Canadian Learning Television axes The West Wing

Catherine and I survived the television drought of summertime by re-watching The West Wing. Every night at 8:00 p.m., Canadian Learning Television aired a new episode, starting from the very beginning and running right up to the Leo dies on Election Day episode that aired last Friday.

The series stands the test of time, and I’ve enjoyed the symmetry with the actual U.S. election campaign.

Alas they cut the series off with only six episodes remaining starting yesterday, choosing to air Judging Amy instead. So we devoted viewers, who have watched enough “Proactiv Solution” commercials with Jennifer Love Hewitt to become convinced it must actually be a magical elixir, are left hanging, never to know who won the Santos-Vinick election, never to see Leo’s funeral.

You think they could have hung on an extra week and let the series finish…

Comments

Wayne's picture
Wayne on September 3, 2008 - 11:03 Permalink

Come on.

The show was written by Democrats and it portrayed Democrats as moral giant do-gooders, always taking the high road and victims of circumstance, while the Republicans were the evil, brutish devils (Reminds me of MSNBC).

Who do you really think wins that election?

Ann's picture
Ann on September 3, 2008 - 13:40 Permalink

We are big fans of boxed sets of BBC television shows. They are wonderful and, if it wasn’t for baseball, I wouldn’t bother to have cable at all.

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on September 3, 2008 - 13:41 Permalink

Have you heard of the internet?

Andrew MacPherson's picture
Andrew MacPherson on September 3, 2008 - 15:04 Permalink

I also loved the West Wing in its first couple of seasons but it soured for me as the Bush administration got into full gear. It was just too much of a fantasy relative to reality — see Wayne’s post above. Maybe I could stand to watch the remaining seasons now that the nightmare nears an end….

I also agree…TV on DVD is the only way…I’ve watched Californication, Weeds and 24 Season 1 in the past year. My first “TV” since 2002ish.

Leo's picture
Leo on September 3, 2008 - 20:39 Permalink

I think the show was craeted originally bu Aaron Sorkin and was brilliant but became more “ER ized” after Sorkin left -
I thought it was brilliant on politics but was not overly partisan as it was critical and reflective of all political machinations -it was still briliant television with good characterization, believable plots —and Wayne re it being Democrat or Republican “have you watched the Bush Administration lately?” -art imitates life …

Leo's picture
Leo on September 3, 2008 - 21:28 Permalink

I should have re edited what I sent :-) -sorry for typos

Wayne's picture
Wayne on September 4, 2008 - 12:36 Permalink

Not just the typos require your editing attention!

:^)

Carolynne Presser's picture
Carolynne Presser on September 10, 2008 - 16:57 Permalink

I tried to contact CLT and complain about the cut off of the episodes. Their e-mail doesn’t work!!! Has anyone been able to get a response from them??
I thought the series was good, although certain episodes did irritate!