I didn't watch much of West Wing last year.

We moved on September 30. It took two months before we got cable in the new apartment. During that time, broadcast television in New York City was iffy at best, since most stations had their antennae on the WTC. NBC was bad for a long time. We had a choice when the West Wing premiere came - being able to sort of make out the words *or* being able to sort of make out the picture. We basically gave up, and even w hen we finally did get cable, we found that we didn't think of West Wing at all. Maybe it was all the real drama going on in the world, or maybe we just got out of the habit. It's not like Law and Order. There's real continuity here.

I watched it tonight. For two hours, I sat transfixed at words. At writing. At dialogue that flowed and danced and had meaning. Last year, I watched Buffy and Smallville. I'd forgotten that TV could have writing like this.

And, damn. I want Bartlett as president.