Best President TV Shows

Writers and actors are quick to deny that there are any connections between their fictional TV presidents and their historical counterparts. It's hard not to recognize the parallels when a close eye is applied. Where the similarities end, the differences seem to represent the wishes and fantasies of the show runner. Perhaps the best president TV shows are indicative of the political leanings of the Hollywood writer's culture and beliefs. Presidential hopefuls present and future should take a moment to review these TV presidential play books.

This exciting series has Kiefer Sutherland as our new President. Created by David Guggenheim, the premise of this drama is quite dark. On the night of the State of the Union address, an explosion kills the President and all of the Cabinet members, except for Tom Kirkman (Sutherland). Kirkman was the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. As the “designated survivor” he is immediately sworn in as President.

Mr. President

George C. Scott takes on the role of President Samuel Arthur Treschin in this 1987 presidential sitcom. Created by Johnny Carson’s company, Carson Productions, this series did not last nearly as long as a one-term president. A former governor of Wisconsin, we are witness to the President’s wife leaving him at the beginning of the second season. Perhaps this is why the show ended after that season. Though short-lived, any performance by George C. Scott is worth watching.

Created by Shonda Rhimes, Scandal follows a former media consultant named Olivia Pope who creates her own crisis management firm to help President Fitzgerald Grant III. Pope’s character is partially based on former George H.W. Bush’s press aide Judy Smith, who serves as a co-executive producer. Throughout its seasons, the show has starred Kerry Washington, Henry Ian Cusick, Columbus Short, Darby Stanchfield, Jeff Perry, and many more. Kerry Washington has won a TV Guide Award for her portrayal of Pope, while Scandal itself has won an NAACP Award, Vision Award, and a Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

Political Animals is a USA Network series that follows a former first family as they continue to fight off their political opponents while fighting each other. The family must pull together in order to help one another, because journalists want to destroy their name. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Carla Gugino, Sebastian Stan, and Ellen Burstyn. The show was honored at the 2012 Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Most Exciting New Series with four other TV shows. It also gained nominations for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Weaver, and Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Burstyn.

State of Affairs is an NBC show starring Katherine Heigl and Alfre Woodard. It follows a CIA analyst who must assemble and present the President’s Daily Briefing on the most important security issues facing the nation. Woodard was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as President Constance Payton. Although there are only 13 episodes, this show is a must watch because of the intense drama and action packed into such a short amount of time.

In this Commander in Chief, Geena Davis stars as the first female president of the United States. Besides having twin teenagers and a six-year-old at home, she must balance her home life and her political career. While the dying current president and the rest of the political party that elected her tell her to step aside and let someone else more appropriate take the position as president, Davis’ character does not listen to them and takes matters into her own hands by accepting the position. The show aired on ABC in 2005 and the female president’s leadership style was constantly compared and contrasted to the president of The West Wing.

1600 Penn stars Josh Gad, Jenna Elfman, Bill Pullman, and Benjamin Stockham. The comedy is about a dysfunctional family living in the White House. This show marks the second time Pullman has played the president of the United States, the first time being in Independence Day. Paul Meekin of Star Pulse noted that the show was unable to escape the footprint of The West Wing and wondered if it was "a years-late West Wing parody, a humorous and fresh take on presidential politics, or somewhere in between?” Meanwhile, Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post called Josh Gad “by far the best thing about this show.”

The 2014 CBS drama Madam Secretary follows the level-headed United States Secretary of State Dr. Elizabeth Faulkner, played by Tea Leoni, who has great knowledge of the Middle East and uses her language skills and creative thinking to her benefit. As she serves her country under President Conrad Dalton, she must also find time for her family at home while they try to support her through her tough work. The show stars Tim Daly, Bebe Neuwirth, Erich Bergen, Patrick Breen, and Geoffrey Arend.

The Event is an NBC show starring Jason Ritter, Sarah Roemer, Laura Innes, Ian Anthony Dale, and Scott Patterson. The show follows Sean Walker, a man who investigates the disappearance of his fiancé and comes across the biggest cover-up in American history. His actions end up affecting a number of strangers, including the President of the United States, played by Blair Underwood. While the show was canceled after its first season, there is hope that it will be turned into a tv movie for the SyFy Channel.

The HBO comedy Veep follows Senator Selina Meyer as she travels up the ranks from Vice President to President of the United States. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, and Matt Walsh. The show itself has won several awards, and Louis-Dreyfus herself has won three Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Veep enters its fourth season, firmly established as one of television’s best comedies, and then immediately does what seems impossible—it delivers its most thoroughly assured, hilarious and brilliantly written and acted episodes.”

The West Wing is a TV series that ran from 1999 to 2006. It starred Martin Sheen as the President of the United States as well as Dule Hill, Rob Lowe, Alan Alda, Allison Janney, John Spencer, and many others. The show was not only praised by viewers, but also by former White House staffers. It won three Golden Globes and 26 Emmy Awards, and TV Guide ranked it as seventh place on their list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time. Meanwhile, The Writers Guild of America ranked it number 10 on its Best Written TV Series List.

The best president on television is Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in House of Cards. This Netflix original series follows the cutthroat Underwood as he manipulates his way up the ranks to reach the presidency. It stars Robin Wright, Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Reg E. Cathey, and many more. While Spacey won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series-Drama in 2015, Wright also won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series-Drama in 2014. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first seasons an 84 percent, saying, “Bolstered by strong performances—especially from Kevin Spacey—and sure-handed direction, House of Cards is a slick, engrossing drama that may redefine how television is produced.”