The West Wing

"The West Wing Script Book" is a must for fans of this fabulous show! It's great to see the scripts and to see what the actors worked with. If you've seen the episodes, you'll be able to imagine all of the scenes and mannerisms. Just wonderful. I recommend.

Sorkin is the master of the fast-paced choppy dialog, that was so popular with films in the 50's. But unlike those films, the words have more of a wit to them. The characters are so well developed, you can feel what the next line is going to be before you read it.

I was so happy when the script book finally came out. Even though it only contains six scripts of Aaron Sorkin's incredible writing, it's much better than nothing at all. I found this to be just like watching the episode in my head. I guess the only thing I wish is that there were more scripts in it! Other than that, it is great. If you love "The West Wing" or Aaron Sorkin's writing, buy this. You will not be disappointed!

If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you. This quote from Sorkin's earlier, wonderful TV venture "Sports Night" appears in the introduction to this book of teleplays from the best show in the history of TV. I'm not trying to suck up to anybody or anything, I mean that sincerely. Even if you don't plan on voting for Bartlet in the next election, there has never been a show like The West Wing but I hope, I hope, I hope that there will be more. This show proves that TV can be something more than a dumbed down interpretation of "average America" designed by networks to keep their audiences as stupid as possible. With the West Wing on the air, we have a higher order of television to live up to. As the program itself references animosity toward Bartlet because he's an intellectual snob, but their point is my point. We shouldn't be ashamed of intelligence. We shouldn't try and lower ourselves to the level of others. We should be raising our standards, otherwise how can we grow as a people? And even if you didn't go to an Ivy League school like most of the cast of characters did, you can still enjoy their company for an hour every Wednesday, or in these scripts by the greatest writer of our time, Aaron Sorkin. If you're stupid, surround yourself with smart people. Why not these people?

Two very important things first: this has six scripts, not the eight it was planned to and it doesn't include the episode In Excelsis Deo; also, people who have claimed that the scripts are available online are mistaken. It appears that a version of the pilot is, but the rest are transcripts. That's like comparing a symphonic score to the instructions to key music into your mobile phone. These published scripts come complete not just with deft scene-setting but also errors that give you a sense of a working document and, reproduced here as they were given to the cast, their inate sense of pacing and rhythm is kept. It's difficult not to hear the cast's voices as you read but that's a measure of how distinctive each character is and the scripts work quite marvellously on their own. Then, too, Sorkin's introduction and later short notes probably contain more information than we've had on The West Wing DVD extras here in England and if there's anything you'd wish for in the book, it would just be for a Volume 2.