Margaret, please call the editor of the New York Times crossword and tell him that Khaddafi is spelled with an H and two D's and isn't a seven-letter word for anything.
@@BlackDiamond2718 Not sure as Im not a father to a daughter (yet, hopefully...). Id have to experience both (because messing with the fearful ones sounds fun, yet I dont want my future daughter dating a complete wuss either. Also dont want one that has no respect as that can be problematic too).
The chemistry between Sheen and Spender was something special. It was hard to tell that they were not 30 year friends in real life because they did it so well.
I like Leo's line "Then we'll blow them up again, we're getting really good at it!" You can't kill evil, you just have to keep fighting and fighting it.
@@randommthrfkr6568 Yes and one of the reasons Rob Lowe quit, the show was supposed to be focused far more on the WH staff rather than the president. Sam was the focus of the first Season, he was the first character to be introduced and the main season plot revolved around him and his relationship with a call girl that not only became a lawyer but also apparently a hospital administrator. Lowe had top billing for the first season but as the show progressed the focus quickly shifted from him towards other characters and specifically the president. Martin Sheen was intended to be mainly a guest star for the pilot as well as a "recurring" character, however his performance shifted the entire premise of the show and many plots that focused around the president were then developed. Rob went from being top billing to pretty much a secondary character by the end of Season 2. To be fair TWW had seen A LOT of pay disputed from others such as Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney and John Spencer these included "walkouts" during production.
@@DOGMA1138 Can you imagine a show titled the West Wing about the White House and the Presidency in which the character of the actual president is only an occasional cameo? It would be like Scooby Doo without the dog.
@@jimnasium452 Aaron Sorkin was working with actual former West Wing staffers and they had told him that they rarely saw the president. The show was supposed to center on characters working a step below the people who saw the president on a daily basis so Sheen was supposed to only appear occasionally. That's also why it wasn't until quite late in the first season that Stockard Channing makes her first appearance as Abby Bartlett. I'm not even sure she had been cast when the show started. But Lowe didn't exactly wow audiences and Sheen did.
@@joecook5689 no, I'd say it was a massive gesture. He takes one puff and discards it and stamps on it, as if to say 'Eff you, God. You're not even worth me smoking the whole thing'.
If you like this, try out Sorkin's othershow Newsroom. The dialogue is faster paced then West Wing, though not as long and ultimately not as good (but still a satisfying watch, and the characters for the most part are likeable). Newsroom feels a lot more liberal than West Wing does though.
I too miss 'The West Wing.' I would love to have seen the way that they wrote the scripts and directed for President Santos, and Josh as Chief of Staff, and how how his relationship developed with Donna. That would have been one helluva' ride. Josh as Chief of Staff would have made for exciting tv. I would have continued watching for as long as that new West Wing was being produced and broadcast. There is a dearth of truly magnificent tv on the broadcast channels now. It seems that real tv has and is migrating to streaming tv now and people who either cannot get streaming tv or cannot afford streaming tv are left out in the cold as far as news, weather, sports, movies, entertainment, good tv shows, and of course opinion shows, cannot be accessed without high speed internet access or cable access, either of which in the US costs an arm and a leg to obtain. And if you live in a rural area or a semirural area of this nation, the possibility of getting either cable or fios high speed internet access is nonexistent. And that is the problem that plagues most of the people of this nation. Because most people do not want to live in a suburban or highly populated city. They are satisfied with the quality of life in a rural or semirural area.
Not bragging no never bragging.... but when my high school sweetheart bride passed away from a heart attack at 39, I had a "conversation" like that with God, in my churchin private.... just God and I. 3 years later He (God) allows me to meet and to marry, and have the daughter that I always wanted. Three sons from first marriage, but never got... till my age 40. The marriage lasted 3 years..... the daughter 17 now, lives with me, and I could not ask for one better..... smart, pretty, respectful, tender hearted, a real girly girl. God is the BEST!!!
@eddiewinehosen Just because you don't believe in something, do you have to chit on others for feeling the way they do? Why the hatred enough to reply in the way that you did ? Can't you just roll your eyes and move on or something?
