well well well... another one closes its doors next May! not just ONE, but a great one. The West Wing Says goodbye after a 7 year run on NBC.
the decision, so it was reported, was reached before John Spencer's untimely passing, which means probably early December. that being said it's easy to reach the conclusion that they weren't waiting to see how the 7th year played out, they intended to cancel it probably from the very beginning, because by December only 7 of the 22 episodes were aired. that's hardly a define sample of the years ratings, to consider it a failure or success.
what shocks me, and to good reason is the number of shows that ran 5 years plus were canceled in the last 2 years: let's count'em:

friends (10 years) (1994-2004) NBC
Frasier (11 years)(1993-2004)-NBC
Will and Grace (8 years) (1998-2005)NBC
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) (9 years)CBS
NYPD Blue (12 years) (1993-2005) ABC
Alias (5 years) (2001-2006) ABC
The West Wing (7 years) (1999-2006) NBC
Six Feet Under (5 years) (2001-2005)HBO

these shows, while very different in style and theme could be considered some of the best shows of the last decade. and all were canceled in a 2 year time period. sure there were some hits (particularly for ABC) that came right after these ones were canceled, but if you look at this list and particularly the "must see" hits canceled by NBC, it's no wonder that network is in the crapper right now....
these shows represented at some point in TV history either a funny comedy or an inteligent drama (or sometimes both) and met his demise due to the stupid politics of comercial tv.
alas.. I hope another batch comes back soon

I know some fans of the show already did a deserved homage to him and his characters, but it's never enough to praize someone's talent. he really was good! and I truly believe that his very unique voice will be remembered, together with his performances for many many years to come.
I know a "thank you" seems too little to give back to an actor as great as he was, but unfortunately it's the little I can give, as well as assure that his acting skills and performances will be remembered for as long as I remember them. my deepest condolences to his family and to his colleagues and, once again.. thank you John Spencer