Is anyone else pumped for West Wing season opener?

[MissMillie]

I can't wait!

Can't say that I've ever seen John Goodman in a non-comedic role. (I'm sure someone will refresh my memory with one--but I didn't him as Babe Ruth).

Bravo has been running past seasons. I missed all of them. So I'm hooked on this show for the past seasons and the coming season. I wonder if there's a support group for people like me.... lol

[T Roosevelt]

1. Looking forward to it

Had a discussion last night about it:
West Wing fans: here's a conspiracy thought...

Also, don't think I'd consider Goodman's role in "O Brother Where Art Thou" a comedic one.

[SiobhanClancy]

2. I can't wait

it'll be interesting to see how Bartlet handles the Repuke Goodman character...I really hate end-of-season cliffhangers!

[LosinIt]

4. Question about the end of the season show...

Why when the President stepped aside, did the Speaker of the House take over and not the Vice President????

[Aristus]

5. Vice-President Hoynes resigned in disgrace.

No VP, succession falls to the Speaker of the House.

Presidential Succession Act of 1947.

[LosinIt]

6. Thanks for that, my husband and I just started watching it..

so we are not quite up to speed on the whole plot. Is the Secret Service (perhaps FBI) role that Taye Diggs was playing a recurring one? That man is one piece of gorgeous!

[Cheswick2.0]

8. He is gorgeous, I agree

I hope he is on more.

I am glad you started watching. It is a great show and it theraputic for all of us who have been suffering with the bush cabal.

[Aristus]

3. I'm very slightly terrified.

I don't want to see the characters with someone else's words coming out of their mouths. For four seasons, Aaron Sorkin has done the talking, and I'm afraid the quality of the writing is going to suffer.
And TV Guide says that 'Wing' is going to be more conciliatory to Repubs this season. How do you like that? Just when the country is waking up to what a sham ShrubCo is, "West Wing" wants to court repukes!

[Jen72]

10. The West Wing

have been treading a very fine line and have survived rumours of being cancelled. This season will go into an election year, they are going to have a tough time. They are losing viewers to endless reality tv crap, the press are very snide now and Rob Lowe is working for Arnie.
Remember the death threats the Martin Sheen recieved and the campaign to have him fired was only a few months ago,
Even if they do have include more republicans to survive then i have no problem with that. So far the religious right have been portrayed as nuts (Mary Marsh) and the moderates are portrayed as having an unhill struggle to stop the GOP types from stealing the agenda.
Aaron Sorkin also created Ainsley Hayes who was a good character as a conserative Republican, without becoming a shrill, airhead.
John Wells has done well with ER which has a strong Democratic lean,
(the republican at the desk is an intolerent bigot!!)
If the Democratic message of The West Wing gets lost, then I think cast members will leave.

[SOteric]

7. I'm very much looking forward to it, yes.

:bounce:

[BritishHuman]

9. That's why I love broadband

Gotta get my West Wing fix...

[Nailzberg]

11. Not looking forward to it.

I've been a loyal viewer, and have every episode on VHS (not up date on the whole digital video recording revolution), but I'm afraid this seasons WW will fade into obscurity. Aaron Sorkin struggled this last season with story lines, and has had trouble making everything come together. Now with his and Schlamme's departure, leaving John Wells producing, it's gonna become ridiculous just as ER has become.
The return of Lawrence O'Donnell after Mr. Sterling failed to capture any viewers holds little promise, after all, the only real position Sterling took was that Washington is bad, the parties are bad, and only an outsider can fight for us. And the additions of former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein and fellow conservative John Podhoretz, I think we're in for some Mr. Sterling vanilla political statements mixed with ER style overdone plot devices.
Maybe the tail rotor on Marine One will severe someone's arm, or a huge fire rages through the Executive Mansion while Bartlett and staff brave the flames to conduct an POW rescue operation from the situtation room.
Now these are just fears at this point, the show could turn out strong this season, who knows?
But I don't think West Wing as we know it can survive without Sorkin's passion.