The West Wing: Fact messes with fiction in US politics

By GREG DIXON

It's hard not to blame Dubya for the decline in popularity of US President Joshiah Barlet.

With a Republican Hawk in the real White House, war on his agenda and, as a result, American politics on our TV news every night, it's small wonder that New Zealand audiences decided to bypass Barlet's presidency on The West Wing (TV2 10.30 pm) last year.

To howls from a distressing few, TV2 pulled the show off air mid-way through screening season three after insufficient viewers failed to show up at its 9.30pm screenings.

The West Wing's return tonight sees it facing an even greater battle for votes, given that the drama is now hunting for them outside primetime.

It deserves better - from the network and local audiences. This is a show that has deservedly won the Emmy for outstanding drama series three years running, while Martin Sheen has been successively nominated as best drama actor at the awards for his sterling job as Barlet.

As a package, it is as good a TV drama as America has produced: beautifully written and acted and shot like a flash, big-budget film.

So, as a kneejerk Leftie, I can think of nothing else but to blame the Right for Barlet's decline in popularity in these parts: Bush has clearly bored (or scared) New Zealanders off The West Wing.

Sheen, of course, hasn't been doing his show much good in his own parts. He's now as unpopular with as many Americans as Bush is popular.

Sheen's commendable anti-war stance - including leading a peace march in LA in January and a "virtual" march on Washington the following month - has cast him as Benedict Arnold in America's latest patriotic pantomime.

It has generated hate mail and calls for him to be sacked as on-screen President.

Even his union, the Screen Actors Guild, has dumped on him by suggesting that members with "unacceptable" views might be punished by losing their right to work. There has been talk he'll be blacklisted with other anti-war actors such as Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.

NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said in March that she knew of "no concern among top management at NBC regarding Mr Sheen's stand against the war or fear that it could impact the show".

Hogwash.

The same month, the actor told the Los Angeles Times that while the show's staff had been "100 per cent supportive," top network executives had "let it be known they're very uncomfortable with where I'm at" on the war.

Clearly the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech only as long as you back Bush and his war.

Ironically, in an NBC survey on the eve of the last US presidential election, Sheen's fictional President polled better than Bush and Gore combined. Tonight gives you a chance to cast your vote for him, too.

When we last saw Barlet on our screens it was State of the Union night and the President's Congressional censure was weighing heavily on staffers' minds as they debated whether to include an anti-cancer initiative in his address.

Tonight, President B confounds Toby by not making clear his position on affirmative action.

Tough decisions come with any presidency, and Barlet seems to have trouble with them - which makes for good drama.

Curiously enough, towards the end of this run Bartlet wrestles with whether the Qumari defence minister, who is a terrorist, should be assassinated.

Perhaps he should ask Dubya for advice. Then again, maybe not.