American politics seems so much more interesting, so much more clear-cut: you're either a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a liberal.

And then there's Irish television drama. The term itself is basically an oxymoron, so we're constantly looking to the US to entertain us during prime time.

So when terrific American political drama like The West Wing comes along, we're going to lap it up. In fact, Ireland is ahead of the rest of Europe in airing the show --- Britain's Channel 4 is currently halfway through season two; our RTE is in the middle of season three. Yet this never gets mentioned anywhere! Whenever books and websites feature critique of the programme overseas, they give quotes from English newspapers, and list UK airing dates, and you come away with the impression that TWW is only shown in America and the UK when it isn't. We're ahead of them Brits!

In fact, when the first season was shown on the UK's Channel 4 last year, the ratings weren't even very high. To everyone apart from C4, the reason for this was quite obvious --- they were airing the show sometime between 11pm and 1am on a weeknight, when we were all in bed! They've since copped on, and moved the show to Sunday at 9pm. RTE is showing season three at 10.30pm on Thursdays. Actually, Ireland is a great place to be if you're into The West Wing --- you've got the benefits of Irish and British TV at your fingertips, no ten-minute ad breaks like you reportedly get in the US, and a new episode every week during season --- no repeats! And, of course, we have the season one DVDs and you don't!

Reaction to the show here has generally been very positive, all the critics love it (it normally gets number two to The Sopranos in top ten lists); but sometimes it is misinterpreted. Patriotic scenes such as the end of The Midterms are often punctuated with utterances of 'bloody yanks', or snorts of derisive laughter from an Irish audience. I suppose it's all part of Europe's love/hate relationship with America. I read in one American publication recently, though, that TWW's snappy dialogue is often lost on European viewers --- this is simply not true! West Wing quotes manage to work their way into newspapers, magazines and radio programmes all across, well, this country anyway. And naturally, we all love Bartlet, as basically everyone here despises President Bush, and Sheen's character is like the anti-Bush.

So all of us fans in Ireland are looking forward to the continuing season three, and the development of the MS saga. My only personal fear is that Aaron Sorkin won't be able to sustain the beauty of the show for the full seven seasons, and it'll turn into a pedestrian US soap opera. Surely not!

To The West Wing! And its continued success outside the States.