@eddiewinehosen what is a genetic lottery? What is chance? What is decision? You make up words and then say 'God didn't do shit'. God is the only real cause in the universe. Nothing happens without His permission or direct action.
My very favorite Bartlet moment is in Two Cathedrals. His monologue in the church was powerful. Sheen speaks Latin and was nice to see him stretching his muscles. I cannot imagine this cast being full of anyone else in these roles and Martin Sheen cast as the President was perfect. From the first episode I was hooked. Still am. One of the all time best written shows ever.
@@kdjohnson1998 Thank you, Lord./// Am I to believe these things from a righteous God, a just God, a wise God?/// To hell with your punishments![punishments of Jesus', crucifixion]/// I was your servant, your messenger on the earth; I did my duty.///To hell with your punishments! And to hell with you![to you the punishments and crucifixion of Jesus]
When that particular scene was over, Martin Sheen left and went to confession. He knew he had to do that part. He knew it was crucial to the show to his character, but he couldn’t square it with God, so he went to confession.
Those were the days when we watched it as it aired. There was no binging. I remember one time when my husband and I were down the street at his grandmother’s house when we suddenly remembered we had 2 minutes to the West Wing. We ran. As fast as we could down stairs, down the street, up the stairs and skidded to a halt turning on the tv to hear that music. We couldn’t get our breath for the first 10 minutes. We didn’t want to miss a minute. Aaron Sorkin. Thank you.
The ensemble cast was truly remarkable, but none of it works without the brilliant writing of Sorkin. The dialogues contained within each episode have never been topped by another television series.
@@ltmundy1164 I lived in Santa Monica California for a few years and went to church at St.onica's. What an absolute thrill it was to discover that Martin Sheen was one of the parishioners! One Sunday he actually wound up coming and sitting next to me in my pew. When I turned to look at him and saw it was MARTIN SHEEN he smiled and said good morning, how are you? Day made! One of my best memories.
@@AnIdiotAboard_ That scene is one of my top 5 favorites. Another one is when he chastised Amy after figuring out that she was using Abby (without her knowledge) to get what she wanted. I never really liked her because she thought she was smarter than everyone else. Also, she's totally arrogant. Josh told her she looked good and she said "yes, I know" 🙄🤢
While “The Two Cathedrals” rightly ranks as among the most affecting episodes in television history, it’s the coda, Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms,” that transforms Sheen’s performance and, for me, elevates the entire series.
You think you have problems? My country is divorcing Europe ... and you know how messy divorces can be. I wonder if Alan Sorkin could be persuaded to write some of our Prime Minister's speeches ... and give some of the key characters more backbone. I want more of the 'throwing of the caps over the wall' speeches too because we jolly well have to do it now.
Let Bartlet be Bartlet is hands down my favorite episode of the series, and that's saying a lot. The scene here between Sheen and Spencer is some of the best acting I have ever seen.
Everybody has differing opinions, but you missed the boat by leaving out season2, episode 3. It's his speech to Dr. Jenna Jacobs about taking everything in the Old Testament literally and ends by saying she "might be mistaking this for her monthly meeting of the tight ass club but when the President stands, NOBODY sits." Bartlet personified.
"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I’m interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it okay to call the police? Here’s one that’s really important ’cause we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town: Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?" One of the best illustrations of the hypocritical usage of bible passages I have ever heard.
I thought the same thing. I expected it to be number two behind the Cathedral scene. So many stellar moments in this series. The West Wing got me through some challenging times in my life and I often have my own little WW marathons. I've about worn out my DVD collection. It's like visiting an old friend. By the way, not for nothing but I'm a conservative. Don't let anyone ever make you think you have to only be one way, think only one way or believe only one way.
@@Big-guy1981 John Adams was 5'7", James Madison was 5'4", Truman was 5'8", Carter was 5'8", Coolidge was 5'10". Try getting some facts before making yourself sound stupid.
