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From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 04-04-05, TVGal Encourages Workplace Dating

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - - Consider this scenario. You like a guy (or gal) at work. You coyly flirt. You confide in each other. You're both in the opening credits. Everyone thinks there might be something between you, but nothing ever happens -- for 10 years. In real life, would you put up with such nonsense? But it happens on TV all the time.

One of the reasons I was so enamored with "Alias" is that the moment Vaughn and Sydney could be together -- now stay with me because this is where most TV shows get confused -- they were. 

Most uncouples aren't so lucky. Let's take a look in order of frustration level at some of biggest uncouples currently on TV:

"Donna and Josh on "The West Wing": As I've already told you, they are killing me this season. He's no longer her boss. They are spending the night in the same hotel room for heaven's sake. Is Donna fated to only become smitten with guest stars? Frustration factor: 10"

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 02-03-05, Column

I've been trying to keep this from you because it is so very upsetting. Mary Louise Parker returns as Amy Gardner on "The West Wing." Congressman Santos hires her to help prep him for a debate in New Hampshire. Amy has never been successful (has she?) but they keep hiring her. The only way this is acceptable is if it brings Josh and Donna closer together (remember they are killing me with that non-storyline).

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 01-31-05, Column

They are killing me with this Josh and Donna thing on "The West Wing." K-i-l-l-i-n-g me. The main reason they couldn't be together has been removed. Josh is no longer Donna's boss and they are staying at the same hotel. I can't take it any more. But we will take a break from the fictional President this week, so the big four networks can air the "State of the Union Address"

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 12-06-04, TV Gal Chooses Her 10 Best Characters

5. Donna on "The West Wing": Donna is the grounding force in the fictional Oval Office. In between hilarious banter with her boss and consistent concern for him, Donna has blossomed into great modern female character -- a his girl Friday for the new millennium. But if they don't put Josh and Donna together soon, I'm going to be in a fight with "The West Wing."

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 10-25-04

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Here's the deal. I'm kind of with Colin on this one. If Josh is going to keep vigil at Donna's bedside on "The West Wing" then I need him to announce that he has been and is currently in love with her when she wakes up. I may get my wish with all the job swapping that will soon be happening in the Oval Office. After Leo's heart attack, C.J. will become Chief of Staff and Josh will leave the White House staff to start working for another candidate (paging Jimmy Smits). So I'm thinking if Josh is no longer Donna's boss than they can finally get together. What I don't want is for this to become another Arnie/Roxanne of "L.A. Law" situation. By the time that series put those two characters together, it was way too late.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 07-26-04, "Worst Storylines Ever"

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -  

Josh Falls in Love with Amy on "The West Wing": Really, it's still too painful to talk about. Mary Louise Parker almost succeeded in ruining one of my all time favorite television characters.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 12-22-03, "TV Gal's Best of the Year"

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -  

Best boss: Josh on "The West Wing." That is, of
course, if you want to sleep with your boss.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 12-08-03, "TV Gal Gives Out Character Recommendations"

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - They're simply the best. Better than all the rest.

Sometimes great writing fuses with a brilliant performance to form a perfect television character. The character pops off the screen and commands our attention. They can make a mediocre show good (witness Sexy Lexy on "Smallville"), a good show great (where would "The Shield" be without Vic Mackey?), and a great show exceptional (Anthony LaPaglia raises "Without a Trace" to a whole other level). All characters on my list are from television shows that have been on for at least a year. This season has offered up some terrific characters (a very special shout-out to Seth on "The O.C.," I promise we'll see you next year) but great characters evolve over time.

9. Donna on "The West Wing": I have a friend who firmly believes Donna and Josh should spin-off into their own sitcom. Donna is the grounding force in the fictional Oval Office. In between hilarious banter with her boss ("Who's in charge of shopping?") and consistent concern for him, Donna has blossomed into great modern female character -- a girl Friday for the new millennium.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 10-06-03

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - You know in those horror movies when the hero and the audience think the bad guy is dead? Then just when the hero believes it's safe, the villain makes his inexplicable last move. That's what it's like with Mary-Louise Parker on "The West Wing." Parker's Amy simply won't go away. She could disappear (just like Mandy did sans explanation at the end of the first season) and would anyone care?

I'm still not quite sure what Amy said last week (who can understand her?) but she'll make a move on Josh in this Wednesday's episode. Suffice to say I'm not happy about this development. But are we all about negative thoughts here at Team TV Gal? Nooooo. Of course we're not. So let's focus on what's been great about this season.

Quotes of the Week: "Do you guys always walk so fast?" Ryan to Donna and Josh on "West Wing"

Gary Cole, who we just saw on the season premiere of "Karen Sisco," shows up as the new vice president on "West Wing" (Wednesday, NBC, 9 p.m.). By the way, if I write the TV Gal column on a computer, how does Toby write a major Presidential speech in long hand on yellow legal paper?

From Heather Havrilesky, Salon.com, 05-13-03, "Will the 'West Wing' Go South?"

