Final episode of The West Wing: blub-a-licious!

Well, I blubbed like a big girl's blouse several times during the finale of The West Wing. Saying goodbye to such well-loved, well-written and well-acted characters isn't easy, but the programme's makers did with dignity and class. The ghost of the late, great John Spencer was never far away to help tug at the heartstrings. In the final scene with newly inaugurated President Matt Santos, I kept wanting him to say the Bartlett catchphrase "What's next?" - and, eventually, he did. Strangely, the flashforward to life after the Bartlett presidency that screened at the start of season 7 was not paid off in the last episode. But it was nice to see the show's creator, Aaron Sorkin, make a cameo appearance as one of the guests at the inauguration ceremony. All in all, a classy end to a top class series. Still doesn't oust the M*A*S*H finale as my favourite, but a job well done.

Sigh. Like seems that little bit emptier without any more West Wing to look forward to. Throw in the fact both The Shield and The Sopranos are also approaching their own endgames and many of the my favourite shows in recent years are fading away...