2. The West Wing

I came late to the West Wing. The first episode I watched was more than half way into Season One.

I have never experienced a real life coup de foudre, only a couple of literary ones which we'll come to later in this blog, but I took one look at the West Wing, and that was it. Love. And my immediate and undying adoration was made more remarkable by the fact that I was still harbouring an unreasonable dislike of Bradley Whitford, caused, mainly, by the part he played in that wonderful 80s movie, Vital Signs. Anyway...

Since I first clapped eyes on the show and swore to give it my firstborn child, it has continued to give, and give.

In my first writing job the rhythms and vocabulary from the show helped point the way towards my own style. In moments of quiet desperation a couple of episodes from Seasons Two or Three can usually bring me back to good cheer. The episode 'Noel' is one of the finest hours of television drama ever written, in my opinion, as is 'Two Cathedrals'. I can watch them both again and again and find new things to admire. The acting is (almost) faultless (we'll forgive any scenes starring Ginger), the writing goes beyond anything describable, and it's funny and it's prescient and it's educational and it's aesthetically pleasing.

Every time I watch a whole season I find a new favourite character. Sometimes it's dour Toby, the brilliant idealistic writer with the sad heart. Sometimes it's Sam, the boy genius with occasionally iffy social skills. Sometimes it's Josh - all energy and passion and Tigger-ish enthusiasm. Sometimes it's CJ - calm, elegant, professional, funny.

I see myself reflected in parts of all those characters, and it must be partly narcissism that makes me love the show so much. But mainly and above all I love it because it isn't afraid to engage my brain. It isn't afraid to leave me bobbing about in the jetwash left by ideas and language and sophistry. No other TV show I have ever watched has expected as much of me, and meeting the challenge gives the most extraordinary pleasure.

For the most part watching television is a passive activity. Not the West Wing. In order to get the most from it (and why wouldn't you want to do that?) you must imagine yourself there, walking the corridors, saving mankind from itself on a daily basis. I hope there's never a day in my life when I couldn't watch an episode or two of the West Wing.

All human life is there.