I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it, and who probably haven’t seen any of season 7 or even season 6, but I’ll just give a few general comments on the finale. The show bows out in a very graceful, almost subdued fashion, free from much of the hectic, frenetic pace and non-stop drama that has characterised the show. It was a nice end, but felt almost anti-climactic. Now I agree that the end of Bartlet’s Presidency makes a sensible place to finish the show, but they could easily have gone on with it had they wanted to. The recent election campaign has more than adequately built up a range of new and sympathetic characters to staff a new West Wing to make up for those that would be leaving. After a disappointing season 5, the last two seasons have been a welcome return to form for the show. Following the plight of the new President’s administration (I won’t say who won for those Aussie fans who don’t want to know) would have been very interesting to watch. But I guess we’ll just have to leave that to our collective imagination, unless the producers/network have an unlikely change of heart.

TV just won’t be the same without The West Wing. I started watching the new show “Commander in Chief” with Geena Davis earlier this year but gave up on it after a few episodes. It just wasn’t in the same league as The West Wing – more like the White House meets 7th Heaven. All that remains for me on telly at the moment is the Amazing Race – which was in my home town of Perth last week – kinda cool seeing places I know really well featured on a major US TV show! Only one thing for me to do I think, dust off my West Wing Season 1 DVDs and start all over again from the beginning. It’s been a couple of years now since I’ve watched those old episodes so hopefully it will seem fresh again.

“Nine O’clock, Mr Excitement here is sound asleep, and I’m watching Desperate Housewives. Ladies and gentlemen, I AM a desperate housewife. If those women on that show think they’re desperate, they oughta be with George.”

Thus spoke US first lady Laura Bush, at a recent dinner, where she stole the show with a comedic routine poking fun at just about everybody. Read more about it here : New York Post Online Edition – there’s some very humorous quips in there, including one about George milking a male horse.

It’s a bit of a worry though when the most powerful man in the world likes going to bed early – another quote from Laura, “George, if you really want to end tyranny in this world, you’re going to have to stay up later“
I guess I’m basing my opinions here on The West Wing, where President Bartlett and his staff are often seen up working well after midnight, and starting again very early in the morning. But surely the truth should not be that far removed from fiction? Speaking of The West Wing, I was very happy yesterday to finally receive the 5th season on DVD from the UK, so we can start watching again. And the way Channel 9 has treated the show, I think that’s about the only way we’ll be able to watch it for quite some time…

Anyway back to the West Wing I’m happy to be able to say there is some light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to Tim, whose sentiments about channel 9 I heartily concur with. Season 5 is being released on DVD in the UK in April, available at Amazon so that’s the longest we will have to wait. And then we’ll be able to watch it with high quality picture and sound, free from crappy channel 9 promos featuring Eddie McGuire and his comrades. It might be time then to re-program my TV, skipping the station between 7 and 10, at least until next summer when the cricket comes back on.

UPDATE : now at least the media have picked up the story of the West Wing, and the betrayal implicit in Nine’s handling of it. Here’s a good commentary from The Age, which I found on Phil Baker’s Blog (another angry Wing-nut).

According to the discussion over at Phil Baker’s blog though, West Wing will be back on shortly, so we’ll give them another week to get their act together and put it back on before we start getting up in arms about it.

UPDATE : Just did a search of the ninemsn TV guide and according to it, West Wing is on at 11pm February 8 (checked both Sydney and Perth) – so which one do we believe?

UPDATE 2 : further exploration of the ninemsn site led me to this discussion board, which seems to agree that West Wing is back on. So I feel better now, but will need to remain vigilant

Nine’s White House goes west

AND vale The West Wing. Nine pulled the show last night, despite being half-way through the fifth season. It not surprisingly did not rate well at 10.30pm – although 420,000 were still staying up for it. In the US it is similarly down a bit in viewing numbers, but as The New York Times pointed out last month, its 11.9 million viewers “remain among the most affluent watching television” and valuable viewers as far as advertisers are concerned. It’s a good guess the Australian audience falls into the same category. Something for Nine’s programmers to consider.

