Oct 12, 1999

A Look at... The West Wing - THE COMMENTARY

By Joseph Planta

I was at a De Dutch a weekend ago and over heard a group of three ladies talking about the new Aaron Sorkin show, The West Wing. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Sorkin and his work. A Few Good Men was brilliant, The American President was great, and Sports Night is the best sitcom on TV, that’s not a sitcom. NBC noticed his talents and committed him to creating this show with John Wells, a producer of ER. (Wells also has Third Watch, a drama on Sundays, also on NBC.) The critics have generally given this show the thumbs up. The ratings, so far, look good, and it looks like it’ll be on board for the rest of the season. Starring a fine ensemble cast, including Rob Lowe, Martin Sheen and Alison Janney, this show has everything it takes to be a good show: great cast, amazing pedigree, and good writing. It’s really fast paced and thought-provoking. Like Sports Night it tugs at our consciousness.

The West Wing, is a show that looks at the inner workings of The White House without touching the Bill & Monica affair. Sorkin’s scripts sizzle and it is probably the most promising show of the season. One thing that could eventually hurt it, but the producers are scrambling to rectify, is that the cast is quite white. That’s right, there are too many white actors, but like the other series on TV today, they’re adding minority characters so as to avoid a scaving lawsuit from the NAACP. Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe are two of the most underrated actors around. It’s awfully easy to judge Sheen by his own past alcoholism, or his son Charlie’s misfortunes. It’s also awfully easy to judge Lowe, from his video taped copulation of an under aged minor eleven years ago. But, they shine here, and so do some great acting. Don’t let that take away from the fact that the show is an ensemble piece. They all do great work and the show is so much better for it. It’s got, probably the greatest ensemble on television since ER and Hill Street Blues.

The three ladies at the restaurant complained that the actors do not sit down and that they’re always walking. Well, dames, that’s real life, at least real life at The White House. The West Wing, in all its glory, makes NBC must-see again.

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