Late to the Party

This is one of the reasons that I love DVD as a medium. I never watched West Wing before this last weekend. I knew that it was supposed to be quality drama, and that it had a great ensemble cast. But after years of Bochcoesque dramas, from Hill Street Blues to St. Elsewhere to LA Law to NYPD Blue to ER, I was so burnt out on yet another "must see" show that would obligate me to stay home or set the VCR every Wednesday come hell or high water. So I unconsciously boycotted West Wing.

After 3+ years of hearing how good it is, they have issued the first season on DVD. I thought to myself, what the heck, let's put it on the Netflix queue and give it a shot. Well thanks a lot, Warner Home Video, now I'm hooked!

This show is so intelligent and so funny and so engaging. Speaking for myself, it makes me nostalgic for the Clinton days when we had a smart, articulate president, surrounded by people with a passion for government. I know my conservative and libertarian friends will think that was exactly what was wrong with the Clinton years, but to those of us that think government can play a positive role in the lives of ordinary people, The West Wing is an idealized version of the way we would like to see the presidency. Oddly enough, my more conservative wife also fell in love with it. The humor and passion and intelligence of it also struck a cord with her.

So much for Wednesdays now. If you need me, you know where to find me, but don't call between 9 and 10.