The West Wing Weekly - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I’m not one who normally leaves reviews, on anything, but I felt compelled to discuss my thoughts on this amazing podcast.

Having watched The West Wing a full three times, I felt somewhat comfortable believing that the show could not surprise me again. While three full viewings are by no means exhaustive, especially in this fandom, I was continually proved wrong by listening to this podcast. Watching along, for a fourth viewing, provided a rewarding and satisfying escape from my otherwise blasé day-to-day activities. At the risk of sounding incredibly over dramatic or sad, I can say that listening to any episode was a real highlight for my day.

The commentary and analysis from you both was truly engaging and thought provoking. Even when I differed from your takeaways, I still deeply enjoyed your discussions.

I equally enjoyed, maybe in a callous way, reading the comments on the podcast’s website. It never ceased to surprise me at how critical, cruel, crass, unhinged or downright unfair a comment some listener decided to type out. While I don’t presume to speak for a majority of the listenership, I can say that the few who chose to so meaninglessly attack an opinion or stance by either of you do not represent my views of the podcast, and I am sure I am not in the minority in that view.

This podcast is an unbelievable feat that captures the very soul of what so many West Wing fans hold dear, as well as allowing us all to return to a show that we all mutually love.

To Hrishi and Josh, thank you for dedicating your time to this excellent podcast. While I hope that you both are able to read my review, I also hope it will push yet another potential viewer into the deep dive that Hrishi and Josh took me on.

So thank you - - Grady S.

P.S.: Apologies for my alliteration. Hopefully you didn’t need an avalanche of advil.

If you are a West Wing fan, you will enjoy this podcast. My regret is that I didn’t discover it while it was current. In addition to discussing the individual episodes on a weekly basis, there are interviews with former cast and production members, former members of past administrations and others whose jobs were relevant to the episode topics. There’s even occasional friendly debates on the topics themselves. And if you have access to the show and can follow along, it adds another layer of enjoyment if you have listened to that episode’s podcast first.

What a surprise to find this show! This will give me happy commute hours for MONTHS. I’ve only heard a few episodes so far but have already been VERY entertained and learned a lot about everything from the true story of the Three-Fifths Compromise and how congressional seats are filled to poker etiquette and why actors are loath to quit their day jobs. A+

Love Love LOVE the podcast, fellas. Been in love, inspired, and consequently indebted to the West Wing from the beginning (I was in my mid teens when I started watching it and it’s followed, lead and haunted me ever since). The concept and delivery of the pod is a perfect twin for the show, which is the highest praise seeing as it has few equals. A plea, however, Please PLEASE PLEEEEASE Josh, would you do the same for Sports Night. I guarantee the West Wing Pod listeners will tune in, and if any of them have yet to be introduced to the show, you will be doing them a great public service. Everyone raise your hands (ie spam Josh until he caves) if you want SPORTS NIGHT THE PODCAST

I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to every episode of The West Wing Weekly and was really excited to see an episode show up in my feed again, but this latest one about The American President just felt wrong.

It was like being the third wheel in a conversation with two really smart friends who wanted to show you how cool they are by trashing a 30-year-old movie.

On the substance, they completely failed to put this movie in the context of the 1990s. It’s a simpler movie, from a simpler time. Well, to be fair, I only listened to the first 20 minutes of the episode, so maybe they did this toward the end.

But I think what bothered me the most is that the audience knows both of these guys, and especially Josh, are close with Aaron Sorkin, the writer of the movie. Every time they are on stage with him, they sing his praises like he cured cancer, but when he’s not on an episode, they mercilessly trash his work? It just felt strange, knowing that they know him personally.

I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it felt small.

And not for nothing, read the room… We’re a month out from a stressful election where most of us want positivity and have a genuine nostalgia for uplifting content, which this movie is.

I found this West Wing podcast long after it began and ended. But it’s still here with updated promos for their new projects, so I presume my opinion is still relevant.

Halfway through the 1st Season’s rewatch, I realized I was only in it for the cast and crew interviews. As I got deeper into the show, I was surprised and disappointed with the amount of nitpicking and overly critical comments being made.
Early on, I noticed how Josh Malina, a former cast member, was increasingly negative and nitpicky about the show. So much so, they began acknowledging fan’s online comments about it. And it got to the point by around episode 30 that they were making fun of an upset fan who had written Josh about his negativity. And Josh himself pondered aloud whether he had West Wing fatigue…on a WW fan show!

Co-host Hrishi is top-notch, but not even he could assuage Malina’s incessant commentary about alleged weak writing and wishing episodes were different or had alternate scenes.

I unfortunately had to just stop listening, but felt strongly enough to write this novella of a review.

Anyhow, I’m no hater, so I’ll get on with my life and move on to #whatsnext.