The West Wing

Sadly, I learned today that one of my favorite TV shows, the Emmy award winning political drama, The West Wing, has been cancelled. NBC, experiencing its worst season in history, is making some changes to its schedule, including moving one of my other favorite series, Las Vegas, to Friday nights. Apparently, the decision to cancel The West Wing was made even before John Spencer, who plays Vice Presidential candidate and former Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry, died of a heart attack on December 16. After its move to Sunday nights, ratings began to plummet.

Over the past seven seasons, I have come to know and love each of the charaters on the show, even though I may not always agree with their political views. The dialog is fast-paced and witty, and frequently sprinkled with comedic repartee. It is not uncommom for my son and I to turn to each other at the end of an episode and remark that The West Wing is "the greatest show on television."

Much of the current season has focused on the upcoming Presidential election and the race between the Republican candidate, played by Alan Alda, and the Democratic candidate, played by Jimmy Smits, making it entirely possible for me to believe that the show would have still be a favorite of mine even with an entirely new administration on board. Most amazingly, the performances of both of these actors have caused me to completely change my opionions of them personally and professionally, especially Jimmy Smits.

The series finale is scheduled for May 14 and will be preceeded by a one-hour retrospective. Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, who created the series and guided it through its early years, will not be part of the finale. Sorkin is also known for his comedy series, "Sports Night," known around our household as "the greatest sit-com on television ever."

The loss of The West Wing will result in a void that NBC, or any network, will be hard pressed to fill. So long, West Wing, it's been a great ride.