Term's up

The news today from Los Angeles is that my favorite show, "The West Wing," has been cancelled. The plan is for the coming election nin the show's plot line to be the finale, and as President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) boards Air Force One to return to his native New Hampshire, the new president will be sworn in. The new president -- either Alan Alda's Sen. Arnold Vinick or Jimmy Smits' Rep. Matt Santos -- won't have much time to enjoy the Oval Office.

The final episode will air May 18, preceded by an hourlong retrospective. The show will also deal with the real-world death of John Spencer, the actor who played Leo McGarry, former chief of staff and later the Democrat nominee for vice president.

Read what Melanie McFarland, television critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, has to say.

Russell Shaw at the Huffington Post, via Yahoo! News, had some alternate reasons.

Here's a blog site about the cancellation.

For seven seasons, "The West Wing" has been my weekly solace, a chance to remember some of my ideals and enjoy them portrayed in believable and engaging characters on one of the best-written series on television. I own five seasons on DVD, and I watch every extra, every episode. Simply put, I love the show.

Come fall, I won't be turning to that other White House show on ABC. I'll find something to grab my attention, and I'll remember fondly the glory days of the Bartlet Administration.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.