kaydeefalls | damn you, television

So I've got one episode left of season 1 West Wing, and I know it's a cliffhanger, which means my instinctive reaction is to order season 2 from amazon.com RIGHT NOW. And then I see that they're selling the complete series...for a lot of money, yes, but for a fair bit cheaper than if I buy the seasons individually, which, knowing me, IS going to happen.

However. Most long-running TV shows are not WORTH owning the entirety of. X-Files, for example, still my first and truest television love. I watched it all the way through the end when it was still airing, but I wisely refrained from purchasing anything after season 6 on DVD, because it all went to hell in a handbasket. So how long does West Wing stay good? Five seasons tend to be the expiration of most good TV shows. What is it for West Wing?

ETA: AUGH DAMN YOU SORKIN.

And damn myself for watching this now, when I know I've got shows to run for the next two nights and won't have a chance to start S2 by any means until Saturday at the earliest.