Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #666 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-11-18
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Subtitled
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 905 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Aaron Sorkin's American political drama The West Wing is more than mere feel-good viewing for sentimental US patriots. It is among the best-written, sharpest, funniest and most moving American TV series of all time. In its first series, The West Wing established the cast of characters comprising the White House staff. There's Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer), a recovering alcoholic whose efforts to be the cornerstone of the administration contribute to the break-up of his marriage. CJ (Alison Janney) is the formidable Press Spokeswoman embroiled in a tentative on-off relationship with Timothy (Thirtysomething) Busfield's reporter. Brilliant but grumpy communications deputy Toby Ziegler, Rob Lowe's brilliant but faintly nerdy Sam Seaborn and brilliant but smart-alecky Josh Lyman make up the rest of the inner circle. Initially, the series' creators had intended to keep the President off-screen. Wisely, however, they went with Martin Sheen's Jed Bartlet, whose eccentric volatility, caution, humour and strength in a crisis make for such an impressively plausible fictional President that polls once expressed a preference for Bartlet over the genuine incumbent.

The issues broached in the first series have striking, often prescient contemporary relevance. We see the President having to be talked down from a "disproportionate response" when terrorists shoot down a plane carrying his personal doctor, or acting as broker in a dangerous stand-off between India and Pakistan. Gun control laws, gays in the military and fundamentalist pressure groups are all addressed--the latter in a most satisfying manner ("Get your fat asses out of the White House!")--while the episode "Take This Sabbath Day" is a superb dramatic meditation on capital punishment.

Handled incorrectly, The West Wing could have been turgid, didactic propaganda for The American Way. However, the writers are careful to show that, decent as this administration is, its achievements, though hard-won, are minimal. Moreover, the brisk, staccato-like, almost musical exchanges of dialogue, between Josh and his PA Donna, for instance, as they pace purposefully up and down the corridors are the show's abiding joy. This is wonderful and addictive viewing. --David Stubbs

DVD Description
6-disc set containing all the episodes from Series 1:

• Pilot
  
• Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
  
• A Proportional Response
  
• Five Votes Down
  
• The Crackpots and These Women
  
• Mr. Willis of Ohio
  
• The State Dinner
  
• Enemies
  
• The Short List
  
• In Excelsis Deo
  
• Lord John Marbury
  
• He Shall, from Time to Time
  
• Take Out the Trash Day
  
• Take This Sabbath Day
  
• Celestial Navigation
  
• 20 Hours in L.A.
  
• The White House Pro-Am
  
• Six Meetings Before Lunch
  
• Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
  
• Mandatory Minimums
  
• Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
  
• What Kind of Day Has It Been?

Special Features

• Interviews with cast and crew
  
• Trailer (30 mins)
  
• Making "The West Wing" featurette
  
• 3 TV spots
  
• Weblinks
  
• Interactive menu
  
• Chapter selection

DVD Technical Information:

• Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen 4:3
  
• Language: English
  
• Subtitles: None
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  
• Total Running Time: 16 hours and 30 minutes approx.
  
• Region Code: 2

Customer Reviews

My first ever review
I have not felt the need to review an amazon item before, but I'm choosing the West Wing to break my duck.

The West Wing is the best thing on television by some distance. It can be extremely funny, but it handles pathos better than any show I have seen. The acting is consistently superb and the fast-paced intelligent script writing is what makes the show so unique.

I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Great show
I first encountered West Wing on C4, but not being a dedicated enough TV viewer I only caught the occasional episode. It was only after discussing the series with my husband who likes a bit of politics that I decided to invest in the box set for series 1 (we are now on series 6 ... and just waiting for an excuse to finish the set!)

We are both true addicts now.

I can't say that I am very political, but I enjoy this series.

The casting is excellent & the interactions between the characters are complex & interesting. There are a central group of characters, but this is a sizable group and it might take you a show or two to get them straight - the Presidents PA is one of my favorites, I really hope that there is someone like that in the Whitehouse keeping them all in line :o)

Its more of an intellectual view than the typical American TV export, the story lines give you something to think about as well as being thoroughly entertaining.

Absolutely Brilliant
I first heard about The West Wing at University. A friend (who knew I was into american politics) recommended I watch it. Although at first cautious after expecting the average American-type drama, I was completely hooked and ended up watching the entire first series in about a week!

Although having seen other similar dramas such as 'Commander in Chief,' I feel that none can compare to the sheer volume and plot intricacy that the West Wing brings to our screens. You only have to look at the number in Series to see how successful this drama has been. Martin Sheen was the perfect actor for this role and indeed Aaron Sorkin the perfect writer!