by Luke Steinberger

Created on: January 06, 2010

My interests don't usually intersect with Bravo's programming, but I owe them a huge amount of gratitude for returning 'West Wing' back to my life. Airing every morning Monday through Friday at eight and nine, the show has returned and gives viewers an opportunity to reunite with President Bartlett and his staff. I watched West Wing from start to finish, but as the show began when I was in the eighth grade it's safe to say that I missed a few things. Here are the top three things that I'm picking up the second time around. 

1. This is the perfect project for Sorkin. He's done lots of great things, some which received the credit they deserved like "A Few Good Men" and some that didn't, like "Studio 60." But this show exudes his talent in every scene. It consists almost entirely of dialogue, something I've confirmed by reading four episodes. (This is something I highly recommend; they're assembled in a book and accompanied by notes from Sorkin.) As compared with almost everything we see on TV today, there are no gimmicks, no tricks to keep us entertained. It's just very interesting characters talking about very interesting subject matter in a very interesting way. It sounds simple, but anyone who's tried their hand at it can tell you it's anything but. 

2. The casting is perfect. Sorkin talks about this in the book I mentioned above, about how every character was absolutely perfect for the job. It is not only impossible to imagine anyone who could have better played these roles, it's impossible to imagine anyone even coming close. What's particularly wonderful about this is that, with the exception of Martin Sheen and John Spencer, none of these people were sure things. Someone just identified talent, placed them in a situation where excellence was demanded, and they all answered the call. It follows logically to point out that Sheen's performance was consistently phenomenal, and it isn't hard to make a case that his acting carried the cast much the same way his character led his staff. 

3. The show writes about writing, a lot. And it does so in a wonderfully accurate way. The conversations that Toby and Sam have with each other and with the President about speeches shed light on what it means to be writer, what it means to struggle with ideas and what it means to know that you've found the perfect way to express something. This gives every writer a second reason to watch the show, in addition to watching a master at work: the discussion of writing is both inspirational and informative. 

There are many more things to take from the show, including the parallels between the fictional Governor Richie and the real life President Bush. I will continue watching the show until Bravo stops airing it, and I'm sure that I will continue to find new things to take away, new ways to appreciate Sorkin and the wonderful cast chosen to bring his dreams to life. 

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