The West Wing

Places a television series of great prominence within its media and political context, showing how the series fits into the history of television and illuminating how the real presidency was affected by the depiction of the real office holder.

~Peter Rollins

Both volumes adhere to the series' promise of lively and accessible writing. Though they are undoubtedly academic studies invested in making a case for each programme, both McCabe and Vint write with energy, making their studies light but not insubstantial. They will be ideal for undergraduates wanting to fill in their understanding of a particular programme and also have potential for compact contributions to ongoing debates around authorship (and thereby studies of Sorkin and Simon as television authors), quality, politics and aesthetics. Although their diminutive size could constitute a drawback for books addressing television programmes which are distinguished by their complexity, the extent to which each presents a focused and exacting critical argument increases the significance of their contribution to the field. These short monographs made me want to rewatch The West Wing and The Wire, having drawn out some of their key pleasures and reinvigorated some critical questions to take back to each series. This is a measure of the books' skill and value.

~Lucy Fife Donaldson, Critical Studies in Television

The West Wing is one of the most acclaimed network television series of the last decades, and until now one of the least analyzed. Janet McCabe's fine work has addressed that omission with a concise and highly readable account that will be useful to anyone interested in American culture and media.

~Michele Hilmes

This well-researched, clearly written, and informative view of The West Wing will be appreciated by both media scholars and TV aficionados alike. McCabe's book follows in the televisual 'Tradition of Quality' exemplified by the primetime program itself. Combining behind-the-scenes insights with an integrative cultural studies approach, the volume focuses on the television industry, as well as on the show's political and thematic relevance, televisual auteurism, and the aesthetic dimensions of narrative, characters, and TV stylistics. This volume could serve as a work of scholarship, a course textbook, or just a great read for fans of 'the best drama on network television.'

~Frank P. Tomasulo