The West Wing – Complete Season 7 DVD (2006) Martin Sheen Quality Guaranteed

And so this is it. The seventh series of The West Wing, collected together in this season boxset, marks the final swansong for one of the finest, snappiest American television productions of the last decade. Fortunately, and there are no spoilers here, it does go out with some style.

That said, even the most ardent fan of The West Wing would argue that its finest moments came in the first four or five seasons, at the point where its creator, Aaron Sorkin, was still heavily involved in its day to day running. Yet that’s meant that some of the later episodes have, unfairly, been given short shrift, when in fact they more than capably demonstrate the winning blend of character, sharp dialogue and cleverly constructed, relevant plotlines of life in fictional US President Bartlet’s administration.

That said, though, season seven of The West Wing still doesn’t hit the heights that the show has scaled over its run, yet it’s got enough within it to more than justify a purchase, and for far more reasons than simply completing a collection. Not least is the superb, respectful manner in which actor John Spencer’s tragic passing was written into the show. When the credits roll for the last time come the final episode, there’s a real sense that something quite special has come to an end.