<snipped> Despite its clear place at the top of the heap, though, "The West Wing" has had some pretty obvious flaws for a couple of seasons now, and it's not surprising that "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" could eat into its ratings. Four seasons in, are we any more familiar with C.J. (Allison Janney) or Leo (John Spencer) or Josh (Bradley Whitford) than we were after the first season? Plots focusing on the main characters' personal lives would be easy enough to weave into the mix, yet Josh and Donna (Janel Moloney) continue to flirt openly and do nothing, Toby (Richard Schiff) is so private he's downright boring, and Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), mysteriously likable and ripe for the romantic picking, was ignored to the point of blatant negligence. And why? So C.J. and Josh could stride down the hall for the umpteenth time, trading the same rapid-fire quips that feel more outdated than a battery-operated monkey singing the macarena?

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 04-24-03, Favorite Uncouples

First the definition of an uncouple: I'm talking about those couple who have never been together, might never be together, yet the possibility of their romance lingers in the background.

Josh and Donna on "The West Wing": Their flirtation has escalated (note how she kept teasing him and calling him good-looking and he threw rocks at her window during the inaugural ball), but they remain, for the most part, professional. He's her boss; she's his assistant. Clearly, they love each other, but the show has kept their mutual attraction lingering for four seasons. Will they ever find love? Or is Donna fated to only become smitten with guest stars?

From the style section, the wedding issue, 03-14-03, "Top 4 TV Characters and their weddings"

We love Donna, the sleeper star of NBC's "The West Wing," played by Janel Maloney.  We love even more that there seems to be a budding romance between her and Josh, played by Bradley Whitford.  And if she were to wed, we're thinking Donna would be the perfect minimalist bride--sophisticated, understated and elegant.

For song:  Donna adores cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and we do too.  The Bach Suite No 1 in G major is stunning and romantic, and it tells a love story without any words at all.

From Brian Lowry, 02-19-03, "The Tale of Rob Lowe's Wild Ride"

It's impossible to know for sure, but some of that audience might have been more engaged had Whitford broken down and planted one on Moloney, or Lowe removed his shirt and tie occasionally. He's certainly done it before.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 02-06-03, Terrible TV Matches

5. Josh and Amy on "The West Wing": Mary Louise Parker almost succeeded in ruining one of my all time favorite television characters.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 02-03-03

I think we should start fining Aaron Sorkin every time he introduces a character who then disappears. I mean: where is Lily Tomlin? Sure she got a Screen Actors Guild nomination last week (too ridiculous to even discuss. I like Lily Tomlin, but she hasn't been on the show enough to be nominated), but we never see the President's secretary. While I don't miss Mary Louise Parker, but I do think Josh needs to explain what happened to his girlfriend. And we know where Sam is, but shouldn't we be getting some sort of update on how the campaign is going? This week on "The West Wing" (Wednesday, NBC, 9 p.m.), the President is rewriting his inaugural address.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 01-20-03

Allison Janney has won three Emmys for "The West Wing" (Wednesday, NBC, 9 p.m.), so was there really a need to provide her with an obvious "give me an Emmy" episode? Besides, CJ is far too together to not know how sick her father is. And wouldn't her stepsister have called her to tell her about her dad? And, hello, CJ has a brother. Remember we met her niece last season. Surely, she would discuss her father's health with him. Shouldn't there be a deputy press secretary who could have handled the press conference better than Toby? Oh, I could go on and on, but such a disregard for continuity and shoddy attention to detail shows a lack of respect for the viewers' intelligence.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 01-13-03, on her top 10 TV Guys

8. Bradley Whitford: It's Whitford's smile and Josh's charming personality that put the deputy chief of staff on my list.

From Alan Sepinwall & Matt Zoller Seitz, All TV, 12-23-02, Television's biggest letdowns in 2002

"The West Wing," for coasting into a second term. Why did we need to spend a season and a half on an election storyline where the outcome was never in doubt? Why are the producers so attached to Mary-Louise Parker's irritating feminist cupcake Amy Gardner? Why has President Bartlet become such a schizophrenic character? Why did Rob Lowe only start getting interesting material after he quit? Why did creator Aaron Sorkin swap the freedom of an alternate universe for the prison of yesterday's headlines?

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 12-23-02, on her favorite quotes of 2002

"So many women, so little charm." Donna to Josh on "The West Wing."

"Those are good stories about you though. Those stories would make me like you," Josh to Donna on "The West Wing."

"She talks about you so much. Sometimes I want to kill you," Zoey's new boyfriend to Charlie on "The West Wing." 

"Do you mind if I talk to you while we walk?" Sam to Josh on a flashback episode of "The West Wing."

"If Donna wasn't with them they'd have to buy a house." The President about the stranded Josh and Toby on "The West Wing."

"In the future, if you're wondering -- 'Crime, boy I don't know' -- is when I decided to kick your ass." President Bartlet to Senator Richie on "The West Wing."

