The West Wing is one of the most intelligent, thought-provoking, entertaining shows on TV. It's hard to compare to comedies like Seinfeld and the Simpsons, but among dramas, The West Wing is at the head of the class. The writing and dialogue are smart, witty, and faster paced than almost any other show. The scope of issues dealt with on the show far exceed what you might see in a hospital/crime/law drama. The authority of the office of the president gives a sense of importance to what happens on the show. The actors play their roles extremely well, and are believable, I think.
If you are a conservative, it might be a little hard to deal with the extremely liberal views primary characters. The show is fictional, but in the roughly 2 seasons that I've watched they have brought up a lot of issues that are unresolved in America today. It's not that the show has answers or that it's right, but just that there is a lively discussion on a topic you would only otherwise see on Sunday morning political talk shows. The rhetoric is tilted to the liberal side, but I feel that no matter what side of an issue you're on, the show makes you think about it a little. A lot of popular shows on TV today are mental popcorn, like Alias and Smallville, but The West Wing is far far from that. It's compelling and smart at the same time.
Aaron Sorkin did an excellent job with the show over its first few seasons, and set a standard that will be hard to meet now that he's left the show. (The show is currently in its fifth season.) If you've watched Sports Night (also a Sorkin creation) then you'll probably enjoy The West Wing a lot.
You can catch the new episodes on NBC, Wednesdays at 9/8 Central, and reruns on Bravo Monday through Thursday several times during the day. The newest episode airs at 6 PM and again at 10 PM, and older ones sometime air at the other times (5, 10, 11 AM). Also, the season one DVD is coming out November 18th. You can get it at buy.com or amazon for about $40. If you're looking for more info on the show (episodes, characters, etc.) this is a good site.
I could go on and on about the show, but the best way for you to know what I'm talking about it is to watch it.
Posted by ramk at October 20, 2003 02:03 AMVery well said. The show is brilliant, fast paced, and has very unique dialogue. One thing you did wrong though - you didn't mention The Larry Sanders Show as one the great comedies to compare it to. You really need to find time to watch the first season.
Posted by: Andrew at October 20, 2003 01:59 PM