Queer Gals Watch the West Wing

Leigh and Fi crash into The West Wing Series 3, Episode 13 "Night Five" Fiona is thrilled by the triumphant return of Dr. Stanley Keyworth while Leigh only has eyes for Emily Proctor as the inimitable Ainsley Hayes chatting all things Lipstick Feminism with Queer Gals faves Bonnie and Ginger. Said discussion lends the question, where would Ainsley Hayes stand in 2025 on the Make America Hot Again...

Leigh and Fi chat all things "The Two Bartlet's" with Series 3, Episode 12 of the West Wing. Leigh has an identity crisis as she fins herself agreeing with Josh Lyman for the whole episode and disagreeing quite vehemently with CJ Cregg. Fi meanwhile feels quite passionately about the final scene between Toby Ziegler and President Bartlet. Then Leigh takes us on a journey through the history of Pre...

Leigh and Fi are deep in State of the Union prep in Series 3, Episode 11 of the West Wing, "100,000 Planes" It's a huge day for Fiona because we're finally getting the Sam Seaborn broken engagement backstory we all need and deserve with the entrance of Lisa from Vanity Fair. Leigh is thrilled at the triumphant return of Joey Lucas and itching to discuss how the 2001 Kate Beckinsale, Ben Affleck ma...

Leigh and Fi dive into Series 3, Episode 10 of the West Wing "H. Con 172" It's Presidential Censure time in the White House and a victory lap moment for John Spencer as Leo McGarry after last week's episode, "Bartlet for America." Leigh can't get over Josh Lyman embarrassing himself and all of us in his pursuit of Amy Gardner while Fi is once again devastated, moved and thrilled by Toby Ziegler's...

Leigh and Fi are emotionally floored by John Spencer in the West Wing Season 3, Episode 9, "Bartlet for America." Yet again it is Christmas in the West Wing and Aaron Sorkin has delivered an emotional gut punch tied in a Christmas bow. Leigh enjoys a slight reprieve from the emotional devastation in the campaign flashbacks and Fi is brought to tears by a napkin. Then Leigh takes a look into the hi...

Leigh and Fi are wild over Seaosn 3, Episode 8 of the West Wing, "The Women of Qumar." It's the debut episode for the one and only Amy Gardner, Leigh is mad at Jed Bartlet for being a toxic "good guy." Fi wants to chat Mad Cow and is almost brought to tears by the power of CJ Cregg and Toby Ziegler's friendship. That's all before Leigh dives into the story of Seattle legend, Lou Graham, and explai...

It's Thanksgiving in the West Wing again as Leigh and Fi discuss "The Indians in the Lobby." Fi is outraged that Josh Lyman has forgotten what state his mother lives in and Leigh feels deeply for Donna Moss as she tries to book her boss flights the day before Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, it feels only fitting to discuss the first Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland. With honourable mention to the c...

Leigh and Fi are stressed out about life on submarines in "Gone Quiet" Fi is thrilled to have Aaron Sorkin recognise that CJ Cregg is, in fact, too sexy and Leigh is mesmerised by another Abbey Bartlet, Oliver Babbish showdown. But there's no way Leigh can let a discussion of a Special Investigation into a charismatic democratic president go without chatting about Monica Lewinsky. With honourable...

Leigh and Fi are blown away by The West Wing Series 3, Episode 5 "War Crimes." Fiona is deeply moved by John Spencer's performance as Leo McGarry and Leigh is gagged over the Josh and Donna of it all. What was in that diary??? Even more interestingly, the House Oversight Committee is getting into some good trouble at the moment with its own real life investigation in real time in 2025 into the Eps...

Leigh and Fi knee deep in the West Wing Series 3, Episode 4, "On the Day Before" starring a sick Abbey Bartlet in silk pyjamas. Fi is swooning over CJ Cregg in a one-shoulder cocktail dress and keen to highlight Josh Lyman's latest HR nightmares with Donna Moss. Meanwhile, Leigh is scintillated by a showdown with an entertainment reporter in the White House Press Briefing and in awe, as ever, of N...

Leigh and Fi dive into Season 3, Episode 3 of the West Wing, "Ways and Means." The gals are deeply affected by the breakdown of Donna Moss's filing system. Leigh is jumping for joy at the triumphant return of fan favourite Republican, Ainsley Hayes and Fi is beside herself at Sam Seaborn seamlessly switching to fluent Spanish mid negotiation. Meanwhile, Leigh dives into the ever changing role of t...

Leigh and Fi experience for the first time, The West Wing special episode, Isaac and Ishmael, in response to the 9/11 attacks. Fi is very invested in Josh Lyman as a cool high school teacher and Leigh is for some reason chatting about a Reese Witherspoon film from 2007 that was almost universally panned but she found very impactful (Meryl Streep as CIA agent? Yes please!) With honourable mention t...

