The Netflix streaming library’s biggest issue has always been its lack of long-running hit shows. There were quite a few iconic TV titles on the service at one point, but the launch of rival streaming services saw most of them exit Netflix for other options, and that trend is continuing this month with the looming departure of Supernatural. Fortunately for Netflix, a little bit of TV continuity has been restored, as one of the best and most influential shows of the last 30 years just joined its roster.
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Tuesday morning saw Netflix add all seven seasons of The West Wing to its lineup. That’s 154 episodes of an all-time great TV show that are now available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Given the state of big shows on Netflix, this feels like a very welcomed addition.
The West Wing comes from acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin and first debuted in 1999. The series is set in the White House and follows the staffers working for the President of the United States, played throughout the series by Martin Sheen.
In addition to its incredible dialogue and timely material, The West Wing quickly became known for its brilliant ensemble cast. This cast, led by Sheen, is now remembered as one of the best ever assembled on network television, and looking back it’s easy to see why.
Every episode featured the group of Sheen, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, and John Spencer. But then you also had mainstays in Richard Schiff and Dulé Hill. Arguably the biggest breakout performance on the show, however, came from Rob Lowe, who made the most of his 85 episodes.
Over the course of its seven-year run, The West Wing also brought in an enormous roster of heavy-hitters as guest stars or recurring characters. The series cast includes names like Jimmy Smits, Kristin Chenowith, Lily Tomlin, Elisabeth Moss, Mary-Louise Parker, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson, Marlee Matlin, Stephen Root, Oliver Platt, Clark Gregg, Terry O’Quinn, Mark Harmon, Ed O’Neill, Connie Britton, Matthew Perry, Christian Slater, Taye Diggs, and John Goodman.
The West Wing is the type of TV show Netflix desperately needs, given its high episode count and fairly easy watchability. It’s a more involved show than something like Suits, but it has that same, episodic nature to it that TV fans have sorely missed in recent years. And, like Suits, there is no shortage of episodes to watch. So it’ll take you a while to actually work through it all, delivering the kind of return that most shows on Netflix don’t have. Seinfeld is one of the only other titles on Netflix with that kind of cultural power and sustainability.
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