us who loved him so. 😢

The Avett Brothers!

I will most definitely be watching this again. Loved it!

Edited by ProudMary
Spelling error
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I know this is unpopular, but I like Josh. Except when I don't, if that makes sense.

But he REALLY pissed me off in "The Indians in the Lobby" because he kept referring to the two NATIVE AMERICANS as "The Indians". I KNOW that by 2000 at least, that Native Americans was how you referred to them. At the time this aired, I worked at a law firm where all our clients were members of different Native American nations and pueblos. And really, those that hail from India are Indians. And the indigenous peoples in the Amazon, I believe.

And then his...I don't know...betrayal of Hoynes, as he led the meeting to get him off the ticket as Vice President? When he originally worked on his campaign before leaving to work on Bartlet's? Then there was that one episode (blanking on the name here), from the first season, when they're both jogging, where Hoynes admits he would have won had he listened to Josh. Or something. So he peeved me in "Stirred".

While I understand there is a host of other reasons to dislike him, I think it's because I like Bradley Whitford, that I put up with him. Then of course, I fast forward all his scenes with Donna, so that could be why I don't hate him.

And I don't know why Amy rubs me the wrong way, but she does.

Because he does have his good moments.

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The TNT Friday morning repeats are cross-promoting the HBO Max special. Every so often during the episodes, a “bug” pops up in the corner of the screen telling viewers to watch it.

On Friday, October 23rd (next Friday), TNT will be showing:

9AM EASTERN/8 AM CENTRAL: “Game On”

10AM EASTERN/9AM CENTRAL: “Election Night”

11AM EASTERN/10 AM CENTRAL: “Process Stories”

Check local listings for the correct channel in your area.

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I loved the HBO special. How easily these actors can slip into those roles as if almost two decades have not passed. I just love these actors and this show. I also liked Sterling K. Brown in this-no one will ever replace John Spencer, but Sterling is a heavy hitter in his own right, and I think he did a great job.

In other Aaron Sorkin news, has anyone watched The trial of the Chicago 7? It just released today on Netflix. I need to check it out. 

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1 minute ago, A.Ham said:

In other Aaron Sorkin news, has anyone watched The trial of the Chicago 7? It just released today on Netflix. I need to check it out. 

I was just coming to post about the film. Big week for Aaron Sorkin! I thought it was excellent. The cast is amazing; they all give great performances. 

I remember that there's already a dedicated thread in the Movies forum for the film. I'll try to find it and link it here.

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52 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

I remember that there's already a dedicated thread in the Movies forum for the film. I'll try to find it and link it here.

I would really like that. I didn’t even know there was a thread for movies on here. I had done a haphazard search with no luck.

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21 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I am definitely a fan of Sterling K. Brown having seen and been impressed by him in many different films and shows and although he did a good job, I was taken out of each scene just a bit, each time he made an appearance. What seemed wrong to me was that in light of how much the major characters have aged since the show ended, SKB just seemed too young for the Chief of Staff role in comparison. Hell, even Dule Hill's a bit older than SKB is! He's a great actor at the top of his game and it's not as if I have anyone else in mind. I guess seeing anyone but John Spencer as Leo was going to be tough on all of us who loved him so. 😢

 

Sterling K. Brown was really good, but I missed Leo's voice most of all.

Man, I miss this show -- this special is one of the best examples of getting the band back together and putting on a masterpiece.   
Can't believe it's been nearly 18 and a half years since the original aired.  Nobody missed a beat.

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2 hours ago, A.Ham said:

I would really like that. I didn’t even know there was a thread for movies on here.

The movie forum is here, in the Pop Culture section of the home page.  The thread for The Trial of the Chicago 7 is here.

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It was so good to see everyone! I loved it and probably the first time ever I LIKED the commercials as much as the show. 🙂

Only sharing some critique because that’s what we do here:
I rewatched the original episode this morning and I don’t think the conversations in the special felt as smooth or natural Or spontaneous as the show but I think because it was obviously more of a stage play. It was still wonderful to see them and I wasn’t expecting so many of the other characters to appear and that was an awesome surprise.  

 

Rob Lowe looks amazing and doesn’t seem to age and yet it was a little harder for me to believe the “wow that’s amazing” earnestness that Sam had back in the day from an obviously much more mature man.  It looked like Rob Lowe had the script next to him in one scene and I thought ..did he not go off book? Then I thought “am I a nerd? and Then I realized they probably had it there on purpose.

I do love Sterling but he didn’t convey that unspoken thing that Leo always had which was that he was slightly exasperated but loved these goofballs. 
I will say it’s a testament to how good it was that when they switched to the footage from the actual episode at the end it took a second for it to register because it felt so natural. I love these guys. I smiled through the whole thing.


With all that said I DIDN'T REALLY CARE About Any of The little things and loved every second of it. West Wing is my comfort blanket.

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Sorkin got a screen credit for writing some of the extra material for the special.  But as far as I could tell he didn't appear on screen, which I found odd.  

And I'll throw this one out there:  

On 10/14/2020 at 10:05 AM, AriAu said:

Conchata Ferrell was in Mystic Pizza with

Annabeth Gish who was Liz Bartlet Westin

Conchata Ferrell was in Hot l Baltimore with

Richard Masur who was in Forget Paris with

John Spencer

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My goodness, could they make this any harder to watch?  Or maybe I'm just the only dinosaur who doesn't have HBO Max.  I decided to do the week free trial.  I have a smart TV and two fire sticks, and none of them seem to have a way to watch HBO Max.  There appeared to be an iPhone app that I could cast to the TV, but it had terrible reviews. So I ended up watching it on my PC. 

