John Spencer

[Hoddy]

Only heard about his death yesterday, but what a shock. Awesome actor, and watching The West Wing will be quite eerie for some while now.

 

Best Leo McGarry episodes anybody?

 

I've not watched any of TWW since Aaron Sorkin left at the end of Series 4, so I'll have to plump for one moment in the 'What Kind of Day Has It Been' episode at the end of Season 1, where Josh and Leo have just made up after a minor fall-out, and Josh mistakes Leo's extended hand for a hug gesture. "Boy did you read that one wrong." Brilliant.

 

Either that or his walk and talk with nearly every West Wing staff member in the show's pilot.

[Paul]

Only heard about his death yesterday, but what a shock. Awesome actor, and watching The West Wing will be quite eerie for some while now.

 

Best Leo McGarry episodes anybody?

 

I've not watched any of TWW since Aaron Sorkin left at the end of Series 4, so I'll have to plump for one moment in the 'What Kind of Day Has It Been' episode at the end of Season 1, where Josh and Leo have just made up after a minor fall-out, and Josh mistakes Leo's extended hand for a hug gesture. "Boy did you read that one wrong." Brilliant.

 

Either that or his walk and talk with nearly every West Wing staff member in the show's pilot.

Hoddy - Season 6 (currently on More4) is the best ever. Everything is changing as the end of Bartlett's second term approaches. It's fucking ace.

[Mav]

Hoddy - Season 6 (currently on More4) is the best ever. Everything is changing as the end of Bartlett's second term approaches. It's fucking ace.

 

 

Agreed. I found it went off the boil after Sorkin went and drifted away from it.

 

Started watching season 6 and it is as compelling as it has ever been.

[Stu Monty]

Don't watch a lot of television but whenever I have seen The West Wing I've always been impressed.

 

Paints a lovely picture of people with values and intelligence leading the free world; we can dream eh.

[Hoddy]

Hoddy - Season 6 (currently on More4) is the best ever. Everything is changing as the end of Bartlett's second term approaches. It's fucking ace.

 

Can't watch it Paul. Aaron Sorkin was the reason I fell in love with the programme in the first place (Stu Monty, you're right - there's little better that's been on the box… ever), and regardless of how good it could be now, I just refuse to watch out of principle. A bit petty I know, but there's few screenwriters who've that much influence on a programme are there?

 

Heard the same thing about Season Six. Apparently Five was a bit of a mess, but it seems they got themselves back on track the year after.

[Elmyn Noos]

BOOOO...

 

I thought this was going to be a thread about 70's snooker players.

[DT]

or 80's Chelsea players....(or was it the 90's?)

[Hoddy]

or 80's Chelsea players....(or was it the 90's?)

 

Exactly what I though when my work colleague said to me on Monday, "You know John Spencer?" Made me feel even worse when he told me the news.

[Paul]

Can't watch it Paul. Aaron Sorkin was the reason I fell in love with the programme in the first place (Stu Monty, you're right - there's little better that's been on the box… ever), and regardless of how good it could be now, I just refuse to watch out of principle. A bit petty I know, but there's few screenwriters who've that much influence on a programme are there?

 

Heard the same thing about Season Six. Apparently Five was a bit of a mess, but it seems they got themselves back on track the year after.

Hoddy man, don't fight it; feel it. It's as sharp as it's ever been. Admittedly they now need a team to replace Sorkin's genius with words, but it's still quality. Actually, Bradley Whitford wrote last week's episode which features Josh moving to (very intriguing) pastures new. It was full of verbal gags and lightening fast dialogue. Honestly, don't deny yourself. Sorkin's departure wasn't acrimonious; he just felt he'd run out of ideas.

[Hoddy]

Sorkin's departure wasn't acrimonious; he just felt he'd run out of ideas.

 

Oh no, it wasn't for any 'I'm not watching this shit if they've kicked him out' reason or anything like that. I understand that he was just burnt out by the end (looking back at some of those episodes he was churning out on a weekly basis – particulary Season 2 - basically on his own, it's simply staggering), I just feel that it was his show, his White House, that I'd bought in so much to his own creation, that it wouldn't feel right watching someone else's.

 

By the way – and I feel bad for hijacking my own thread here – but what are your thoughts on the second season of The Wire? For a show with no gimmicks and hardly any action, it's by far and away the most addictive TV programme I've ever seen. Having said that, I felt it just, just, fell short of Season One's heights.

[Paul]

Oh no, it wasn't for any 'I'm not watching this shit if they've kicked him out' reason or anything like that. I understand that he was just burnt out by the end (looking back at some of those episodes he was churning out on a weekly basis – particulary Season 2 - basically on his own, it's simply staggering), I just feel that it was his show, his White House, that I'd bought in so much to his own creation, that it wouldn't feel right watching someone else's.

 

By the way – and I feel bad for hijacking my own thread here – but what are your thoughts on the second season of The Wire? For a show with no gimmicks and hardly any action, it's by far and away the most addictive TV programme I've ever seen. Having said that, I felt it just, just, fell short of Season One's heights.

Yep, I agree. I suppose it's because there was one slightly contrived aspect of the plot in that they had to bring the squad back together again. That distracted ever so slightly from the naturalistic style of the thing; I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief. I also wanted a bit more focus on the Barksdale crew. However, I get the feeling that they'll be coming back strong in Season 3 where the squad will already be in place and so they can just get straight into the mayhem.

 

The two characters I want to see more of in 3 are Bubbles (for obvious reasons) and Cheese - because Method Man is so iconic and I want to see much more of him.

 

Oh, and on The West Wing - you really are missing out on unbelievably well written and compelling drama if you dip out before 6.

[Hoddy]

Yep, I agree. I suppose it's because there was one slightly contrived aspect of the plot in that they had to bring the squad back together again. That distracted ever so slightly from the naturalistic style of the thing; I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief. I also wanted a bit more focus on the Barksdale crew. However, I get the feeling that they'll be coming back strong in Season 3 where the squad will already be in place and so they can just get straight into the mayhem.

 

The two characters I want to see more of in 3 are Bubbles (for obvious reasons) and Cheese - because Method Man is so iconic and I want to see much more of him.

 

Oh, and on The West Wing - you really are missing out on unbelievably well written and compelling drama if you dip out before 6.

 

I believe you about The West Wing - just one of those things I'll have to live with.

 

Yes, I can see how the reformation of Daniels' team was contrived, but one of the things I liked about this second series was the fact that there weren't story arcs for every single successful character from the first. And while that did mean that classic characters, such as Bubbles, were marginalised, it did add to the naturalistic feel of the show.

 

Best scenes of the whole series both came in the pre-credits I thought. Firstly, the Johnny Cash 'Walk the Line' opening, where Prez was piecing together the whole messy case, and secondly, the crossword scene, with Omar telling that police the myths answer, followed by his donning the tie over his baseball garb. Best silent joke I've seen for ages.

[Paul]

I believe you about The West Wing - just one of those things I'll have to live with.

 

Yes, I can see how the reformation of Daniels' team was contrived, but one of the things I liked about this second series was the fact that there weren't story arcs for every single successful character from the first. And while that did mean that classic characters, such as Bubbles, were marginalised, it did add to the naturalistic feel of the show.

 

Best scenes of the whole series both came in the pre-credits I thought. Firstly, the Johnny Cash 'Walk the Line' opening, where Prez was piecing together the whole messy case, and secondly, the crossword scene, with Omar telling that police the myths answer, followed by his donning the tie over his baseball garb. Best silent joke I've seen for ages.

The Omar court scene was probably the best in the whole show, and he has to be one of the most memorable characters ever created in television drama.