The West Wing - Series 1-6 : The Bartlet Years (36 Disc Box Set) [2001] [DVD]

You may not know a thing about the american politics but it will not take you more than an episode and half to get into this amazingly splendid and well scripted series. Because it is not just about what goes on inside the Most Powerful Person on the Earth's office, it is about thrills, chills, joys and sorrows in the lives of the excellent characters created by Mr. Sorkin - right from POTUS to a secretary in his office. Once you start identifying with the characters and their lives, you will not switch off that TV. That is the beauty of this box set since you get all the six seasons at one shot and you will not be at peace till you watch each and every episode of this truly wonderful series. It richly deserves all the Emmies and other awards it has got.So buy it, sit back and live the White House life through the West Wing.

no words can honestly describe my joy at having bought this box set.the west wing must be the most entertaining, and frankly captivating, both intellectually and in terms of sheer drama, piece of television broadcast for some time.If you're vaguely interested in politics, the turmoil of excercising power, or have a (kind of) liberal view of the world this is the tv show for you.happy viewing!

I so looked forward to watching this series after all the rave reviews - what a disappointment!! There is nothing wrong with the acting, in fact there are some fine performances, but the actors' lines are so "American" and so corny. There also seems to be little continuity in the story line. I found it totally boring and unbelievable - in fact, because it is so boring, I found myself counting how many times they say "O.K."If you want to watch a good American series, try The Sopranos - brilliant acting, great storyline and totally believable - knocks spots off The West Wing.

This is a good price for the greatest series in recent years, works out at £25 a season which is an excellent price compared to the prices that single seasons cost online (roughly £40).However I would avoid buying this set as although this is described as the Bartlet Years this is simply untrue. Currently the Seventh and Final season of the West Wing is being aired in the USA, without giving too much away, albeit some of the emphasis has moved over to the new presidential election, President Bartlet is still in the Oval Office.This is a great set if you simply wish to watch every episode from the start and want to do it at a low price, but there will be one final Season set that will be missing from this set which will almost be included in a Complete West Wing Boxset when it is (almost certainly) released.

We bought this box set as a joint Christmas present since it seemed a lot of money to lay out. but boy has it been worth it. We've been watching it intensively since mid-january when it arrived (as in 'it's 2am, can we manage another one?) - there is a HUGE amount of viewing here. Much as I'm a fan of audio commentaries I'm not missing them on this since there is already so much there. The writing and acting are only rarely less than stellar and it turns out that all the friends who advised me to watch it were completely right, it is fantastic!!My advice is definitely not to fiddle about with one season sets, buy this. the season cliff hangers are so heartstopping (especially the first couple) that you'll end up out looking for a 24hr DVD store!But don't expect to get any studying/housework/exercise done for at least a month unless you are very strong willed!

"You know what this is Mr President?" "What what is?" "Your mood." "There's nothing wrong with my mood." "You don't get enough roughage in your diet, you know I'm right." "I know I'd like to beat you senseless with a head of cabbage, I know that for damn sure!"And so, a snap of dialogue from arguably one of the very best television dramas to grace our screens in a long time. Inside this, an idealised USA White House, are a stack of plots and characters so well written that you have feel a renewed confidence in politics. The West Wing is a true gemstone of writing, with dialogue in seasons 1-4 so well developed, that you find yourself speaking similar to friends and colleagues. This box set captures the whole journey, from those truly remarkable first steps in seasons 1 and 2 (hampered only by some overly cheesy moments and overt references to the 'free world'), a period of greatness in Seasons 3 and 4 (with episodes that really stand out as accomplished storytelling). Season 5, with only a few notable episodes, is a let down, in part because the principal writer had just left taking his brand of witty interchange with him. Momentum regains in season 6 with a reframed series, focusing on the emerging rivals for the presidency played expertly by veteran Alan Alda, with Jimmy Smiths and Gary Cole.The casting is also well achieved. President Bartlet (Sheen) was the perfect choice as are his staffers, including the late great John Spencer as the Chief of Staff, Dule Hill as personal aide Charlie Young, Richard Schiff as the ideological rascal, a loveable but grumpy Director of Communications, and Rob Lowe giving four seasons of his time to Sam Seaborn, a comical turn probably without intention. The leading women, CJ and Donna dust the show with their brilliance and provide humour and empathy, clashing against the male bravado. The only irritants comprise a mis-cast Moira Kelly as the poorly written Mandy Hampton, and Joshua Malina who, as Will Bailey, witters annoyingly in the background.So what is disappointing about the box set? Take a browse of the region 1 counterparts and you'll see the real 'wealth of extras' so heavily promoted with this box-set. There are none bar those short snippets included already with season one. I suspect that the biggest buying market for a 'Bartlet Years' collection would be die-hard fans, and I wish that they had been shown more respect!This really is a momentous collection of truly great television. Putting aside whether or not you like politics, here is something that narrates our desire for a better life - and shows that getting such a thing is never as easy as it sounds. A remarkable show.