Martin Sheen probably set a model for an actor playing Potus that will be not improved for many years. From the "fat ass out from my white house" speech to "tomorrow", he's been the best fictional president in the story (and better than many many real president)
I know he was so good. I am glad that Aaron Sorkin made it about the entire staff not just Senior staff with cameos of POTUS. It was suppose to mainly be about Sam Seaborn
I think my personal favorite is when he is outside having a cigarette during that long opera and James Brolin walks out, and he says something along the lines of, "Just so you know, 'crime hoo boy', that's when I decided to kick your ass." Not quite perfect recall on the line, but that scene just slays me every time.
This program was THE best ever written. It it timely, it hits the nail on the head nearly every single time, and the emotion written in the scenes is powerful. I still get chills when I rewatch the clips. Lest I forget, the acting was phenomenal.
Damn I miss this show. Yelling at God has got to be one of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen on TV. And the Let Bartlett Be Bartlett scene, wow...that one was all John Spencer (RIP)
I didn't like how inconsistent Sorkin made Leo. It's as if his character was only interested in bravado or a grand gesture half the time. Most egregiously in "Shibboleth," when he reflexively rejects his sister's appointment because...why, then scolds her for "strutting," saying no one in the Bartlet WH ever struts, conveniently forgetting Josh Lyman exists.
10 great scenes. One other scene that deserves it is the one where Bartlet explains to Zoe that the nightmare scenario isn't him getting assassinated, but her getting kidnapped.
The main storylines are good enough to carry TWW, but its the side stories that add something special, Leo's big block of cheese day, CJ having a woot canal, Sam telling Mallory he slept with a call girl, Lemon Lyman, Charlie and the Paul Revere knife, Toby arranging a funeral for a homeless man, wonderful side stories
The funeral for homeless man. Every word, every note was sheer perfection. That episode bypasses my rational awareness that it's all just fiction and I bawl at its beauty and poetry. Crying now dammit.
Sam and Mallory’s interactions were so funny. Second only to Josh and Donna. Third best interactions for me was Oliver Babish and The First Lady. Christmas episode with the homeless vet’s funeral was must see TV.
I LOVE Oliver Babish... Almost every episode of TWW elicits a strong emotional response... This was my first tv show that I actively cheered for, yelled at, cried over... I wish we had gotten a chance to watch these in American Government in HS. 🤣
Obviously you never have since the Founding Fathers quoted the Bible religiously and clearly stated our Republican form of government could only work under a society ruled by Christian morality and values.
More like Sorkin showing his utter IGNORANCE of the OT and NT by having his fake president quote Bible verses out of their context in order to attack the Biblical of homosexuality. Our Founding Fathers would have run that fake president or any other politician out of America for how he twisted those Bible verses.
The greatest series in the history of television. From episode one series one you are totally mesmerised. The way the cast develops and comes together over the series as they unfold is just amazing.
If only politics was this way. This is like watching Star Wars, fantastical and amazing but not feasible in our current time. I love this series though. I would vote for Bartlett :)
@adipsous. Sorkin is genius as a writer, and I appreciate the high drama he creates with this show. But I mourn that it could have been so much more. Instead of pretending to be even handed, it could have BEEN even handed! Instead, again and again and again, the floor is littered with straw men and non sequiturs….
I find it hilarious that his first entrance in the whole series is "I am the LORD thy God..." . It doesn't get to be more grandiose than that. No wonder they increased his role in the show.
Leo had that great scowl! That look always reminded people that he was a fighter pilot and the stakes in the 'games' he played were life and death. Also he wore the hell outta those double-breasted suits.
I was in high school and college when this show originally aired, however thanks to Netflix I was able to view this amazing series, the smartest show ever, perfectly written, I was in awe.
They actually got it right at the Emmies when this show was awarded best television drama four straight years. The acting, writing, directing, and producing was cinemaesque each week. It was like watching a movie.
@@temporarystranger95- Is it a coincidence, then, that Sorkin left after Season 4? Out of sheer devotion, I bought the box set (eight series) but I only ever rewatch 1 -4).
