On the topic of Michael Douglas/Martin Sheen
West Wing came about from ideas that Aaron Sorkin had left over from writing/making American President. It's why they are so closely tied-he wrote American President and then realized that he had all these great ideas left from it that he turned it into the West Wing.
I liked Michael Douglas more, only cause I'm more of a MD fan than a MS fan...that and I'm really really annoyed at West Wing that they pretty much got rid of one of the best plotlines of CJ/Danny...