West Wing - Season 1
The West Wing debuted on American television in 1999. With it’s blend of sharp writing, credible performances and Martin Sheen acting everyone else off the screen it quickly established itself as one of the cleverest and best things to hit the American networks in quite some time. It was really the first political drama on either side of the atlantic to take the focus off the so-called “glamorous” roles, and to focus on the people who make the most powerful country on earth tick. Wonderfully written by Aaron Sorkin (who is now making a Facebook movie), this is worth your attention.
The West Wing - Season 1
Season 1 of The West Wing, as you would expect, introduces you to the series’ main players and the performances are almost universally brilliant. It is difficult to review a television series of this intensity and wit without giving away serious plot details, but I’ll try.
Bradley Whitford, John Spencer, Allison Janey, Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff make up the central players in this series and each brings something different to it. Whitford, Janey and Lowe bring energy and youthful enthusiasm, allowing for snappy comments and dialogue to be thrown back and forth. Richard Schiff’s more measured approach to his role tempers these two, as does John Spencer who is quite probably the stand-out member of the ensemble. Playing the Chief of Staff, his calming approach and the intimate way in which he deals with the various problems, both personal and professional, set him apart from a cast performing at the breakneck speed required to fully replicate life in the highest of high-pressure jobs.
The series isn’t afraid to tackle the tough issues, as you would expect from a political drama worth the hype this is given, on both personal and international levels (normally very hard for a series to keep both in perspective, this does it with ease). Prostitution, drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, gun crime, hate-crime, racism, sexism, homophobia, war, death, taxes, education….you get the idea. No stone is left unturned in just one series of this fascinating drama. it leaves you wodnering where they’ll go next.
Really the series is all about one man. By now most people will know that Martin Sheen (revealed at the end of the first episode as “The President” Jed Bartlett) is the stand-out performance from this and future seasons and it would be remiss of me not to give props where they’re due. He is awesome. Utterly outstanding; part orator, part leader, part husband and father. In a poll on the IMDB, Jed Bartlett topped the list of fictional presidents that Americans wanted to run the US. Recently Martin Sheen was even asked if he considered running for a local givernment office. His reaction was a very un-Arnie “you’re confusing fame with competence”. Martin Sheen is the reason to watch The West Wing if no other reason appeals.
The first 11 episodes of Season 1 are currently on-demand with Virgin Media, and if you want to check it out for free before splashing out money on the box-set then do so. I did, and after 11 episodes I went out and bought the complete Seasons 1-7. That’s just how good this series is, and that alone is worth a couple of hours of your time to try it out.
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DVD-Film-Review.co.uk’s Users:
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Film Information
Year: 1999
Writer/Creator: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, John Spencer, Allison Janey, Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff
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