Commander in Chief (television)

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Commander in Chief
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Cast of Commander in Chief
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Commander in Chief is a television drama focusing on the presidential administration and family of Mackenzie Allen (portrayed by Geena Davis), the first female President of the United States, who ascends to the role after the previous chief executive, Teddy Bridges (played by Will Lyman), dies in office from a sudden ruptured cerebral aneurysm. The series began broadcasting on ABC on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. It garnered the highest ratings for a series debut on a Tuesday night. [1].

The series was created by American director Rod Lurie, director of thrillers like The Contender and Deterrence, and may have been inspired by The West Wing, a popular political drama on rival NBC. Lurie directed the first three episodes of Commander in Chief. In October 2005, just days after the series debut, the network announced that Lurie was being replaced with Steven Bochco as show runner. Lurie will remain executive producer but will primarily focus on creating new projects for Touchstone. [2]

Contents

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Primary characters

Image:President-allen.jpg

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
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The Commander in Chief Universe

The universe of Commander in Chief shares a great deal of recent history with our own: In the first episode, Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney are mentioned, suggesting that the show's universe diverges from our own at least after 2001. As the first episode states that Teddy Bridges served four years as Vice President and the show begins two years into his first Presidential term, some viewers assume that, in the universe of the series, either President George W. Bush served only one term (2001-2005) or that Teddy Bridges was his Vice President for the second term (2005-2009). This would place Bridges' election to the presidency in 2008 and the show around the year 2011. It is also possible that the show takes place more than a decade from now. However, in the episode First Dance, Russia is described as having only been a democracy for only 15 years, placing the first season around 2006, assuming a parallel unfolding of history.

The placement of the series within the federal election cycle is also in question. Although early episodes refer to Bridges' death, epsiodes well into the first season, including episode The Mom who Came To Dinner refer to two years remaining in the presidential term. However, this is inconsistent with First Strike, which places Bridge's death months after midterm congressional elections. As the series broadcasts have parellelled their broadcast dates, including such seasonal events as the Atlantic hurricane season, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, it would seem that Bridges' death occurred during his third year in office, and that a presidential election would be due during Commander in Chief's second season. It is possible, therefore, that, just like The West Wing's timeline skew, the universe of Commander in Chief is also shifted by two years with respect to the "real world."

According to the rules of presidential succession, if Allen began serving out Bridges' term more than 2 full years after he was sworn in, she can only run as a candidate in one presidential election. However, if Bridges' time in office was less than 2 full years (even by a matter of a week or two) Allen would be allowed to run in two presidential elections, and thus could potentially be president for almost ten years (See Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution).

As on the political drama The West Wing, the world of Commander in Chief includes both real countries (such as Nigeria and Iraq), as well as fictitious ones (such as the South American country of San Pasquale).

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Timeline

Though specific dates are not given, many events are assigned relative to the present (i.e. 10 years ago) with considerable detail due to the show's use of flashbacks. The following is a list of notable events and their relative time.

  • 1965: Nathan Templeton is a Democratic candidate for office. It is unclear whether or not Templeton is publicly a segregationalist however he is taped privately during this time making very extreme segregationist statements.
  • Approximately 22 years before the first season: Teddy Bridges is elected governor of his home state, he is re-elected at every election until his election to the vice presidency 16 years later.
  • 10 years before First... Do No Harm: Mackenzie Allen, a Republican, is approached by a group of moderate Republicans in her district to run as an independent for Congress as a far right Republican is expected to easily win the primary.
  • 8 years before First Disaster: First-term Congresswoman Mackenzie Allen defies the will of Speaker Nathan Templeton when she is left with the deciding vote for a piece of legislation. Templeton reminds her of her Republican heritage and the wide Republican support for the bill, however she refuses to support it as she views it as spending far too much money.
  • Approximately 6 years before the first season: Teddy Bridges is elected Vice President of the United States on a Republican ticket.
  • 2 and a half years before Pilot: Vice President Teddy Bridges approaches Mackenzie Allen, a former two-term Independent Congresswoman, to be his running mate.
  • 8 months before First Strike: While campaigning for the midterm elections, President Teddy Bridges asks Nathan Templeton to agree to become his Vice President, Bridges suggested he could create a vacancy in the office by appointing Vice President Mackenzie Allen to the Supreme Court of the United States. Templeton declines saying the vice presidency would be demotion from his current office as Speaker.
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Episodes

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Season 1: 2005-2006
No. Title Airdate
1 Pilot September 27
2 First Choice October 4
3 First Strike October 11
4 First Dance October 18
5 First...Do No Harm October 25
6 First Disaster November 1
7 First Scandal November 8
8 Rubie Dubidoux and the Brown Bound Express November 15
9 The Mom Who Came to Dinner November 29
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Trivia

  • The characters of the President and Vice President were named after the two actors who played those roles in Rod Lurie's previous political thriller, The Contender. Teddy Bridges, named for Jeff Bridges who played President Jackson Evans, and Mackenzie Allen, named for Joan Allen who played Laine Hanson, his vice presidential nominee.
  • This is Donald Sutherland's first regular role on a television series.
  • Donald Sutherland's co-star Leslie Hope played the wife of Sutherland's son, Kiefer, during the first season of 24.
  • The first six episode titles from the first season after the pilot, begin with the word: First (i.e. First Choice, First Disaster).
  • Starting with the episode Rubie Dubidoux and the Brown Bound Express, Steven Bochco replaces Rod Lurie as head executive producer and showrunner. Bochco's changes include a staff of new writers and a new title design similar to the style of NBC's The West Wing.
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External links

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