A lot of the pro-voting messages seemed to be aimed at 18-24 year olds, and especially young Black males.  I'm having a hard time imagining that very many people in that target group are going to seek out a remake of a 20-year-old show with a bunch of 60- and 70-something actors.

But having said all that, I really did enjoy it.  I had forgotten how much happened in that episode.  Sterling K. Brown was fine, but it just didn't seem right that Leo was younger than Charlie.  Maybe they should have given SKB a touch of gray or something.  I never really warmed up to Ainsley in the series but it was kind of comforting to hear Emily Procter reading the stage directions.

And now I'm back to my watch of the original series.  I just finished season 4 - quite a cliffhanger, especially considering it was the end of the Sorkin era.  I'm not sure what to expect now!

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1 hour ago, PeterPirate said:

Sorkin got a screen credit for writing some of the extra material for the special.  But as far as I could tell he didn't appear on screen, which I found odd.  

I did see Sorkin in one of the B&W behind-the-scenes clips that ran between acts.

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2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

And now I'm back to my watch of the original series.  I just finished season 4 - quite a cliffhanger, especially considering it was the end of the Sorkin era.  I'm not sure what to expect now!

We're doing a full series re-watch - well, re-watch for me, I've seen them all countless times, but first time the GF has seen it, and she's really become a fan. We watched the last three episodes of S4 last night, and they left her in tears. It was getting late, but she couldn't call it a night until we watched the first couple of episodes of S5 to see where it went. You won't be disappointed.

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3 hours ago, Moose135 said:

We're doing a full series re-watch - well, re-watch for me, I've seen them all countless times, but first time the GF has seen it, and she's really become a fan. We watched the last three episodes of S4 last night, and they left her in tears. It was getting late, but she couldn't call it a night until we watched the first couple of episodes of S5 to see where it went. You won't be disappointed.

Lalalalala. I’m trying not to read the “future” episode descriptions when I pull it up on Netflix. 

Back to the special. I was a little disappointed not to see Fitz and Danny. Maybe the weren’t in the original but it felt like they should have been. Oh and MARGARET!  (My daughter’s name is Margaret. I’ve threatened to record Leo yelling “Margaret!” to use as her ringtone.  There’s at least one per episode.) But it was good to see Reporter Steve, and Ed & Larry. 

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21 hours ago, MissL said:

It looked like Rob Lowe had the script next to him in one scene and I thought ..did he not go off book? Then I thought “am I a nerd? and Then I realized they probably had it there on purpose.

You aren’t a nerd. I noticed the script on Sam’s desk in the same scene I think you’re referencing. I also noticed a script on the table where Jed & Toby were playing chess. I think it was facing Richard Schiff’s side of the table. There could’ve been other instances of “visible script”, but I didn’t notice (so far I’ve only watched it that 1 time, on the early morning of the 15th). I was also willing to cut everybody some slack, because I thought this was supposed to be more like a “dramatic reading”, where scripts are allowed, than an actual play performance of the episode.

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On 10/17/2020 at 11:48 AM, Moose135 said:

We're doing a full series re-watch - well, re-watch for me, I've seen them all countless times, but first time the GF has seen it, and she's really become a fan. We watched the last three episodes of S4 last night, and they left her in tears. It was getting late, but she couldn't call it a night until we watched the first couple of episodes of S5 to see where it went. You won't be disappointed.

This happened to me when I first watched- I watched “one more episode” that was the last episode of season 1 (and then was up til 2 am watching the next 2) and then a month later also watched “one more” and got sucked into the end of 4 and had to stay up for a few of season 5!

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Hi,

I've been a fan of the WW for ages now, and with the HBO special being made, I thought I'd do a small summary of why I find this show so outstanding. Hopefully I'm not breaching any forum rules by posting this here.

Cheers.

Edited by unammed4areason
Typos and syntax
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On 10/16/2020 at 11:30 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

While I understand there is a host of other reasons to dislike him, I think it's because I like Bradley Whitford, that I put up with him. Then of course, I fast forward all his scenes with Donna, so that could be why I don't hate him.

I love me some Bradley Whitford.  I liked Josh.  He would irritate me sometimes but there wasn't a character that didn't irritate me.  Am I mistaken thinking Josh was based on Rahm Emmanuel?

On 10/16/2020 at 11:30 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

And I don't know why Amy rubs me the wrong way, but she does.

I didn't like Amy and I'm not sure if it was the character or Mary Louise Parker playing her that caused my dislike. I lean toward it being MLP.  I loved Weeds but didn't like her character there either.

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1 hour ago, blondiec0332 said:

I love me some Bradley Whitford.  I liked Josh.  He would irritate me sometimes but there wasn't a character that didn't irritate me.  Am I mistaken thinking Josh was based on Rahm Emmanuel?

I didn't like Amy and I'm not sure if it was the character or Mary Louise Parker playing her that caused my dislike. I lean toward it being MLP.  I loved Weeds but didn't like her character there either.

Regarding the bolded:  It’s been said, kind of a lot, that Josh was based, in part, on former WH Chief of Staff & former Chicago Mayor (his most recent professional credits) Rahm Emanuel. But Lawrence O’Donnell, former Executive Producer & Writer on The West Wing (he also played Jed’s dad in “Two Cathedrals”) & now an MSNBC program host, disputes this. In other instances, it’s also been said that Josh is based, in part, on former President Clinton adviser Paul Begala, who notes that some of Josh’s experiences in the first season are some of the same as he went through.

Edited by BW Manilowe
To add a comment and remove a typo.
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