Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #840 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-03-29
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French, Hebrew, Swedish, Arabic, Dutch, Norwegian, English
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 924 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
There is no letdown in talent or skill for the third season of this blue ribbon drama. One could say these 22 episodes play as a continuation of the second season; there are no major new characters or earth-shattering plots and the Emmys rewarded the series with its third straight award for Best Drama (and unlike season 4, no one argued about the laurels). The third year starts with a stand-alone episode "Isaac & Ishmael", a special show created, shot, and broadcast 22 days after the 9/11 events. Although the final results tend to be sermonic, the fact the show was able to drop everything and commit to a new season opener is evident not only of talent, but of a disciplined work force operating at the top of their game.

President Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) decision to run for reelection after the disclosure of suffering MS fuels the fire for the first half of the season. Depositions are filed against the staff, minor mistakes take on more significance, and the White House consul (Oliver Platt) has the run of the table warning of worst-case scenarios. The focus soon turns to the First Lady (Stockard Channing) as the potential "Lady Macbeth" of the scandal. Channing aces her role and turns her birthday celebration ("Dead Irish Writers") into one of the season's highlights. Assistant Donna (Janel Moloney), her boss Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), and press secretary C.J. (Alison Janney) all have charismatic romances, but the ace supporting player this year is John Spencer as the relentlessly loyal Chief of Staff Leo McGarry. Whether delivering the hard truth, accepting the proverbial bullet for the President, or being our guide to how Bartlet ran in the first place (in another wonderful flashback episode, "Bartlet for America"), all roads lead to McGarry. Acting Emmys went to Channing, Spencer, and Janney, but the strength of this show is that the entire cast has glorious moments (Toby's taking on the President's mode of operation, Sam's belief in government, or the President's peculiarities of Thanksgiving are just a few). Recurring guest stars--the likes of Ron Silver, Tim Matheson, Mary Louise Parker, and Mark Harmon--deliver some of their career-best work. Crack writing, a breathless pace, plus you learn a bit about government. What else do you want from a TV drama? --Doug Thomas

DVD Description
Episodes:

• Manchester (Part 1)
  
• Manchester (Part 2)
  
• Ways and Means
  
• On the Day Before
  
• War Crimes
  
• Gone Quiet
  
• The Indians in the Lobby
  
• The Women of Qumar
  
• Bartlet for America
  
• H. Con-172
  
• 100,000 Airplanes
  
• The Two Bartlets
  
• Night Five
  
• Hartsfield's Landing
  
• Dead Irish Writers
  
• The U.S. Poet Laureate
  
• Stirred
  
• Enemies Foreign and Domestic
  
• The Black Vera Wang
  
• We Killed Yamamoto
  
• Posse Comitatus

Special Features

• Region Code: 2
  
• Language: English
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital (2.0) Stereo

Customer Reviews

Great show, bad DVD
Sorry, but there's no excuse for the R2 copies of seasons two and three not being anamorphic transfers. Season two is cropped at the sides; season three requires you to zoom in. Get the R1 boxes instead. They're dual-sided discs, which isn't so great, but they have more extras and the boxes are slightly smaller. It's one of the best shows ever broadcast, so see it as it was meant to be seen!

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes
Starting out with a special episode made after September 11th 2001, this season has a lot going for it. For the third time in a row the series got an Emmy for outstanding drama series, and it is well-earned. Plot. Lines. Acting. It's all good. "Only" five Emmys this time, but in my opinion the third season ranks among the most entertaining, as the diversity between the episodes is high; the plot is hurled back and forth between issues foreign and domestic before you can blink. One minute you're watching a legislative battle on the hill, the next you find yourself in a very real war. The White House fights off MS accusations and launches a campaign for re-election while fighting both a hostile Congress and a world full of enemies. In a fight between the good guys and the bad guys in politics, some bad guys are worse than others, and some turn out not to be so bad after all...

Besides the story line running throughout, there are lots of separate side stories in this one, all stuffed with excellent acting - particularly from John Spencer as a blend between Chief of Staff, recovering alcoholic and Josiah Bartlet's best friend. The script is fantastic, and couldn't possibly have been better enacted. In one place it's drama, in another it's comedy, and there are usually only seconds between. The comedy bits are totally awesome. There are character developments, romantic interests in particular, and relationships developing otherwise as well.

If you buy season 3 though, you have to get number 4 as well; too much of this is about the re-election campaign, and you have to have the continuation to see how that goes. Also, the best part of the campaign is the last.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
I am unable to see what the problem with the packaging is - the box I got matched the other seasons', and the booklet inside didn't talk about any extras not included.
The criticisms of the lower quality of this season are sound however. It's not that it isn't good - it is, and it is still better than anything made for TV in the UK. It just doesn't match the (very high) quality of the first two series. The superlatives that can be applied to those can't be used in describing season three - the writing just doesn't match up. Several stories just drift - the BSE/CJD issue for example. The end of season episode also didn't leave much of a cliffhanger and I wonder whether it could really have come from the same pen as "Two Cathedrals" at the end of season 2. Still, I have already bought season 4. Let's hope they found that talent.