Althought political TV shows can entertain us, they can also provide us with powerful insights about political culture—about the daily functioning of foreign governments. That is because the brutal world of politics combined with some excellent plot twists has managed to enthral audiences from all over the world, even those who know very little about American politics.
Are you a huge fan of political TV shows? Here are 5 TV series for you to watch after you’ve had your fill of cable news.
5 Fantastic Political TV Shows to Stream Right Now
#1 Scandal
Scandal is an American political thriller television series starring Kerry Washington. Created by Shonda Rhimes, it aired on ABC from 2012 until 2018, for 124 episodes over seven seasons. Kerry Washington’s character, Olivia Pope, is partially based on former George H.W. Bush administration press aide Judy Smith, who serves as a co-executive producer.
Olivia Pope, a former media consultant to the president, is ready to move on with her life and opens her own crisis-management firm, but she can’t seem to shake ties with her past. Olivia’s staff includes Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes), who has a complicated history, and hacker extraordinaire Huck (Guillermo Díaz). As she moves forward it becomes clear that, while her staffers may specialize in cleaning up the lives of other people, they can’t seem to do the same for themselves.
#2 Designated Survivor
Designated Survivor is an American political drama television series created by David Guggenheim that airs on ABC. Kiefer Sutherland stars as Thomas Kirkman, an American politician named the designated survivor for the State of the Union, who suddenly ascends to the position of President after an explosion kills everyone in the line of succession. Kirkman deals with his inexperience as President while looking to uncover the truth behind the attack.
On the night of the State of the Union, an explosion destroys the United States Capitol building and claims the lives of the President and everyone in the line of succession except for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Thomas Kirkman, who had been named the designated survivor. Kirkman is immediately sworn in as President, unaware that the attack is just the beginning of what is to come.
#3 Veep
Veep is an American political satire comedy television series, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, that premiered on HBO on April 22, 2012. The series was created by Scottish writer Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his British sitcom The Thick of It. Veep is set in the office of Selina Meyer, a fictional vice president (and, later, president) of the United States. The series follows Meyer and her team as they attempt to make their mark and leave a legacy without getting tripped up in the day-to-day political games that define the American government.
#4 House of Cards
House of Cards is an American political thriller television series created by Beau Willimon. It is an adaptation of the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same name and based on the novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs. The first 13-episode season premiered on February 2013 on the Netflix.
House of Cards is set in Washington, D.C. and is the story of Congressman Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a Democrat from South Carolina’s 5th congressional district and House Majority Whip. He is passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, so he initiates an elaborate plan to attain power, aided by his wife Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). The series deals with themes of ruthless pragmatism, manipulation and power.
#5 The Crown
The Crown is a historical drama web television series, created and principally written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. The show is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) of the United Kingdom.
The first season (2016) covers the period from her marriage to Philip (Matt Smith), Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret’s (Vanessa Kirby) engagement to Peter Townsend (Ben Miles) in 1955. The second season (2017) covers the period from the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen’s third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan (Anton Lesser), in 1963 to the birth of Prince Edward in 1964. The third season (2018) will continue from 1964, covering Harold Wilson’s two terms as the Prime Minister until 1976, while the fourth will see Margaret Thatcher’s premiership and a focus on Diana, Princess of Wales.