TV show’s terror story attacked by critics

Producers of the television show The West Wing came under fire today for a one-off special focusing on terrorism on America.

The show - believed to be the first drama to make deliberate reference to terrorism in the wake of the September 11 terror strikes - was criticised for its weak plot, ‘‘pompous speeches’’ and its timing.

Its plot centred on a security lockdown at the White House after an employee was found to have the same surname as a suspect terrorist.

References were made to a plot to bomb La Guardia airport in New York, but the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon attacks were not mentioned.

Characters in the show - shown on Channel 4 in Britain - discussed the dangers of anti-Muslim prejudice and terrorism, and specifically mentioned Afghanistan.

Scriptwriters faced criticism for making the programme too based around speeches, with the USA Today newspaper calling it ‘‘a crashing and often condescending bore’’.

The episode came ‘‘too soon’’ but was not exploitative of the tragedy, the paper’s television critic Robert Bianco said.

The New York Post said the show, which only finished filming on Monday, ‘‘did little but make pompous speeches’’.

But Newsday said it was ‘‘more articulate and succinct than what passes for discussion on cable news channels most nights’’.