I'm just going to watch something from someone who can write women. I have apparently watched three sorkin things: The American President, The Newsroom, and The Social Network and none stood out to me. So
CJ Cregg, the press secretary played by Allison Janney, is a fantastic character as is the First Lady played by Stockard Channing. Sorkin left the show after season 3 or 4 I think.
Ok but alternatively Studio 60 is very funny because it is embarrassingly bad. So if making fun of him is enjoyable, it really is oddly pleasing in an awful way. Especially when you remember it was running opposite 30 Rock on the same network.
I mean sure. I’ve… heard of that. (Man… you go to one bad movie night in 2009 and you become so irony poisoned you’d tell someone to watch Sorkin publicly make Sarah Paulson act out Kristen Chenoweth’s side of your relationship…)
I understand this reference because it's so culturally ubiquitous. And I know Dulé Hill was in the West Wing but as far I'm concerned he's Gus from Psych. If Dulé isn't occasionally in a wizard costume that's not a show I wanna watch.
Madame Secretary has like an intense amount of climate change in the show. There was an analysis done and it has more climate change references than basically any other show in the study period. I interviewed the showrunner about it
It’s such a good show. Some things are a bit outdated now, but some of the policy issues that are part of storylines are still relevant: federal poverty line, diplomatic relations w/China and Tibet, tax policy, govt shutdown, etc. So often I find myself saying “This reminds me of The West Wing.”
I watched it for the first time early in the Trump presidency and it became my favorite escapist comfort TV. It's completely unrealistic and extremely Sorkin-y, but if you can get past that it's pretty good. Lots of great actors giving fantastic performances.
The first step in my liberal to leftist transition was watching the newsroom take on climate change. I don't Aaron Sorkin meant that take away but he sure didn't leave room for anything else.
As a former TV producer I hate watched The Newsroom.
However, I loved Sports Night. It has a lot of the same problems as all Sorkin shows but without a lot of the annoying idealism. And it hasn't become a meme like West Wing.
This is my first time rewatching it and honestly: I dislike it. It makes it seem like there's nothing we can do to mitigate the worst effects and that's a disempowering dynamic. And it's also not true.
And it always comes to mind when I see poorly angled discussions about climate change, or an emphasis on doomerism from some. Cf. Also the fine balance between informing people and freaking them out over difficult stuff.
I have seen the west wing and you could watch, like, 3 episodes and understand the whole show and all the characters. A couple amazing highs but mostly meh.
I have also never seen any of it, aside from memes and descriptions and such. It sounded insufferable so I never have really considered watching it since it aired.
I decided to never watch it on principle when my boomer partensts started using that show as debate material in actual political debates at the dinner table. Come on man.
Tried watching it five or six years ago, and yeah, that's where I came out - it's fine as TV, but after the last 30 years of American politics it feels like it may as well have been set in Narnia
The first four years, when Sorkin was head writer, are among my favorite TV shows. Sure, it was pure Dem wish fulfillment, but it had great dialog, characters, and plots.
I don't think you're a bad person for never having watched, though. In fact, I envy the thought that you may one day binge! ;)
I tried to start The West Wing in ~2017, and I made it about halfway through the pilot episode before I had to turn it off. The dialogue was the worst I’ve ever heard, insufferable drivel, absolute nails on a chalkboard
Have you watched episode 1 season 1 of Supernatural though? Especially if you can watch it with the original music, chef's kiss, so good, so fun, so sad.
You are missing a very good Martin Sheen performance, or you could watch an illusive man highlight reel and, I don't know the final countdown, and get just as good a performance, plus f-14s versus Japanese zeros
I was once channel-surfing*, watched a bit of West Wing, commercial break, surfed a bit longer, then Bartlett was setting up a hit on his mistress and Wait! Wtf?!
Surfed a bit more, got to the schedule channel, turned out Martin Sheen was in a movie playing a corrupt politician.
There are some pretty good TV moments in the first couple of seasons, and the Two Cathedrals episode is great on its own, but wow does it not hold up at all.
West Wing or TOS. If the former: never watching. TOS I have tried so many times I just can't. I genuinely appreciate it for what it is and what it spawned, but even as a kid who watched old Lost in Space's I just could not.
I like TOS. But as my daughter wanted to do Trek, we watched Trouble with Tribbles, then straight to TNG. I honestly didn't feel like unpacking the misogyny in TOS.
It was of it's time and that's not a criticism but I just don't enjoy it. I've watched a few of the cannon episodes (like trouble with tribbles) and that's enough.
It's one of those where it takes 3-5 eps before they get the cadence down and then it picks up but cringe remains throughout and crescendos periodically before receding back to baseline
You really have to be a fan of Sorkiny dialogue and plot pacing if you're going to binge it tho because that holds so like maybe watch The American President first because it's only two hours and has a similar vibe
I would tell you that it's funny in parts esp in the mid seasons, you can see the roots of other politics shows like Scandal or Borgen, it's a time capsule for certain American political postures, but it's also incredibly overwrought & cringe & Shonda could've done some of the fantasy plots better
Am quite amused by the high number of comments on this thread along the lines of "I've seen too many memes about it, it must be awful, never watched". Like, as if you would judge a show based on the lazy internet humour that leans on it 😂
IMO The West Wing probably went on too long (victim of its success) and certainly is a very idealistic concept with a dearth of meat on those bones - but many performances were great.
For some viewers it became a beautiful fantasy. They liked that!
I just remember Michael J. Fox screaming at and cursing out a potential donor, and someone quipping "I hope that was a 'No,' because if it was a 'Maybe' we have to work on our people skills."
There was definitely talent in it, but the plot was straight great man giving a great speech to fix everything fetish porn, model UN member "when I'm president" wank fantasies
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https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/06/hollywood-scripts-climate-change-plot-screenwriting/
I did, however, catch up with Freaks and Geeks 2 decades later on Netflix. Should have watched that instead of Dawson and Roswell. 😆
However, I loved Sports Night. It has a lot of the same problems as all Sorkin shows but without a lot of the annoying idealism. And it hasn't become a meme like West Wing.
It really is an excellent bit of TV comedy.
Battlestar Galactica was more my jam
& prob more apropos. at least til the stupid end.
I don't think you're a bad person for never having watched, though. In fact, I envy the thought that you may one day binge! ;)
but im never watching it again.
My husband assures me it was very good if very of its time.
Surfed a bit more, got to the schedule channel, turned out Martin Sheen was in a movie playing a corrupt politician.
* Yes, I'm old
Now nearly done with TNG, also just started DS9.
For some viewers it became a beautiful fantasy. They liked that!
"What are you thinking about?
"Tomorrow."