Missing ‘Designated Survivor’ 10 Years Later? Check Out These TV Shows Next
Between his jobs saving fictional U.S. presidents on 24 and playing a real-life one on The First Lady, Kiefer Sutherland took the Oval Office under tragic circumstances as Tom Kirkman on Designated Survivor. At the start of the political drama, Kirkman went from cabinet member to commander-in-chief when an explosion at the State of the Union eliminated everyone ahead of him in the line of succession.
The political drama, created by David Guggenheim, premiered on September 21, 2016, and had a two-season term on ABC before getting re-elected for one season on Netflix. And if you’re looking for similar TV shows now, 10 years after Designated Survivor’s debut, consider the candidates below, including Sutherland’s biggest claim to fame and a South Korean take on a familiar story.
24
Designated Survivor isn’t Sutherland’s most famous or acclaimed political thriller series. That would be 24, in which the actor plays a counter-terrorism agent saving the day in 24 real-time episodes per season. Viewer discernment is advised, however: The show spurred both anti-Muslim and pro-torture accusations. Currently streaming on Hulu.
Bodyguard
Here we have another TV series about a politician under duress. This time it’s Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), a United Kingdom home secretary who comes under literal fire for her politics. And the man tasked with protecting her, Police Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), is a war veteran who’s no fan of hers either. Currently streaming on Netflix.
The Night Agent
Based on a novel by Matthew Quirk and adapted by Shawn Ryan, this action thriller stars Gabriel Basso as a low-level FBI agent whose job manning a phone in the White House basement suddenly gets a lot less boring, miring him in a conspiracy leading upstairs to the Oval Office. Currently streaming on Netflix.
The Diplomat
From former West Wing writer Debora Cahn comes this series, billed as a “political drama about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships, between countries and people.” And the drama just keeps getting better, as each season has earned more Emmy nominations than the last. Currently streaming on Netflix.
Borgen
Like Tom Kirkman, Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) also finds herself in the highest office in the land in this Peabody Award-winning Danish series. Unlike in Designated Survivor, however, the improbable event that lands her there is a political explosion rather than, you know, a literal explosion. Currently streaming on Netflix.
Madam Secretary
Meanwhile, back stateside, this political drama followed a former CIA analyst and current political science professor thrust into the role of U.S. secretary of state. Téa Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord not only has to acclimate to the role but uncover the shadowy forces that got her there. Currently streaming on The Roku Channel.
The West Wing
The West Wing is the standard to which any TV drama about U.S. presidents will be compared… even though President Jed Bartlett (Martin Sheen) wasn’t even supposed to be a main character. Instead, creator Aaron Sorkin spotlights the civil servants in Bartlet’s administration, who tirelessly toil toward a better America. Currently streaming on HBO Max & Netflix.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days
In this South Korean adaptation of the original Designated Survivor, Minister of Environment Park Mu-jin (Ji Jin-hee) suddenly becomes No. 1 in the line of presidential succession following an explosion at the National Assembly. But here’s where this version differs from the original: Park is only an acting president, and he has 60 days to uncover the culprits behind the attack. Currently streaming on Netflix.
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