UPPER ECHELON; `THE WEST WING' ISN'T POLITICS - OR SERIES TV - AS USUAL.Byline: David Kronke TV Critic The fall season's crown jewel debuts tonight. ``The West Wing,'' a brisk, smart drama about the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering amongst those in the White House inner sanctum, comes from Aaron Sorkin (``Sports Night,'' ``A Few Good Men''), John Wells (``ER,'' the upcoming ``Third Watch'') and director Thomas Schlamme (Emmy winner for ``Sports Night'') and boasts a feature-film-quality cast. All these president's men and women are aces at their jobs, speak in snappily witty repartee rep·ar·tee n. 1. A swift, witty reply. 2. Conversation marked by the exchange of witty retorts. See Synonyms at wit1. , and are fiercely committed to their ideals, often unwilling to budge even when it might be politically prudent. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , they're unlike virtually any White House employees this generation has ever known. John Spencer plays Leo McGary, the president's irascible i·ras·ci·ble adj. 1. Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered. 2. Characterized by or resulting from anger. [Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin chief of staff, who has to curb the sharp tongue of his deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford). Communications director Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) has an encyclopedic knowledge and is finely attuned at·tune tr.v. at·tuned, at·tun·ing, at·tunes 1. To bring into a harmonious or responsive relationship: an industry that is not attuned to market demands. 2. to the subtleties of language; his deputy, Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) is a slick operator both politically and with women, but he may not be the brightest guy on the planet. It's Sam who gets most of the character development in the pilot episode, and Lowe responds with some wonderfully comic line readings. C.J. Cregg (Alison Janney) is the wry, easily flustered flus·ter tr. & intr.v. flus·tered, flus·ter·ing, flus·ters To make or become nervous or upset. n. A state of agitation, confusion, or excitement. press secretary, and Madeline Hampton (Moira Kelly), Josh's ex, has just gone to work for a senator about to campaign against the president. But it's President Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen), who, as the initial show opens, is referred to as a ``geek'' because he ran his bicycle into a tree - or, as Leo suggests they spin it, he made ``a sudden arborial stop'' - who represents Sorkin's ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy. He soon makes it clear that he's nobody's fool. For Bartlett, it's all about doing the right thing, political back-scratching or public perceptions be damned. They'll watch this inside the Beltway "Inside the Beltway" is a phrase used to characterize parts of the real or imagined American political system. It refers to the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495), a beltway that encircles Washington, D.C. with slack jaws. We all realize this after a too-cute opening that introduces our sprawling, singularly impressive cast - everyone makes a big deal responding to beeper beeper - pager messages concerning ``POTUS POTUS abbr. President of the United States ,'' code for President of the United States The head of the Executive Branch, one of the three branches of the federal government. The U.S. Constitution sets relatively strict requirements about who may serve as president and for how long. (wouldn't people in Washington, D.C., be able to figure that one out? And, if so, why not just say, ``The President''?). Later, when at one point his personal life is threatening to bottom out, Sam pleads to his ringing phone, ``Please let this be a national emergency.'' Tonight's episode manages a couple - a flotilla of Cubans descends upon the Florida coastline seeking asylum, and a snide comment Josh made on a Sunday-morning political talk show has enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. the religious right. In both cases, Bartlett acts in a rational, if seemingly politically imprudent fashion. What distinguishes ``The West Wing'' from much of the competition is the ringing quality of Sorkin's scripting. Characters here deliver, in ordinary conversation, stirring, epigrammatic ep·i·gram·mat·ic also ep·i·gram·mat·i·cal adj. 1. Of or having the nature of an epigram. 2. Containing or given to the use of epigrams. speeches that real politicians can't manage, even with prepared notes before them. His punchlines Punchlines was a comedy game show series that was produced by LWT and aired on the ITV network from 1981 until 1984. The programme was hosted by Lennie Bennett. Series Guide
On top of all that, it looks like Sorkin will actually add some occasional pointed social commentary. If Sorkin and company can maintain this level of quality - and avoid the speechifying speech·i·fy intr.v. speech·i·fied, speech·i·fy·ing, speech·i·fies To give a speech: "In Washington, cabinet secretaries pose and speechify" Jonathan Alter. that can sometimes drain ``Sports Night'' of its comedy, if not its life - then ``The West Wing'' could become a classic series. Even if all the good scandals have already been done. `Oh, Grow Up' You know you're in trouble when a dog grabs a sitcom's biggest - or should we say only - laugh lines, and such is the fate of ``Oh, Grow Up,'' a look at three mid-30s ne'er-do-wells aimlessly ambling This article is about the four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. For more information on how horses move, see Horse gait. The term Amble or Ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. through life. One guy recently discovered he was gay (his wife didn't take that too well; still hasn't, in fact), another found out he had fathered a daughter who's now in her teens (he - and she - are coping), and the other is striving to make a palatable - and profitable - artistic statement. Since the show is largely given over to gags about noisy sex, any artistic statement is highly unlikely. `Law & Order' ``Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,'' a