The 10 word answer was not only a great scene, but it's so true. There are way too many 10 word answers out there. Life is complicated. Politics is complicated. Problems are complicated. Yet most people want easy solutions that fit their often uninformed beliefs.
I recently finished watching the whole series for the first time and it was breathtaking and emotional. The writing was great but the acting was *chef's kiss*.
These are all worthy, however, the one where he crashes the staff meeting hopped up on pains meds is the absolute best. Decades later, it still makes me laugh.
That one is still one of my top ten Bartlet moments of the whole series. "Which one did you take, sir?" "I wasn't supposed to take them both?" Outrageous. Martin was a riot in that scene. As he was in others. I liked in the debate when he asked Governor Ritchie for the money Florida got from the federal government back. I liked the tie cutting scene at the debate, the one where Abigail cuts his tie to "help him prepare" for the debate, then he swats her ample fundament as he passes her onto the debate stage. Martin could do funny. Martin could do drama. He is one of very few people who have played the two most powerful people in the country, the president and chief of staff. He did that in The American President, another Aaron Sorkin work. However, this was not the first time Martin played the president. He was a candidate for president in The Dead Zone, and was the president in the vision that the main character foresaw, the president that led the country toward the end of the world. While it was as president in a vision and not the "reality" of the script, that still was him as president, sort of, at least potentially.
@@heinleinreader: Missiles of October: MS played Jack Kennedy in mid 1970's TV program recounting the events leading up to/including the Cuban Missile crisis.
@@ltmundy1164 He also played a presidential candidate in the film The Dead Zone. He was the candidate that the main character saw in the future pushing the button that would end the world. He also played a Seargent Major of the prison camp where his son Charlie was sent in the film Cadence. Then there was Apocalypse Now. 'Nuff said about that one.
You could have top 100 moments of West Wing. Jed Bartley was amazing because he was also not perfect he lied about his illness, he yelled at his wife, he didn’t tell his wife he was going to run again, he smoked, he felt pain, he was brilliantly smart and deeply religious, an Economics Noble prize winner, he yelled at his staff at different times, he was an intelligent intellectual elites who could use that and did so fo reduce an opponent at will.
They really don't make television like this anymore. Great Cast, Great Writing....one of the best shows of all time. Really wished they would have kept it going!!
Personally, I liked the airport scene when Josh's dad died. Scolding Zoey when she complained about increased protection. Playing some pickup BBall. Walk to the hill after the shut down....
This series showcased the best of the best actors. I absolutely adored this ensemble. All of them are brilliant. It still irks me that Martin never did win an Emmy for his portrayal of POTUS though.
One of the very best shows ever to be made for American TV. And, it's as relevant today as it was when it first aired. R.I.P. John Spencer. The man was an absolute beast on The West Wing.
I first saw him in a movie where Harrison Ford was accused of murdering his ex. Girlfriend lover whatever.He was the private detective. I think who helped him. And he absolutely ran away with that movie. I loved him and everything. I saw him and even when he wasn't a good guy. But he usually was one. I cried so hard when I heard he had passed away. I felt like a member of my fmily. Maybe my favorite uncle had died. Network television is different than any other medium perit's even different than cable t v. It's open to everyone, and so we can all share it. We can won't watch it at the same time if it like. I sometimes wish that it wasn't so easy to watch a t v show at a different time because there was something meaningful about us all Seeing a show around the same time. Considering time differences in the country. we share those moments. that's been disrupted. By cable and all the other choices we have. it's nice having choices, but it's also nice knowing that you're. Aunt in off state new york is watching the same show you are. I think regular network television has had more to do with changing our attitudes than anything else, not even education compares. From the time the show Julia first premiered on television and showed a young black woman as a professional woman with a young child and a wonderful relationship with her boss. That was an incredible moment in history. Because we were seeing a black family as no different than us. I grew up on television. And I think it had a profound effect on my attitudes. I'm really glad. I grew up when I did.
