Best of TV, No. 2


This week I continue my look at my favorite TV series of all time with the reveal of the top two. Tomorrow I will name my favorite series of all time, then it's your turn. Next week I'll consider rebuttal suggestions. I have already gotten some, but keep those comments coming.

The West Wing (1999-2006)
Network: NBC
Synopsis: This is Aaron Sorkin's best TV series. That's hardly debatable. It's also one of the best TV series of all time. That, of course, might get some more debate. It's hard to talk about a show about the White House and White House staffers without letting politics color the debate in some way. I am conservative, Sorkin is liberal. The President depicted in the show — and those in his administration — are Democrats. I am not. That said, this show presented an idealized vision of what our political system should be. I didn't always appreciate the policy decisions on the show, but I always appreciated the debate. The show tried to showcase all sides of the situation and to let the characters and issues speak for themselves. There was some beautiful writing and acting, and the show was populated by the kind of noble characters you'd like to believe actually work in politics. The idea was to get it right for as many people as possible, doing it as honestly as possible. That's something we'd like to think is a part of our political system, but it probably isn't. This was an honest, well-written, well-executed show. It was a high-water mark in NBC drama, in a lot of ways. The acting was superb and the writing really made the show go. Sorkin has always been a bit high-minded in his approach to TV, but this was a show that provided the kind of outlet where that debate and discussion of ideas was not only OK, it was expected. And the way the issues were handled was always classy. This was also a show that knew how to deftly blend humor and drama, angst and elation in a way that felt organic. TV was a more fulfilling place when "The West Wing" was on.
Where to Find It: All seven seasons of "The West Wing" are available on DVD.

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