The West Wing premiered on the NBC network on September 22, 1999. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the series was the first serial political drama of its kind and showed that there was an audience for elevated content. The show was well-received immediately following the pilot and succeeded for seven seasons from 1999-2006.
The show received two Peabody Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and twenty-six Primetime Emmy Awards, winning the coveted Outstanding Drama Series award, four years in a row. Though the show is based solely on fictional characters, it was praised by politicians for being able to accurately capture the feel of the White House and the pilot is no exception.
Perfect: The Sarcasm
If there's one thing Aaron Sorkin writes well, it's witty and often times, sarcastic dialogue. He uses sarcasm to establish the tone for his characters and also to give his viewers a sense of relationships between those two characters. For instance, in the opening scene, Sam Seaborn, played by a young Rob Lowe, sits at a bar with a journalist named Billy, played by Marc Grapey. Billy is trying to get information out of Sam regarding a rumor about one of his colleagues. After a lot of badgering, Billy accuses Sam of lying to him, and Sam replies, "That hurts, Billy. Why would I lie to a journalist of all people?", in the driest tone he can muster.
Not Perfect: There's Very Little Diversity
The late 90's and early 2000's weren't as well versed in the importance of diversity in the entertainment industry and this show proves that. There's a saturated amount of white, male characters, not only in the pilot, but throughout the entire series.
Of course, this show gained popularity way before Obama was elected into office, and the time this pilot aired, America was getting ready to transition from a Clinton presidency to a Bush presidency, so this casting makes sense, considering the times, but it hasn't aged very well.
Perfect: Allison Janney As CJ Cregg
There was a lot of great casting when it came to building this ensemble cast, but probably one of the greatest casting decisions was when they cast Allison Janney as CJ Cregg, the press secretary to the fictitious Bartlet istration. The role is a breakout for Janney and earned her four Primetime Emmy Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. The character was based on President Clinton's actual press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, who was also a consultant on the series. CJ has become somewhat of a prototype over the years for what a great press secretary looks like, despite being a television character and not an actual public servant.
Not Perfect: Hard To Follow
Aaron Sorkin is known for his quick-paced, witty dialogue and doesn't stray from it at all for this pilot or for any of the series, which has it's pros and cons. Audiences love how recognizable Sorkin's dialogue is, but in this pilot, it can be difficult to follow.
At the time this pilot aired, the general public didn't know a lot about the inner workings of The White House and there is a lot of jargon in this first episode that is very hard to follow and understand, especially when you add in the fact that the characters are speaking very quickly. In fact, one of the best moments in the entire episode comes at the very end when we first meet President Bartlet and he gives a speech, slowly, articulately, gaining everybody's undivided attention.
Perfect: The Classic Walk And Talk
Most critics and audiences agree that The West Wing invented and is a masterclass in what is now known as the "walk and talk". This term refers to a long shot where the camera, usually a steady cam attached to the camera operator's body, tracks a character through a long series of movement while that character recites dialogue at the same time. Thomas Schlamme directed the pilot episode and many episodes of this series and can be credited with taking Sorkin's full, witty banter, and turning into what it now widely known as the classic "walk and talk". It's an incredibly difficult thing to pull off, and this series does it the best.
Not Perfect: Laurie, The Call Girl
There are a few things in this pilot that didn't seem to age well. One of those things being the treatment of the character, Laurie, played by Lisa Edelstein. Laurie is a woman that Sam Seaborn meets at a bar and subsequently spends the night with.
The next day, through a series of unfortunate events, Sam learns that in addition to being a law student, Laurie is also a high-end call girl. The show handles this storyline in a way that probably would be heavily criticized today in a post Me Too movement world where sex workers are no longer shamed into hiding and women have more powerful voices.
Perfect: Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford had been working in film and television for many years before The West Wing premiered in the late 90's, but it's safe to say this show launched him into a whole new category of success. In the series, Bradley plays Josh Lyman, the deputy chief of staff in the Bartlet istration. The series begins with Lyman in a lot of hot water after appearing on a right-wing, Christian television show and insulting the host's views and the people she associates with. Everyone knows that what Lyman said was right, but they also know that someone who works that closely with the president, can't go on national TV and behave that way. The pilot focuses on whether or not Josh is about to get fired.
Not Perfect: It's Partisan
For viewers with more conservative view points, or the ones who are ed republicans, this show probably doesn't have much appeal. It is clear from the very beginning that the Bartlet istration is very liberal and the president is a Democrat. When this show premiered, the partisan lines weren't quite as divided as they are today, so the show could get away with being more liberal, but today, it would most likely lose a lot of viewers quickly once it's made clear that this show leans more to the left.
Perfect: The POTUS Line
Before this pilot aired, the common American didn't know what POTUS was short for. That's hard to believe considering it is such a common term these days. In The West Wing pilot, Sam is with Laurie after they've spent the night together. Sam leaves the bedroom to take a shower and his pager goes off. Laurie checks the pager, thinking it's hers, but quickly realizes it's not when she reads the message, "POTUS in a bicycle accident. Come to the office." She tells Sam that his friend has a funny name, he clarifies that it's not a friend, but his boss, and that POTUS stands for "President of the United States", and that's how America learned about the nickname for our president.
Not Perfect: The "Fat Ass" Comment
There are a few things that haven't aged well for this pilot, and one of the comments Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet makes at the very end of the first episode, is one of those things. Bartlet has just given a beautiful and pointed speech to three conservative, Christian public figures about denouncing a hate group using God and religion as an alibi. At the very end of his speech he tells the three people in front of his to get their "fat asses" out of his office, which is not only very un-presidential, but it's also a comment that no one can really get away with making today, even the President of the United States.