This season will be the West Wing’s last. NBC announced that it is pulling the plug on the show at the end of this, its seventh season.
The show plunged downhill after Aaron Sorkin left three seasons ago but has recovered a little bit this season. However, its move to Sunday nights has caused the ratings to drop enough that the network feels it’s time.
They’ve promised to give us an election winner – Santos or Vinick – but this means neither of them will actually take office on the show. In a way, it’s fitting; this was about Jed Bartlet’s presidency, and while the transition might’ve been accomplished, things will have come full circle by now. And with John Spencer’s death, the decision makes even more sense.
Still, I’ll be sad to see one of the last remaining intelligent TV shows end. On the bright side, this probably means the 7-season DVD box set will make it to my Amazon Wish List really soon.