Commander in Chief

Right now, Commander in Chief is on Disney Plus, sitting at 8/10 on TMDB. Consistently well-regarded, and easy to understand why once you start watching. The drama format can be hit and miss at this level of ambition, but Commander in Chief handles it with more confidence than most. The 40 viewer ratings on TMDB are not an accident — shows that sustain that level of engagement across their run have earned it. A single, focused run means there is no filler — every episode carries weight. Get it started on Disney Plus and see why so many viewers already have strong opinions about it.

Mackenzie Allen has a lot on her plate -- she has twin teenagers, a 6-year-old at home and an ambitious husband at the office, and she is about to become the first female president of the United States. Before that happens, however; Mackenzie, who serves as vice president, has to decide whether or not to go against the dying wishes of the current president, who has asked her to step down and let someone "more appropriate" fill his shoes in the Oval Office. Not only does the president want her to resign, so does the entire party that elected her in the first place. Geena Davis and Donald Sutherland lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It aired in 2005–2006. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping every episode in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. The consistency across the run is what elevates it — not every episode is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

If you are looking for television that takes its characters seriously and rewards patient viewing, Commander in Chief is exactly that. One of the more rewarding dramas of its era. The structure gives the show room to develop relationships over time in a way that episodic television rarely manages, and the writers take full advantage of that space. Fans of Bel-Air will find the same commitment to character here, with its own distinct sensibility and setting. Worth starting sooner rather than later — the earlier you get to it, the longer you will have to think about it.