It’s not every day that we are given a political series where the President of the United States of America is not “ambitious” in the way we are used to.
But the makers of Designated Survivor seem to be pulling it off extremely well.
The drama is another series focused on the everyday life of politics in Washington – the White House and Capitol Hill – but with a major twist.
White House protocol states that during the US President’s State of the Union Address, he or she should select one member of Cabinet (ministers) to remain in a secure room, just in case anything happens to destroy the government.
In this instance, the “designated survivor”, as they are known, is Tom Kirkman – the Secretary of Housing who is not overly ambitious for political power.
Instead, Kirkman, played by the brilliant Kiefer Sutherland, believes he can bring real change to Washington while serving his constituents.
What Kirkman doesn’t know is that on the day of the State of Union, his life, along with his family would be dramatically changed, after the whole government is executed in a bomb attack.
The eventuality that the “designated survivor” protocol prepares for, actually takes place.
And Kirkman moves from just being the Housing Secretary, a low-level Cabinet post, to being the most powerful man on the planet overnight.
His major challenge – is that no one believes in him, including those in his office.
Not only is he faced with the challenge of convincing those who serve him that he is up for the task of rebuilding the US government, but he has to take 300 million Americans on the journey with him.
As if that is not enough trouble, Kirkman navigates the difficulty of trying to convince seasoned politicians from other states that he can truly deliver.
While the drama is typically American – everything is massive, a world disaster if they don’t get it right – it keeps you locked in because the storyline is so different.
It’s also full of “cliff hangers” because it is only available for download/viewing one episode at a time – every Thursday evening (US Time).
The president is put of his depth, nervous and really longs for simpler times.
Designated Survivor is available on Netflix, check it out, it’s worth it.