I am re-watching it again right now and wondering the same thing! My conclusion so far is that politics has never really changed all that much, but social media is exploiting and magnifying what is wrong (and sometimes right) with it. This show did that deep dive in its research and development process and brought it to light, and NOW appears ahead of its time. Either way, watching this show is a pleasure, mainly because it portrays an idealistic view of what the Presidency should be no matter which side of the aisle you support. I have read that when this show was airing originally, the left thought it was too centrist in its point of view, and the right thought it was too far left, even nicknaming it, "The Left Wing". That shows that even though Sorkin does lean left in his personal viewpoints, he at least did his homework when writing and producing this show, enough to at least show respect to the other side despite fundamental disagreements. I think that viewpoint and manner of living is what is missing in our culture today, especially on social media. I'll get off my soapbox now. LOL!
Every time I get one of those one week flu bugs I rewatch West Wing. All of it. It's my go-to comfort watch because the world is fair and decent in there.
madcap - I see your Reply is dated before the IQ45 disaster. Would you like to expand or alter your views now? (And try to keep the cussing to a minimum, please!)
Started watching again during HLN’s mega-marathon during Thanksgiving. I loved and still love this show. Some of the finest acting, television or film, ever. It’s brilliant and aspirational. #TheWestWing
I watched this show as it aired, and I've it in reruns and on streaming, AND I'll continue rewatching this show until I'm dead or theres no way I can watch it
"Then we'll blow them up again in 6 months, we're gettin really good at it!" 8:27 Had me cracking up! You know the acting is top-notch when they can pull off quality comedy and drama in the same scene.
"There should be someplace you could call with questions about cooking turkeys". "Sir, there is, the Butterball hotline". And then trying to come up with names as to who was calling. LOL
#7 should be #1. That first episode hooked me for the entire run of the series. The President was supposed to be a very small part in the series but the actor became the part and they couldn't resist writing for him.
What was most brilliant about this show is that the issues that were newsworthy during its time (1999-2006) are still relevant today! Watch the presidential debate between Santos and Vinick, for example (that was actually broadcast live) and the issues debated are the same ones debated today! The show is timeless.
So many favorite scenes involving all the cast members during the seven years of the show. The ending was beautiful with Jed and Abby on the plane and when Abby asks what he is thinking about and he responds, "tomorrow." I imagine every former President has similar thoughts about their life after the White House while heading home.
I was too young to appreciate this Master Piece of Acting by Martin Sheen, I began to re-watch it , in its entirety! The writing, Acting was simply Brilliant Then and Now!
I was a young kid when this was airing, and didn’t understand any of what was going on, but it was my favorite non-animated show. I wanted to be CJ when I grew up.
Civis Romanus and the Cathedral scene are my two absolute favorites from a series full of amazing moments. They don't make TV like this anymore and it's sad.
A great collection of clips. I especially love the Brother's In Arms ending of Two Cathedrals. It's a perfect marriage of Video and Music. The scene brings together Jed, Mrs. Landingham and the entire White House Staff. When Leo says "Watch this", it emotionally gets me every time. Great job, Ted
That episode screened in Sydney Australia on the night of September 11th, 2001. The News came on next to say that an Airliner had hit the World Trade Centre.
It wasn't a cliff-hanger. You know from earlier in the episode that when he puts his hands in his pockets, turns away and smiles that he's made up his mind he's going to do it.
The episode that screened in Sydney on 11 September 2001 was "18th and Potomac", not "Two Cathedrals", and it ran from 10:30-11:30pm, or from 6:30-7:30am in New York. The first plane hit at 8:46am. Yours, internet pedants anonymous
theolamp - Puzzled over that final word, racking my brains for a Ted or an Edward ….. Did you mean ‘Jed’? It’s a minor point but as a roaring WW maniac, I have to know!!!
Honestly think Jed's line would be even better here at 9:05 as "What's next". Just a neat little bookend to everything, and a way to show that Jed's ready to move on to the next thing.
There is a saying that fiction imitates life. Watching West Wing versus House of Cards makes you realize how much politics have changed in a short time.
