The 10 Best TV Shows of 2023

2023 was a revealing year for what I like to think of as the television class divide.

West Wing 7×15: Welcome to Wherever You Are

[Writer: Josh Singer | Director: Matia Karrell | Aired: 3/26/2006]

“That is an album title, right?” – Josh

It’s tough to judge an episode like “Welcome to Wherever You Are,” given its place in the season. It’s the episode set right before a major two-parter which is itself something of a grand finale (with the five episodes which follow serving as a protracted series epilogue), and as such, it’s got a lot of weight to shoulder. Pieces moving in place, so many, so quickly, with some getting too much attention and others receiving not enough.

West Wing 7×14: Two Weeks Out

[Writer: Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr. | Director: Laura Innes | Aired: 3/19/2006]

“It can make you president.” – Bruno

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the West Wing writers’ room during the early weeks of the seventh season. All signs indicate there was a fierce tug-of-war regarding the outcome of the election – should the winner be Santos? Should it be Vinick? Should Robert Ritchie win as a write-in candidate? (I actually don’t think that possibility was discussed, but it of course would have been a hilarious twist.)

The 10 Best TV Shows of 2022

Every December, I sit down to reflect on the greatest TV shows of the past year. And every year I get the same nagging feeling: Am I missing something? Did I not watch enough television to give a fair assessment of the year overall? Should I have made time in my viewing schedule to check out this sitcom, or that drama, or one of those other limited series that is allegedly Based on a True Story?

West Wing 7×13: The Cold

[Writer: Debora Cahn and Laura Schmidt | Director: Alex Graves | Aired: 3/12/2006]

“It was bound to happen sometime.” – Donna

It was around the production of “The Cold” that Team Wells finally got the news that many of them had been expecting for weeks: The West Wing had been cancelled. The show’s ratings had been dropping for months, and it was effectively a dead series walking the moment NBC banished it to Sunday nights. Although ideas had been floated around for an eighth season – one that would focus on the first year of the post-Bartlet administration – these plans were quickly scrapped, and the writers began building to a definitive conclusion.

West Wing 7×12: Duck and Cover

[Writer: Eli Attie | Director: Christopher Misiano | Aired: 1/22/2006]

“That is how we change the story.” – Bruno

“Duck and Cover” is among the high water marks in The West Wing‘s final season, a taut and laser-focused episode that doesn’t get bogged down with unnecessary prattling. It marks a key turning point in the election storyline, and handles the pivot with aplomb.

West Wing 7×11: Internal Displacement

[Writer: Bradley Whitford | Director: Andrew Bernstein | Aired: 1/15/2006]

“I can be very persuasive.” – CJ

In the several years since this West Wing project began and the many reviews I’ve written since then, I’ve tried to spotlight each key character of the series at some point or another. There are a lot of fun personalities to discuss, and a lot of room in which to analyze them, and it’s always fun to dig a bit deeper and see how each character fits into the overall tapestry of the series.

The 10 Best TV Shows of 2021

Even before 2021 began, we could tell it would be an unusual year for television. With the pandemic receding, then resurging and receding again, Hollywood moved in fits and starts, and TV production lagged behind the rate of the last few cycles. Few network shows produced a full 22 episodes during the new season, and some anticipated returns were pushed off a year or longer. The first half of the calendar year was dominated by reality shows and docuseries, both easier to produce these days (or any days) than scripted programs.

West Wing 7×10: Running Mates

[Writer: Peter Noah | Director: Paul McCrane | Aired: 1/8/2006]

“God bless the Internet.” – Sheila

The West Wing began its final winter break immediately after the airing of “The Wedding.” That episode premiered on December 11, 2005, just as the broadcast networks were turning their primetime programming over to Christmas specials.

West Wing 7×09: The Wedding

[Writer: Josh Singer | Director: Max Mayer | Aired: 12/11/2005]

“Why is Will Bailey wearing a tux?” – Ellie

“The Wedding” is a microcosm of all the problems with The West Wing‘s seventh season. That’s not to say that it’s a bad season – as stated before, I think it sends the show out on a high note – but it does have its faults, and those faults unfortunately dovetail together in this general dud of an episode.

