h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For those of you who aren't aware of this: I consider The West Wing to be one of the finest pieces of television drama ever created. I absolutely adore the writing of show, I think the characterisation is fantastic and the casting inspired. There is not a single thing that I would change about it; except possibly the 22nd Amendment limiting a President to two terms of office, and hence limiting the number of seasons of The West Wing that can realistically be made.

Well anyway, I was scanning the TV listings for this evening and I saw that The American President was on tonight. I remember that as being an amusing bit of fluff from years ago with Michael Douglas and Annette Bening, so why not watch it again.

One minute in and the film is looking awfully familiar somehow.

Turn to IMDB and yes, the writer of the Aerican President was Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing.

Then things started to get really weird as Martin Sheen, Anna Deavere Smith and Joshua Malina are all in the movie, but are playing totally different characters to that which the play in the West Wing. (In fact I never quite get over the character shift for Martin Sheen for the whole length of the movie. I just can't get used to him calling someone else, "Mr.President".) Then all the way through the film I was spotting little references, and character names, and phrases and the like that get used in both places. It all made for a great evening's entertainment

I have the same problem wiv Mr Sheen in that film. In my humble opinion President Josiah Bartlet is the best president that the USA never had.

NB: missed the end (ok, I seen it a few times) so I could turn over and watch Bulworth (also with Joshua Malina (also seen a few times but it is a contemporary classic).

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Have to disagree there (though I don't watch West Wing)

Morgan Freeman as President Tom Beck in "Deep Impact" was the best PoTUS, with Dennis Haysbert as President David Palmer in "24" coming a very close second...

watch the west wing and you will agree

watched 'Catch Me if You Can' again last night after watching the end of season 4 of The West Wing on DVD. Found it hard to suddenly have a New England catholic Economist/Politician suddenly become a Southern Lutheren Lawyer.

annie you should watch the West Wing. Jed Barlett really is the best President that America never had.

You're only on season 4? I bought season 6 as soon as it was available back in September.

I'm watching six as it appears on More 4. I need to get 5 now as it inexplicably did not seem to appear on the UK TV schedules that I could watch.

I think that it was on E4 some time ago. I think that it ran more or less straight after Ch4 finished with season 4. But as I didn't have a freeview box at the time, and I religiously buy the DVDs anyway, I went down that route and avoided the broadcast version entirely.

Season Six is out on DVD?

I actually saw "The American President" before "The West Wing", so it was exactly the opposite experience for me

It's not available in the US yet; they've only just released series 5 to you. You could buy a European version of 6, but you'd have to be sure that your DVD player could take it.

Hmph
Injustice. Injustice, I say! Sure, I saw Season Six on TV only a little while ago, but I want the DVDs now!

Amazingly the DVD of Season Six was out here before they started to show it on TV.

GD I to suffered from not having a Freeview box when they moved series 5 to E4

get a freeview box (and just to confuse the issue, they moved season 6 to more4)

last year i saw a few episodes at my mom's house and it is in fact very good. one things troubles me deeply though: it gives the american viewing public that they are (or at least could be) rules by caring and intelligent people. this is so far from the truth as to be disturbing and even dangerous. the electorate no longer has to care about electing a good president, they can just turn on the tv and pretend they have.

as for the show stopping, i had the distinct impression there would be a continuation with a new president: alan alda will beat out jimmy smits in a very close election.

Nice one riotact! You could at least have posted something like "SPOILER ALERT" before the last line. Whilst I, having seen all of season 6, know of the career progression of two actors who came to prominence in MASH and LA Law, others might not.

Never mind, most people who haven't got to season 6 yet probably wont know who they are and will have forgotten the names by the time they watch it, and if they make the effort to look it up then it's their own fault!

I am now just awaiting series 7 to see if they have managed to create another masterpiece, the show changed drastically when Sorkin left and I'm still not sure which writer I prefer, Sorkin gave better feel good episodes but the new guys give more dramatic and hard hitting episodes, I think I'm right in saying that a couple of the season 6 episodes were written and or directed by members of the cast.

oh i am really sorry.

i didn't realize that GB was far enough behind the US that i would be spoiling.

but i want to add that it was only my impression; any plotline concerning what i said is less than embryonic, and, as in FF, there's every chance i'm completely wrong.

"i had the distinct impression there would be a continuation with a new president: alan alda will beat out jimmy smits in a very close election"

I would hardly describe that a spoiler

Well as the result of the Democratic nomination - Baker, Hoynes, Russell or Santos - isn't resolved until the end of the final episode in season 6, which is still playing on channel 4's new what-sit channel. Then I would say that, yes, that *is* a spoiler.