It seems like so many shows today are centered around life in Washington, D.C. Whether your friends went missing for the entire weekend when season three of House of Cards was released, or you don’t understand why your roommate refuses to talk to you from 9 to 10 on Thursday nights, here is a breakdown of all the White House related shows. Get watching!
House of Cards
House of Cards is a Netflix original that has exploded in popularity. Countless students huddled up in their dorm room for a nearly 13 hours the weekend that Season 3 was released. Not for the faint of heart, this show follows Frank Underwood, a ruthless senator on the rise in Washington D.C. (Warning: This show is incredibly addictive.)
Scandal
Now in its fourth season, this ABC show has also gained immense popularity for its feminist ideas. This ground-breaking show is the first in 40 years to feature an African-American woman as a lead. It’s action packed, romance filled, and just about everything in between.
24
This Fox thriller takes place in real-time, with each season containing 24 episodes, each one hour of an extremely eventful day. Jack Bauer works for the Counter Terrorist Unit, so while not actually White House focused, it does include a lot of government protection and the occasional assassination attempt. This one is a long-term commitment, with 192 episodes in 8 seasons. It’s well worth the time.
Madam Secretary
This fairly new CBS drama has only one season so far. It stars Tea Leoni as a former CIA analyst-turned Secretary of State. Critics love the lead actress, but it scores only a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, labeling it as a fairly average show. Only time will tell for this political drama.
Cory in the House
What would this list be without this absolutely classic Disney spin-off? The Baxters, the family from That’s So Raven, move into the White House when Mr. Baxter gets a job as White House chef. Although they offer no explanation of what happened to Mrs. Baxter or to the psychic star Raven, this show had delightfully cheesy plot lines and the occasional kid friendly hip hop song. It’s the perfect trip down memory lane.
Commander in Chief
Only running one season, this show is included on the list because it depicts the life of the first female President. The biggest criticism is that the main character, Mackenzie Allen, only rises to office because she is Vice President when the current President dies. However, props to ABC for taking a leap into the giant hole that is the depiction of female presidents on television!
The West Wing
Arguably the greatest show about the White House, if only for the sole reason that President Jed Bartlett is a proud Notre Dame alum. Seriously, he wears ND apparel in almost every episode, and numerous shout-outs are given to the football team, such as when he makes the entire Press Corps sing our fight song as they fly over South Bend. It’s filled with quick, witty dialogue, realistic plotlines, and even some laughs. This is by far my favorite political drama.
Watch on, America!
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