I would like to tell you about the US TV series The West Wing. In my opinion the best TV series ever made. And I am going to try to explain why.
First of all I would like to explain what The West Wing is about. The original plan was a series about the work of the staff of the President of the United States of America in the West wing of the White House. But the President (played by Martin Sheen) got a more prominent role in the story lines.
Writer of the series is Aaron Sorkin and he really did an excellent job. Already in the pilot he succeeded to put down a storyline that let you identify with the characters and make you want to see the next episode.
An absolute brilliant scenario and a top cast that liked to work together and you can see that in the end result. You never had the idea you were watching actors. The brilliant scenario was also reached throught the outstanding research and the consult of former White House staffers, like the Press secretaries of Reagan en Clinton. Because of that the series was always credible, also because current affairs were used in the series.
The series give you an unique look into the work of the staff of the President. An intelligent script, outstanding acting performance and a special way of filing (walk and talk) make the series that good.
It’s not for nothing that the series won 3 Golden Globes and 26 Emmy Awards among other prizes, the award for “Outstanding Drama Series” and that 4 years in a row.
Critics and political professors have praised the series and there is even an essay out there about the pedagogical qualities of The West Wing.
Formers residents of the White House, like Presidents Ford, Carter and Clinton, but also Henri Kissinger and many former staffers have stated that the series give a realistic view on what goes on in the White House.
On top of that the series are educational. Without noticing you learn something about the political structure of the USA. What also is remarkable is that dialogues are on a high level. The writers clearly made it a challenge to follow and understand the series.
A typical episode begins early in the morning and takes us through the day and what the staffers find on their path. That can be anything and is usually brought to a good or less good end within the scope of the episode. Also, there are things that develop throughout more than 1 episode or even throughout more seasons, like the disease (MS) of the President, the re-election or the kidnapping of his youngest daughter.
Once a year I watch the complete series (7 seasons) and every time I do that I am enjoying it immensely. That could be because I have been always interested in US politics, but I also recognize from another point of view (writer’s) that The West Wing is a top series.