West Wing 7×08: Undecideds

[Writer: Debora Cahn | Director: Christopher Misiano | Aired: 12/04/2005]

When rewatching West Wing episodes – as with any old TV show or film – it is sometimes best to consider the time period in which it was made. Not every aspect has dated well. Not every reference holds up. The series is still largely entertaining and worthwhile, but certain parts of it are distinctly of their era. And this is especially true with the Wells years, which often insisted on being up-to-the-minute on real American and global issues. The way those issues were viewed and addressed then are not always the manner in which they are seen today.

And there are few examples of this as awkward as “Undecideds.” To be clear, this was not a good episode of television when it aired in 2005. But reflecting on it over fifteen years later, it’s a mess.

West Wing 7×07: The Debate

[Writer: Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr. | Director: Alex Graves | Aired: 11/06/2005]

“Okay, let’s have a real debate.” – Santos

The story behind why “The Debate” exists is an interesting one. Far more interesting, in fact, than “The Debate” itself.

West Wing 7×06: The Al Smith Dinner

[Writer: Eli Attie | Director: Leslie Linka Glatter | Aired: 10/30/2005]

“It’ll look better after you win.” – Sheila

During the Sorkin years, policy debates on The West Wing tended to be intraparty rather than interparty. Sorkin unquestionably favored the blue over the red, assumed (correctly, by Nielsen metrics) that most of his viewers did the same, and focused on disputes between the establishment liberals and the far left.

West Wing 7×05: Here Today

[Writer: Peter Noah | Director: Alex Graves | Aired: 10/23/2005]

“Is it possible to be astonished and at the same time not surprised?” – Bartlet

“Here Today” has had an unusual journey among West Wing fans – a journey which, as I’m writing this, is perhaps not yet complete. When it first aired in 2005, it was roundly hated by the show’s fans. A few critics praised it, but most of the show’s publicity had dried up by then.

Over fifteen years later, “Here Today” still isn’t one of the show’s most beloved episodes, and hardly comes up in discussions of the show’s best hours. But it is earning more respect from many West Wing fans (including many who, like myself, came to the series years after it concluded).

West Wing 7×04: Mr. Frost

[Writer: Alex Graves | Director: Andrew Bernstein | Aired: 10/16/2005]

“We stay on message, we stay in control.” – Josh

Before sitting down to rewatch this episode for review, I had to subconsciously remind myself of the title. It was “Mr. Frost.” It was not, as my mind kept urging me to believe “Mr. Snow.” (Nor was it “Mr. Plow”; that title is reserved for an episode of an entirely different show and an accompanying, inexplicably catchy jingle.)

West Wing 7×03: Message of the Week

[Writer: Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr. | Director: Christopher Misiano | Aired: 10/09/2005]

“He’s what’s wrong with the party. He’s the problem, not me!” – Vinick

The West Wing was never designed to be timeless, but it also wasn’t intended to affix itself to a specific point in American political history. Produced in the waning days of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first, it certainly drew inspiration from the news of its era, but for much of its early seasons, it kept a safe distance from the world outside our TV sets. Under Sorkin’s tenure, key names and places were fictionalized, the better to avoid controversies and to keep the stories from aging too poorly.

West Wing 7×02: The Mommy Problem

[Writer: Eli Attie | Director: Alex Graves | Aired: 10/02/2005]

“I need to hear it all.” – Santos

At a time when many serialized dramas (The Sopranos, The Wire, Buffy) were being meticulously mapped out for seasons in advance, The West Wing was largely written on the fly. Sorkin famously spun Bartlet’s MS into an episode simply as a detail; it was only during the break between the first two seasons that he began considering its implications in the larger framework of the series. Plenty of other arcs were introduced as the need allowed, even as some of them built off events and even lines of dialogue from seasons past.

West Wing 7×01: The Ticket

[Writer: Debora Cahn | Director: Christopher Misiano | Aired: 09/25/2005]

“Yeah, but I won.” – Josh

It begins unlike any season before. Not in the present, or the past, but the near future – three years hence, when a now ex-President Jed Bartlet reunites with his former staffers at the opening of his own Presidential library.

The Ten Best TV Shows of 2020

If you’re wondering how long the year we’ve just experienced was, use the 77th Annual Golden Globes as a yardstick. The ceremony, hosted by Ricky Gervais, aired back in the first week of January. That’s right – Gervais’ controversial monologue, Bong Joon-Ho lecturing us about subtitles, Ramy Youssef explaining that people don’t know who he is – that all happened this year.

