8 Funniest Cold Opens In TV History
6. West Wing - Crisis Of Confidence
Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing is known for its rapid-fire dialogue, memorable characters and complex satirical look at the inner workings of American politics. But it also owes its success to its capacity for more informal, lighthearted scenes, in which the White House staff let off some steam and act like regular human beings, with ordinary, believable friendships.
Perhaps the best example of this comes from the episode Game On, in which a seemingly-serious scene (in which President Bartlet is being prepped for an upcoming debate) is defused with the reveal that the President has been pranking speechwriter Toby. Not really unprepared, the entire drill is a ruse; Bartlet bet his team 10 dollars that loudmouth Toby wouldn't be able to keep quiet if he gave a bad answer.