spin-off of Dick Wolf's acclaimed and long-running crime procedural, debuted on Monday, but for sheer narrative bravado, there's no beating the original. Tonight's season premiere is a pointedly political epic tale that crams a wealth of drama and social commentary into its hour. Wolf, who has tirelessly and eloquently argued that crime in America is more attributable to firearms than to media depictions of violence, takes on what he perceives to be at the heart of America's ills - the laissez-faire attitude of gun manufacturers. The episode begins explosively, with a mass shooting in Central Park - 15 young women, all pre-med students, are murdered by a misogynist mi·sog·y·nist n. One who hates women. adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. Noun 1. misogynist - a misanthrope who dislikes women in particular woman hater nut wielding an automatic weapon. The killer is captured and prosecuted in the first half-hour; what district attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) is more interested in prosecuting is the manufacturer that sold a gun that was so easily converted into a weapon of mass destruction weapon of mass destruction (WMD) Weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction indiscriminately and on a massive scale. The term has been in currency since at least 1937, when it was used to describe massed formations of bomber aircraft. . The sheer power and provocative nature of the episode almost obscures the fact that it serves as a strong debut for Jesse L. Martin (seen last season as Ally McBeal's boyfriend), who replaces the departed Benjamin Bratt. Martin plays a cop with passions for gambling and beating confessions out of scumbags, but his bravura performance in the scene in which he wheedles a confession out of the killer promises further entertaining fireworks for the rest of this venerable show's decade season. `Norm' Don Olhmeyer and I agreed, for a while, on Norm Macdonald - he was a little too lazy to be consistently funny, and his film ``Dirty Work'' proved not only that he couldn't act but that he probably didn't want to. Miraculously, however, executive producer Bruce Helford (``The Drew Carey Show'') has turned these negatives into a guilty pleasure with ``Norm,'' Macdonald's successful midseason replacement series from last year. Macdonald still can't act, but the hangdog hang·dog adj. 1. Shamefaced or guilty. 2. Downcast; intimidated. n. A sneaky or despicable person. hangdog Adjective , who's-fooling-who sloppiness of his presence makes for a great joke all its own, and the one-liners generally have a cynical bite. The plots on the show are perfunctory, so Macdonald's refusal to play along and invest any commitment to the proceedings is understandable yet still practically subversive. He's just there to insult whoever gets in his way. For the record, though, Faith Ford appears in the first few episodes as a social worker that Norm (pathetically, of course) is sweet on. Of particular comic note is Macdonald's weekly introduction, in which he cynically, sardonically and hilariously explains why each episode got whatever meaningless rating it's saddled with. Macdonald will likely aim to get every episode as grievous a rating as possible, so this segment could become one of the show's high points fast. `Drew Carey' Not available for review, for obvious reasons, is the season opener of ``The Drew Carey Show'' at 9 tonight. Drew and company will not only do the show live, but, taking a cue from Carey's other series, ``Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' the episode will feature a number of unscripted un·script·ed adj. Not adhering to or in accordance with a script written beforehand: "his unscripted encounters with the press" Eleanor Clift. scenes. Since Carey openly admits that some of the cast members don't have much improvisational experience, the show's subtly suggesting that checking out the episode is akin to watching the Indy 500 - you're there to see a wreck. THE FACTS The show: ``The West Wing.'' What: Drama about the backstage politics at the White House. Starring: Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, Moira Kelly, Bradley Whitfield, John Spencer, Richard Schiff. Where: NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. (Channel 4). When: 9 tonight. Our rating: Three and a half stars. THE FACTS The show: ``Oh, Grow Up.'' What: Sitcom about middle-age slackers trying to take responsibility for their lives. Starring: Stephen Dunham, David Alan Basche David Alan Basche (born August 25, 1968) is an American actor. Basche was born in Hartford, Connecticut. His first acting role was in a school production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer when he was in the sixth grade at West Hartford's Norfeldt Elementary School. , John Ducey, Rena Sofer, Niesha Trout. Where: ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. (Channel 7). When: 9:30 tonight. Our rating: One and a half stars. THE FACTS The show: ``Norm.'' What: Return of the sitcom about a disgruntled dis·grun·tle tr.v. dis·grun·tled, dis·grun·tling, dis·grun·tles To make discontented. [dis- + gruntle, to grumble (from Middle English gruntelen; see social worker and his not-terribly-high-class pals. Starring: Norm Macdonald, Lori Metcalf, Vicki Cox, Faith Ford. Where: ABC (Channel 7) When: 8:30 tonight. Our rating: Three stars. THE FACTS The show: ``Law & Order.'' What: Season premiere of the Emmy-winning police/prosecution drama. Starring: Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Angie Harmon, Steven Hill. Where: NBC (Channel 4) When: 10 tonight. Our rating: Four stars. CAPTION(S): 4 Photos Photo: (1) ``The West Wing'' cast includes Richard Schiff, left, Allison Janney, Brad Whitford, Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly and John Spencer. (2) Rena Sofer, left, John Ducey, David Alan Basche, Stephen Dunham, Niesha Trout and Beans the dog star in ``Oh, Grow Up.'' (3) ``Law & Order'' enters its 10th season with Jerry Orbach, left, Angie Harmon, Sam Waterston and Jesse L. Martin. (4) Norm Macdonald of ``Norm.'' |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion