Episode 24 of the Poufwa Exchange has been released!

Absent a spontaneous, liquor-induced discussion of Glee popping up out of left field, we are pleased to release our final Poufwa Exchange of our first season! This one was lost, literally, in the editing bay for quite some time and was recently discovered behind a 24 pack of refreshing vitamin water. This episode features Julia’s microphone from hell, Mike’s final contribution to Poufwa before GoldGate, and repeat references to who we think will win the 2008 presidential election. This episode is about as current as the Golden Girl episodes where Rose wrote to Gorbachev and HW Bush stopped by the lanai, but it’s certainly a Poufwa Production!

Completing our four episode arc of West Wing’s first season, this episode is a commentary of the critical episode, Let Bartlet be Bartlet!

Rumors percolate about a scathing memo that outlines the weaknesses of President Bartlet’s (Martin Sheen) administration for his political rival and grip the White House, until C.J. (Allison Janney) learns it came from one of the trusted staff. Now in someone else’s possession, C.J. finally tracks it down to one reporter and tries to dissuade him from publishing it. Meanwhile, Sam (Rob Lowe) and Toby (Richard Schiff) meet with opposing military officers and congressmen to discuss amending the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy towards gays in the armed forces. When two members of the Federal Election Commission resign, Josh (Bradley Whitford) sees opportunity and moves fast to meet with contentious senator’s staffers to suggest that the President appoint two campaign finance reformers as replacements instead of those wanted by the Senate leadership. Leo (John Spencer) not only has trouble with the White House’s faulty e-mail system, he confronts the President and issues a challenge that could define or destroy his administration.

On behalf of the podcasters and staff, this first season of Poufwa Exchange has been a pressure-releasing hobby for us. PotterFicWeekly takes up a lot of hours in our day, and these twenty-four episodes represented downtime and variety for us. With Season 2, with PotterFicWeekly in the safe hands of loving and new owners, the Poufwa Exchange moves to our front burner! We’ll be transitioning to a Poufwa-style discussion format each week, with commentaries sprinkled in here and there, and in the first batch of episodes you can expect in-depth discussion and review of the pilot movie and first season of J. Michael Straczynski’s Babylon 5 and a reading group review of George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Future episodes will cover the balance of the works set in these universes, and we plan to also visit Firefly, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and if the wife and I have to record it by ourselves with Mama and Mother-in-Law Huggles, we’ll do it: Glee!

Happy listening, enjoy, and you’ll be hearing from us soon!

Episode 13 of the Poufwa Exchange has been released!

In tonight’s podcast, I am joined by Julia and PS as we listen to Episode 18 of the West Wing’s first season, Six Meetings Before Lunch.

When Zoey (Elisabeth Moss) attends a college fraternity party in which one of her friends is busted for using illegal drugs, C.J. (Allison Janney) struggles to keep the embarrassing story out of the press while the White House staff celebrates the confirmation of their nominee, Judge Mendoza (Edward James Olmos, not seen), for the Supreme Court. An uncomfortable Josh (Bradley Whitford) is assigned to talk with the administration’s controversial nominee (Carl Lumbly) for assistant attorney general for civil rights who advocates that African-Americans receive financial reparations for slavery. Elsewhere, Sam (Rob Lowe) crosses swords with Mallory (Allison Smith) over the issue of private school vouchers while Mandy (Moira Kelly) lobbies to secure two new pandas for the National Zoo.

We preemptively apologize for the Julia/Mrs. Landingham ship which continues to saturate our West Wing series. Wicked sorry.

Happy listening!

After an extended hiatus, the first season of Poufwa Exchange resumes with the release of Episode 10!

In this episode, Ryan, Julia, and PS resume our Poufwa rewatch of Aaron Sorkin’s, The West Wing, providing commentary on the hysterically poignant first season episode, Celestial Navigation. I refer to it as the one where CJ goes to the dentist and Bill Adama kicks ass, but you may be looking for more?

In a lecture at Georgetown, Josh recalls the previous week at the White House, during which he replaced a dentally impaired C.J. in the press room and gave a memorably disastrous briefing, while Toby and Sam fly to Connecticut and are now lost in a rental car on the Connecticut Turnpike. They’ve gone on critical business: the president’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Roberto Mendoza, was pulled over by the local police for “driving while Hispanic” and refuses to take a sobriety test.

If our laughing gets too loud, turn the TV up. Don’t turn the podcast down! It pisses off Toby.

Happy listening!

It is the last West Wing commentary for now and by the end of Season Four we were without Sorkin, Sam and nearly the White House after the events of the THE 25th.;

As he predicted four years ago, Bartlet endures the horror of his daughter’s kidnapping. ;

While the White House deals with the crisis, Toby faces the arrival of his children with a grimness only he can muster ( not just about thier names) and the President faces the dilemma the only way he can – by standing down in favour of Roseanne’s husband! ;

The most dramatic series cliffhanger so far, the show has MMM discussing the legality of Leo’s role, the way fathers are depicted on TV and the dramatic possibilities for Season Five ( most not taken up) . Plus Tony worries whether Emilio Estevez was paid for a flashback scene, Trev names his surprise favourite character and David considers whether there isn’t an obvious kidnapping suspect everyone is overlooking.;

The West Wing – good enough for Taye Diggs

Otherwise known as the Laura Dern one. If you hadn’t noticed, the West Wing was never exactly a yuk-fest but this third series episode was more light-hearted than most without cranking up a laugh track.

On the campaign trail, an off-mike quip by the President about his opponent’s brain size seems to do more good than harm. Toby’s heart (and frown) is a-racing when he must dissuade the Poet Laureate from speaking out about landmines and Josh makes the error of contributing to a fan-based website! Horrors!

The MMM team tackles Season Three and key issues like Toby’s seduction technique (such as it is) life in the aluminum siding business and whether it is a good idea to have a President who is Barbra Steisand’s husband (Crime.. gee I don’t know) Plus, how important is intellect to leadership? Should artists comment on politics and just how crazy are people on the Net? We said it was light but there is a lot to see in this story- the only one to feature two Jurassic Park stars

The West Wing – stop blaming Sam

Only time for the first part for now – but this was the dramatic opener to Series Two which was made in the shadow of two cliches – the assassination attempt and the flashback show. In the chaos after Rosslyn, the President is down but so is Josh. As the Joint Chiefs contemplate a possible attack by a man called bin Laden, the staff recall how they first came together on the campaign trail when things weren’t too hot and Bartlet speeches came with free jelly. Meanwhile, the President hasn’t signed a note for the VP and his latent health problems may come out…

See how you think the President looks in a hospital gown and catheter. The Mandyville legend begins and the WW does the first of many way back when tales. MMM looks at the 25th Amendment as only three Australians can and examines the epiphanies of three characters.
And Jane Lynch is in it.

The West Wing – you will NEVER forget to sign a note

Halfway through Season One and the Bartlet presidency is, to quote Sam Seaborn, “nowhere”.

The President’s inertia has led to a “let’s dangle our feet” mentality that has the team taking on several major issues (gays in the military, electoral contributions ) knowing there isn’t a shot in the chamber.

With that dreaded nemesis, “the piece of paper” floating around and a major drop in the polls, it is time for Leo to have it out with the President.

MMM returns to the West Wing with the first of four Sorkin-era commentaries. Join Trev, Tony and David as they discuss the causes of the President’s plight, what it has to do with THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT and just HOW do you spell his name. We also cover why Mandy left the show via becoming Donna and what it all has to do with Battlestar Galactica./blockquote>

In this episode, Ryan, Julia, Mike, and PS kick off a Poufwa rewatch of Aaron Sorkin’s, The West Wing offering commentary for the popular first season episode, In Excelsis Deo.

Toby tries to arrange a proper funeral for a homeless veteran; Josh and Sam try to set up a preemptive strike against Lillienfield, who is attacking Leo because of his prior drug and alcohol problem; CJ tries to get the staff to revisit the hate crimes issue; Bartlet sneaks out to do some last minute shopping.

In this episode, Julia and Ryan totally geek out on just about everything, PS ships Leo, Mike calls Toby a bastard, and Ryan lunges at him right there on the podcast! We also compare and contrast the characters of Josh and Toby, tell Mandy exactly what we think of her, and bow at the feet of LadyChi Mrs. Landingham.

Happy listening!