The West Wing Special is Well-Meaning But Pointless

When the history books are written, 2020 will be remembered for many things. But it will be remembered as one thing above all else:

The year of the NBC reunion.

West Wing 6×22: 2162 Votes

[Writer: John Wells | Director: Alex Graves | Aired: 4/6/2005]

“And here I thought I found the last one.” – Leo

West Wing 6×21: Things Fall Apart

[Writer: Peter Noah | Director: Nelson McCormick | Aired: 3/30/2005]

“No one signs up to come in second.” – Santos

Back in college, I took a class that at one point assigned us to read from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The book, for those unaware, is set in a Nigerian village that is forced to deal with late 19th-century colonialism. I’d be lying if I said I remembered much from the book, but then, I don’t remember much from most of the classes I took during college (apart from the fact that they were constantly distracting me from this website).

West Wing 6×20: In God We Trust

[Writer: Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr. | Director: Christopher Misiano | Aired: 3/23/2005]

<blockquote. “Counting weddings and funerals?” – Vinick

Across the course of The West Wing‘s sixth season, we’ve borne witness to transition. A series that once centered on those who work in the White House has shifted focus to those who covet it. Bartlet, CJ, Leo, and Toby have become supporting characters in the series they established. New faces, locales, and storylines have taken hold.

The 10 Best TV Shows of 2019

It was a great year for television. Or at least certain types of it.

West Wing 6×19: Ninety Miles Away

[Writer: John Sacret Young | Director: Rod Holcomb | Aired: 3/16/2005]

“I’m gonna remember this…” – Leo

The rules of fictional writing (be it in television, film, or literature) dictate that there are two types of bad stories – those that fail in concept, and those which fail in execution. The West Wing, despite its many triumphs, has produced multiple episodes in both categories. The “fail in concept” basket includes “Slow News Day,” which is ineptly plotted but at least features some glimmers of character competence, while the latter category slots in “Constituency of One,” which starts with a promising series of storylines and then bungles every last one of them.

And then once in a while, we get an episode that fails in both concept and execution. An episode like “Ninety Miles Away.”

West Wing 6×18: La Palabra

[Writer: Eli Attie | Director: Jason Ensler | Aired: 3/9/2005]

“Eleven and thirteen.” – Santos

Matthew Santos is charming, handsome, and charismatic. He jokes effortlessly with reporters and maintains friendly rapports with the folks on his campaign staff. He has a lovely wife and two cute-as-a-button kids, and they make the most beautiful gosh-darn family you’ve ever seen.

West Wing 6×17: A Good Day

[Writer: Carol Flint | Director: Richard Schiff | Aired: 3/2/2005]

“He started it.” – Bartlet

I love debating. Whether it’s about TV shows, politics, or TV shows about politics, a good debate reminds my brain to stay alert and perhaps face arguments I’ve never considered before. Though we don’t always (read: basically never) convince our opponents over to our side, debating people with conflicting views is a good way to put your own views in perspective, and perhaps even sway neutral third parties in our direction.

West Wing 6×16: Drought Conditions

[Writer: Debora Cahn | Director: Alex Graves | Aired: 2/23/2005]

“You got a chance to shape the debate, strengthen the party, and you blew it!” – Toby

Among the many failings of Season Five, one of the most egregious was the way it turned TV’s greatest political series into a primetime soap opera. Illicit romances, interpersonal vendettas, and betrayals/backstabbings were brought to the forefront, often seemingly out of nowhere, and the show’s once-cutting political vernacular fell to the wayside.

West Wing 6×15: Freedonia

[Writer: Eli Attie | Director: Christopher Misiano | Aired: 2/16/2005]

“Let’s get back to Politics 101. The object is to beat the other guys.” – Josh

Which came first? The egg.

West Wing 6×14: The Wake-Up Call

[Writer: Josh Singer | Director: Laura Innes | Aired: 2/9/2005]

“The document is just the beginning.” – Lessig

I’m a sucker for titles with double-meanings, and “The Wake-Up Call” has a doozy. The name refers here to the late-night/early-morning call that the President receives during a national emergency. But it also refers to the recent metaphorical wake-up call – mapped out in the purposeful “365 Days” – to the Bartlet administration at large, which is now in its final year and must determine how to end on a high note.