From Sonia Mansfield, San Francisco Examiner, 12-30-02, on the best TV had to offer - 2002

Best On-screen Duo (aka the Uncouple)

    Sydney (Jennifer Garner) and Vaughan (Michael Vartan) from "Alias." Runner-up: Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Donna (Janel Moloney) from "The West Wing."

Most Improved Show

    "The West Wing" -- This Emmy-winning series hit story line slumps last season (Mary-Louise Parker's annoying Amy, "The Bodyguard" storyline for C.J.), but judging by the new episodes so far this season, "The West Wing" is getting back in the swing of things.

From Andrew Ryan, The Globe And Mail, 12-11-02, about episode "Holy Night"

The West Wing (CTV, 8 p.m.; NBC, 9 p.m.) gets back on track tonight. It is the Christmas Episode and creator Aaron Sorkin has wisely turned the story away from  tedious global issues and back onto the White House staff, which is why people watched the show in the first place.

It's Christmas in Washington and the city is being pummelled by a winter storm, making for a homey Currier and Ives setting. Bartlet (Martin Sheen) starts in again with the psychiatrist; Toby (Richard Schiff) is visited by his long-absent father; Josh (Brad Whitford) realizes he's in love with his assistant Donna (Janel Moloney).

All told, it's pretty corny but at least it helps to re-humanize the characters a bit. There's a tear-jerker ending, since it's Christmas, after all, but we won't give it away. It's a notch above most West Wing episodes this season, although most likely just a brief respite. 

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 12-16-02, on her 10 favorite shows

"The West Wing" (Wednesday, NBC, 9 p.m.): Yes, the show has faltered over the past year and Sorkin does have a pesky habit of introducing characters who then disappear or die an untimely death (poor Mark Harmon). But I think last week's reunion episode proved that Aaron Sorkin is desperately trying to get on our good side. Besides, when "West Wing" is good, it's very, very good and when it's bad, well it's still better than most things on television. Where will Sorkin go with the Josh and Donna relationship? What will happen when Danny writes that story? Will Sodapop win the election? All reasons to keep tuning in.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 10-21-02

I'm hearing from several sources that we might not have Amy to kick around any more on "The West Wing." We'll see staff await the election results on Nov. 6 and here's a shock -- it looks like Bartlett will win. Christian Slater and Joshua Molina (Jeremy on "Sports Night") guest star.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 10-14-02

"The West Wing" is definitely on the road to recovery, but I still can't figure out what they are planning to do with Mary Louise Parker's character (while they are figuring that out I really hope Parker loses the dreadful askew ponytail she sported in last week's episode). Parker and Bradley Whitford continue to have a surprising lack of chemistry, Josh's verbal sparring with Donna remains infinitely more enjoyable (one of my friends wants them to get married and have their own spin-off sitcom). My gut (and the various rumors I keep hearing) tells me that NBC's promotions for this week's show (Wednesday, NBC, 9 p.m.) are misleading and that Josh and Amy's romance is on its way out. Keep your fingers crossed.

From Amy, a.k.a. TV Gal at Zap2it.com, 10-7-02

"West Wing" (Amy, whatcha gonna do? I think Josh might not be in love with you)...

From Wanda at E!Online in her after the Emmys bit, 9-26-02

Ask and Ye Shall Receive: Ever in search of good Josh-and-Donna news, while on the red carpet for the Emmys, I asked West Wing executive producer Aaron Sorkin for a ray of hope--however small--for J-D fans. "You want them together?" he said. "Okay, fine. Done! Just for you! Right here. Right now. It's done." If I'd known it was that easy, I'd have asked years ago. Anyone know the number for those Friends producers?

Still, Janel Moloney (Donna) was a little less promising about the possibility. "Actually, I think the longer they put it off the better," she said, "but I think it will eventually happen."

A little farther down the carpet, Mary-Louise Parker (a nominee and now a semi-regular cast member) admitted that she'd gotten a little flack for keeping Josh and Donna apart: "Someone in my family gave me a hard time," she chuckled. " 'How can you break them up?' I actually felt a little guilty about it the first time I read the script. Because I like them together, too."

From The Star Ledger, Alan Sepinwall, Pre Emmy talk, 7-19-02

Leading the category "The most head-scratching nominations" - Mary-Louise Parker, not because she only appeared in seven episodes of 'The West Wing,' but because she was so annoying in all of them.

From USA Today Season Finale Reviews, 5-27-02

Most disappointing finale: The West Wing (NBC). Not the worst, mind you. That prize goes to The Practice, where a revolting (then forgotten) first hour led into a ludicrous convict Lindsay second half. But by that point, we didn't expect anything from The Practice. We did expect more from West Wing than the murder of Mark Harmon's Secret Service agent, a cheap trick designed to rid the show of an inconvenient romantic interest. Oh, and as much as we love Bradley Whitford and Mary-Louise Parker separately, when they're together they're like the combination of fingernails and blackboard.

 

 

 

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