I don’t know if this means the show was actually on last night or not, or if it’s cancelled as of next week, since I put a tape on and was planning to watch it tonight. If indeed the show is cancelled (which I find it difficult to believe, or is that just denial?) then it’s a sad day. Lowbrow reality series and generic crime dramas seem to have triumphed over intelligent, quality drama.

I shall be scanning next week’s TV guide intently, and if indeed the West Wing does disappear I don’t intend to take this lying down. There are at least 420,000 Australians who will be saddened by this, and many of these Wingnuts are bloggers (eg Phil, ob1, Tim, and others) A Churchillian fight may be required, but perhaps we can get Nine to change it’s mind, and at the very least put it on at 3am so we can tape it. Failing that, I shall have to place my hope on Foxtel finally becoming worth the amount I pay for it.

I just thought I’d let you know about a little ad I saw a moment ago:

The West Wing is BACK! YEY! It starts Monday @ 10:30 here (Ballarat). Hopefully for your sake we are getting it at the same time (we used to get it a week later then Metro)!

Thanks Tim for the wonderful news. I guess I now know what I’ll be doing on the next 22 or so Monday nights!

It truly is a pleasure to drive… when I’m allowed to ;P

And yes, we got the tow package….

CUT TO: INT. OUTER OVAL OFFICE – DAY
Charlie is seated behind a computer at his desk.

CHARLIE
You want to know where you made your mistake?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
I didn’t make a mistake.

CHARLIE
You probably did, and here’s where you went wrong.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Where?

CHARLIE
You went to the dealership alone.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Yes.

CHARLIE
That was a mistake.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
‘Cause a dealer would load me up with a lot of extras I don’t need?

CHARLIE
That’s right.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Like a tow package?

They walk and talk into THE OVAL OFFICE.

CHARLIE
How are you gonna tow your camper without a tow package?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
I have never been camping.

CHARLIE
Neither have I, and I was hoping you’d take me. I’d be sitting there fishing and
listening to the Orioles on a transistor radio.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
What would I be doing?

CHARLIE
Warding off bears, that kind of thing. How much did you pay?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
We don’t talk about money, dear.

CHARLIE
Can you tell me how much you paid below sticker?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
I didn’t pay anything below sticker.

CHARLIE
What do you mean?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
In my defense, I didn’t pay anything above sticker, either.

CHARLIE
Mrs. Landingham, seriously.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Charlie-

CHARLIE
No, seriously, you paid sticker price?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Yes

CHARLIE
Why?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
That was the price

CHARLIE
Mrs. Landingham-

MRS. LANDINGHAM
It says so, right on the sticker

CHARLIE
Who pays sticker price?

MRS. LANDINGHAM
I do!

CHARLIE
You gotta let me go back there with you

MRS. LANDINGHAM
I wasn’t duped, Charlie.

CHARLIE
You paid sticker price!

MRS. LANDINGHAM
I’m a government employee.

CHARLIE
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a fool.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
No, but it means I’m not allowed to accept gifts of a certain value.

CHARLIE
It’s not a gift.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Of course it is. The price tag says one thing, and the dealer is giving it to me for
something less.

CHARLIE
That’s what happens when you buy a car.

MRS. LANDINGHAM
Not me.

~ THE WEST WING “18TH AND POTOMAC” Season 2, Episode 21

The last we heard, it was supposed to be coming on after the Olympics, but they’ve been and gone, and still no sign of The West Wing.

So I did a Google yet again and found this thread, which is a long discussion on the topic. The short answer is that it’s now looking like it’ll be summer before it hits our screens again. I’m not too perturbed about this though, because at least that gives me time for Season 4 to arrive from Amazon UK and get it watched before the new season starts.

On the same topic, I read an interesting perspective on The West Wing in today’s paper which described The West Wing as being the “Clinton/Gore administration in exile”. That’s actually a kind of apt way of looking at it, with the show being so deeply drenched with Democrat values, in comparison with the extreme Republicanism of the current government.