The West Wing: The Complete Series 1-7 [DVD] [2006]

I've wanted to do a review on this series for a couple of years now, but never seemed to be able to do it justice. This is without a doubt, a series with the best writing, best cast ensemble and best storylines. It's no coincidence that the cast and crew were drowning in Emmys by the end of series 7.I was never into politics, and certainly not American politics. I knew enough to know George Bush was the devil, and that Tony Blair was infinitely better for us than Maggie Thatcher, but I was in my early twenties and well, there was beer to drink and parties to go to.I'd taken ill a few years back and had to spend a couple of weeks stuck inside with only Virgin on demand and a handful of DVDs. I'd exhausted myself and the poor offerings on the TV and spotted the first five episodes of The West Wing. I watched them in an evening, pausing after the first episode to jump online and buy this boxed set.Aaron Sorkin is a genius. He introduces us to the fast paced life in The West Wing immediately. We see the lives and jobs of the President's senior staff - boy wonder Josh "Lemon" Lyman, sad and cynical Toby Ziegler, sassy and smart CJ Cregg, dependable Leo McGarry and soulful Sam Seaborne Each character is unique and you warm to them and their foibles imediately.The series is based around a democratic administration, and we track the 8 years (plus some great flashbacks) of President Bartlet and his staff try to push their agenda and bypass the attempts of the Republican senate to block all their legislation. Medicare, gun control, banking regulations - all issues that raised their head in my lifetime and I learnt a lot from just watching this show. Josh and Donna would regularly debate the issues at hand, a great way to see two sides of each story.The plot develops and characters intertwine over the 7 series. The complexities of the American political system are explained well and political and philosophical themes were explored. This sowed a seed in me and I began to learn much more about American and British politics.The cast bounced off eachother - with passion, with anger, with humour. There are some genuinely hilarious moments, the type where you rewind the DVD and watch and laugh. And the dialogue. Oh the dialogue. Fast paced, heavy hitting and just perfect. This show is heavy on words and I loved each and every one of them.I've watched the entire series a few times now. I've compared it to shows like The Wire, 6 feet under etc and it never comes up short. There are some wonderful episodes that echo real life and its enthalling and exhilarating watching them.Interestingly, the inspiration for Matt Santos was a little known senator called Barack Obama - watching this series a few years after it was shown made me see how insightful the wrting was, and how astute the political research was.I paid much more for this boxed set, but at this price it's a bargain. So much so, I've bought another one - just in case. From a personal persepctive - this series opened me up to so many new ideas and beliefs.

Excellent. One of the best series to come out of the USA. Great stories, great acting. Great value for money. Don't miss the chance to buy and enjoy the 7 Seasons.

We watch few current television programmes, preferring classic UK comedy and crime series available on DVD. Yet we recently bought the complete set of the West Wing, having never seen a single episode on TV and tending to shy away from US TV dramas (except Mash).Spurred on first by reading Clinton's account of his years as US President and then following the Democratic campaign that ultimately led to the election of Obama, we were attracted by the notion of an intelligent political drama focused on the White House, not to mention the rave reviews read and listened to.We are now well into season 3, watching at the rate of 2 episodes a night, and are utterly hooked. The main characters are all so attractive in their very different ways and have created for us a parallel world in a larger than life West Wing. The realistic politics of the wide variety of stories is conveyed through an exceptionally witty script.I particularly appreciate the "Previously on the West Wing" introductions to each episode which reintroduce the aspects of the story directly relevant to the new programme. Although most episodes are complete in themselves, the ever-growing back-story means that every new programme incorporates multiple examples of information first met in previous shows.I also enjoy the fact that each episode is told in a less than straightforward manner. You often have to hang in there, absorbing everything you see and hear without immediately understanding its significance; which makes it all the more satisfying when you eventually "get it". A particularly good example of this is the 2-parter that opens season 3, which involves a series of flashbacks-flashforwards. We have often found it beneficial to use the rewind feature on the remote!There are some wonderfully humorous moments, in particular the story involving CJ Cregg's root canal filling, as well as many of the dry comments of the President, Toby and, increasingly, Charlie.With some of the "extras" available at intervals on the main discs and others on a separate disc, they provide additional insight into the creation of the West Wing: the intricacies of the set, information about the actors and their roles and many other facets of this fascinating series. I found the documentary about the episode focusing on the cathedral particularly interesting; the interviews with the cast less so.Although we will be devastated when we have watched the whole set, we know that we will want to watch it again and again. Indeed, I have already re-watched the Pilot episode, to remind myself of how we were first introduced to the main characters.We have recently bought a second set, as a gift for my parents, and they are similarly hooked!

Let me start by saying that I have never written a review for a product but I simply felt that I had to after finishing the last episode of The West Wing. I had never seen a single episode of The West Wing before I purchased the complete series a few years ago off the back of all the fantastic reviews here on Amazon. Was it worth it? I can safely say that it is the greatest TV series I will ever see. Ever.To say that this is the best drama series that American television has produced would be a gross understatement. The characters are perfectly created, the stories engrossing and the dialogue throughout is beautifully composed. Of course, Aaron Sorkin has much to do with this but the performances from pretty much all of the cast are first-class and Martin Sheen and Allison Janney stole the show for me. I know it sounds silly to say that the characters will end up feeling like your family but it really is the case.It's funny, moving, intelligent and dynamic in equal measure and I feel genuinely sad that I've watched all of the episodes. Reviews on here sometimes have to be taken with a pinch (or a bucket full) of salt but please believe me when I say that I can't praise The West Wing highly enough.To be honest with you, no review could ever do this programme justice: it is simply staggering at just how brilliant it is. Don't hesitate to buy it - it might just change your life.