West Wing vs. everything else

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  • West Wing vs. everything else

    Maybe I'm just an old-fashioned sentimental fool, but the West Wing made me want to be smarter, it made me want to be involved and surround myself with absolutely incredibly brilliant peeps.

    These other shows are so cynical when it comes to politics (House of Cards, Scandal, Boss, whatever, I'm sure there are others that I'm not aware of) that they make me want to shoot myself in the head.

    I enjoyed the first season of H of C, but the murder of the young congressman was such a turn-off to me (but of course, everybody's gotta do that now, right, in their effort to be bold and unpredictable by killing off likeable characters, they end up being predictable) that I haven't yet summoned up the desire to watch the second season.

    There's a lot to like about Scandal, but the torture is getting out of hand and there doesn't seem to be a single character worthy of grace now.

    Pushing the envelope doesn't necessarily result in a better show IMO.

  • #2
    Re: West Wing vs. everything else

    Yes.
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    • #3
      Re: West Wing vs. everything else

      I've sampled some of the "must-see, brilliant" shows. They're not for me, either. I try to be careful about what I feed my head, especially as a writer developing my own voice. I don't mind sacrificing my value at the water cooler in favor of mental health and creativity.

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      • #4
        Re: West Wing vs. everything else

        Good thread. I agree totally. Dark does not always mean better, as far as story line or characterization.

        Seems to be a kind of one up man ship - who can top the most nihilistic show, with an even more nihilistic show.

        The trend will stop, eventually. I think ...

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        • #5
          Re: West Wing vs. everything else

          Originally posted by Rantanplan View Post
          The West Wing made me want to be smarter, it made me want to be involved and surround myself with absolutely incredibly brilliant peeps.
          I've never thought about that before .. but that's spot on.

          Absolutely spot on.

          I don't think it's limited to politics either .. the shows I like make me want to be involved and surround myself with people (or situations) like the ones I'm watching.

          Huh - I've never noticed that before.

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          • #6
            Re: West Wing vs. everything else

            Originally posted by canela View Post
            I try to be careful about what I feed my head... I don't mind sacrificing my value at the water cooler in favor of mental health and creativity.
            I totally agree.

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            • #7
              Re: West Wing vs. everything else

              i'll go with "everything else"

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              • #8
                Re: West Wing vs. everything else

                Let's face it - tv reached its creative peak with.... Wonder Woman!

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv8mQBLQu5I

                It doesn't get better than that. And what a theme tune! Old shows had heart and innocence and that trumps dark gritty realism, don't ya think?

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                • #9
                  Re: West Wing vs. everything else

                  Originally posted by Rantanplan View Post
                  Maybe I'm just an old-fashioned sentimental fool, but the West Wing made me want to be smarter, it made me want to be involved and surround myself with absolutely incredibly brilliant peeps.
                  I felt Sorkin laid out his thesis nicely in the episode Let Bartlett Be Bartlett:

                  "...We're not going to be threatened by issues. We're going to put them front and center. We're going to raise the level of public debate in this country. And let that be our legacy."
                  "Write every day. Don't quit. The rest is all bullshit." - Brian Koppelman

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                  • #10
                    Re: West Wing vs. everything else

                    Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                    i'll go with "everything else"
                    Yep.

                    Never could get into the West Wing because of its sentimental view of politics.

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