Post by Forever Xena on Oct 22, 2005 3:18:05 GMT -6
The playing of the President
'West Wing' vs. 'Chief'
BY DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Real Politik: 'Commander in Chief's' (Geena Davis) plots are more like TV melodrama...
... than the 'West Wing's' (Martin Sheen).
MacKenzie Allen, the American President played by Geena Davis on ABC's "Commander in Chief," is having the devil's own time working her way out from the shadow of her beloved deceased predecessor, Teddy Roosevelt Bridges.
From Donald Sutherland's oily Speaker of the House to the premier of Russia to members of her own administration, the whispers are a drumbeat beneath her every step.
She's no Teddy Bridges.
Out here in TV land, of course, we sophisticated viewers know this unsubtle show of adversity is designed less to set her up than to set us up.
It puts a flashing neon sign on her back that says "beleaguered and sympathetic underdog," as if we wouldn't otherwise realize that a woman President who's a political independent would face resistance from the old boys' network that runs Washington.
In the end, though, we sophisticated TV viewers will judge President Allen not against President Bridges, whom we never knew, but by a higher standard.
We will judge her against President Jed Bartlet, who has held TV's other presidency for years on NBC's "The West Wing."
At this point, it's early in the contest. Nielsen has barely delivered the first poll results.
It's not too early to say, though, that Martin Sheen's Bartlet is ahead, simply because at its best, "West Wing" tackled the job's incredible complexity.
The best "West Wing" shows have been about the way things spill over into other things, with few, if any, playing out into clear, clean, final resolutions. To be President is to be a link in history, to take a few steps toward what you believe to be the right direction for the future.
"Commander in Chief," so far, has been more of a traditional TV drama, where themes jump from week to week, but each episode also has subplots, in this case major subplots, that wrap themselves up within the hour.
A couple of weeks ago, terrorists in a fictitious Latin country kill nine American "private contractors," and Allen's advisers tell her there isn't much she can do, because this nation is run by a corrupt dictator who recently staged a military coup.
So she goes on TV and says America will destroy 25% of the country's coca crop every week until the killers are caught.
Hours later, the citizens obligingly overthrow their dictator.
On Tuesday, she and the premier of Russia exchange tense spontaneous insults during a joint press conference after her first summit meeting.
Afterward, and before a state dinner that night, Allen runs into the premier's wife, who suggests that if Allen would help Russia join the World Trade Organization, the premier might consider springing a few jailed dissident journalists.
At the dinner, over horrified objections from staffers, the two world leaders dance. They exchange conciliatory promises, smile and everyone's happy.
Makes you wonder why Vladimir Putin never thought to ask George W. Bush for the next waltz.
Yes, "West Wing" has had its share of silly TV moments. But at its best, "West Wing" felt like it was aiming to be more than just successful television. While "Commander in Chief" is early in its first term, so far it has not.
Originally published on October 21, 2005
'West Wing' vs. 'Chief'
BY DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Real Politik: 'Commander in Chief's' (Geena Davis) plots are more like TV melodrama...
... than the 'West Wing's' (Martin Sheen).
MacKenzie Allen, the American President played by Geena Davis on ABC's "Commander in Chief," is having the devil's own time working her way out from the shadow of her beloved deceased predecessor, Teddy Roosevelt Bridges.
From Donald Sutherland's oily Speaker of the House to the premier of Russia to members of her own administration, the whispers are a drumbeat beneath her every step.
She's no Teddy Bridges.
Out here in TV land, of course, we sophisticated viewers know this unsubtle show of adversity is designed less to set her up than to set us up.
It puts a flashing neon sign on her back that says "beleaguered and sympathetic underdog," as if we wouldn't otherwise realize that a woman President who's a political independent would face resistance from the old boys' network that runs Washington.
In the end, though, we sophisticated TV viewers will judge President Allen not against President Bridges, whom we never knew, but by a higher standard.
We will judge her against President Jed Bartlet, who has held TV's other presidency for years on NBC's "The West Wing."
At this point, it's early in the contest. Nielsen has barely delivered the first poll results.
It's not too early to say, though, that Martin Sheen's Bartlet is ahead, simply because at its best, "West Wing" tackled the job's incredible complexity.
The best "West Wing" shows have been about the way things spill over into other things, with few, if any, playing out into clear, clean, final resolutions. To be President is to be a link in history, to take a few steps toward what you believe to be the right direction for the future.
"Commander in Chief," so far, has been more of a traditional TV drama, where themes jump from week to week, but each episode also has subplots, in this case major subplots, that wrap themselves up within the hour.
A couple of weeks ago, terrorists in a fictitious Latin country kill nine American "private contractors," and Allen's advisers tell her there isn't much she can do, because this nation is run by a corrupt dictator who recently staged a military coup.
So she goes on TV and says America will destroy 25% of the country's coca crop every week until the killers are caught.
Hours later, the citizens obligingly overthrow their dictator.
On Tuesday, she and the premier of Russia exchange tense spontaneous insults during a joint press conference after her first summit meeting.
Afterward, and before a state dinner that night, Allen runs into the premier's wife, who suggests that if Allen would help Russia join the World Trade Organization, the premier might consider springing a few jailed dissident journalists.
At the dinner, over horrified objections from staffers, the two world leaders dance. They exchange conciliatory promises, smile and everyone's happy.
Makes you wonder why Vladimir Putin never thought to ask George W. Bush for the next waltz.
Yes, "West Wing" has had its share of silly TV moments. But at its best, "West Wing" felt like it was aiming to be more than just successful television. While "Commander in Chief" is early in its first term, so far it has not.
Originally published on October 21, 2005