Leigh and Fi are all about Manchester Part II. Leigh is thrilled to have further confirmation from none other than Jed Bartlet that all American men want to be astronauts. Fiona is deeply skeptical about Abbey Bartlet's cider making. Joshua Lyman has slid even further into toxic masculinity after screwing up the timing on Big Tobacco. Most importantly we are fully back in the swing of the West Win...

This is the moment you've waited for all summer long! Manchester Part I has arrived. Leigh and Fi are thrilled by the arrival of Sex and the City crossover actor, Evan Handler, into the West Wing and Leigh only gets to grips with the time jump element about half way into the episode. With honourable mention to CJ Cregg in peak burnout and Jed Bartlet in blue jeans. See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Dearest listeners, you may have been wondering why on earth we took a break from giving you in depth coverage of the West Wing in order to give you a summer of absolutely mad movie content. Thank you so much for baring with us. The reason is we have been at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with a new piece of theatre we made, ROTUS: Receptionist of the United States. Thank you so very much to those o...

Surprise! By popular demand from our gorgeous listeners, we watched every Wingnut's favourite movie, American President. To say Annette Bening knows how to wear a men's white shirt is an understatement and Adam Shepherd is a dreamboat president. But most importantly, is Aaron Sorkin just a boy, standing in front of the American people, asking to write a rom-com? See Privacy Policy at https://art19...

Leigh and Fi are thrilled to be chatting about the 1996 classic, Independence Day, starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum with musician, friend of the pod, and Leigh's girlfriend, Elizabeth Hall. Bill Pullman is iconic as POTUS, aliens are hovering over all the biggest US cities, and Jeff Goldblum is hacking the mainframe and looking incredible doing it. It's very easy to be proud to be an american...

Leigh and Fi are amazed to discover Chasing Liberty is almost exactly the same film as first daughter just with Europe and inter-railing. We are joined this week by brilliant comedian and radio host, Leah Davis! Mandy Moore is the first daughter this time instead of Katie Holmes and rather than have a normal college experience, she just wants to go to the Berlin Love parade and almost dies 17 time...

Leigh and Fi are deep in their queer YA fantasy with friend of the pod, comedian, Ciara O'Connor, watching Red, White and Royal Blue (2023). There is so much to unpack about the movie adaptation of this viral book. Uma Thurman is the President of the United States and also a Texan woman. Stephen Fry is the King of England. And the first son's racy emails are getting leaked to the press. See Privac...

Leigh and Fi are watching First Daughter (2004) starring Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton with viral comedian and they are joined this week by comedian and viral Private School Mum, Sophie Garrad. There are many questions to unpack with this film. Namely, why is there so much sexual tension between the President of the United States and the First Daughter? What exactly is a normal girl? Why is Kati...

For this week's movie special, Leigh and Fi are joined by friend of the pod, actor, writer and director, Megan Prescott. You might know her as Katie Fitch in Skins or from her one-woman show, Really Good Exposure, as directed by our very own Fiona. The gals are obsessed this week with Amanda Bynes in the 2003 classic What a Girl Wants. Some might think not a very political film, but Leigh and Fi f...

Leigh and Fi are joined by comedian and viral backup singer, Christopher Hall, to discuss the 1999 Reese Witherspoon classic, Election, co-starring Mr. Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick. Particular highlights include the joy of recording a movie from the TV onto VHS tape, the thrills of 90s mom jeans, and the joy of some proper young lesbian love. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

Leigh and Fi dive into the movie magic of Dick (1999) with Becca and Molly of Pod and Prejudice. The year is 1972 (via the late 90s) and Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams are Richard Nixon's White House dog walkers and very secret Youth Advisors. Leigh and Fi are baffled to never have heard of this instant favourite before. Watergate but make it girlhood and you've got a very Queer Gals coded mo...

Our first ever movie special! Queer Gals takes a hiatus from Aaron Sorkin land and the West Wing to discuss the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, On the Basis of Sex, with cabaret artist and comedienne extraordinaire, Sarah Hester Ross. With Sarah, Leigh and Fi discuss the life and times of the dead departed Supreme Court Justice, as portrayed in Mimi Leder's 2018 film starring Felicity Jones as the not...

Leigh and Fi wrap up Season Two of the West Wing! This week your favourite queer gals take a look back over Season 2, answer listener questions, make predictions for Season 3, and rank their favourite Season 2 episodes. Where do Josh and Donna go from, “If you were in an accident I wouldn’t stop for red lights?” Who might be Mrs Landingham’s replacement as President Bartlet’s private secretary? An...