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TV's Most Surprising Presidents
Julia Mansfield, Hail to the Chief
In April 1985 — three decades before Hillary Clinton would make her real-life run — Patty Duke was sworn in as TV’s first female president. Her term would be a short one, though, as the ABC sitcom lasted just seven episodes.
Josiah ‘Jed’ Bartlet, The West Wing
Yes, “Bartlet for America” seemed like a no-brainer as the NBC series unfolded. But in flashbacks, we learned that the New Hampshire governor started out as a dark horse, groomed by his best friend Leo to upset frontrunner Senator Hoynes. Bartlet would serve two popular terms and come to be regarded as one of TV’s greatest, most inspirational POTUSes — even though he entered office concealing an MS condition.
David Palmer, 24
Years before an up-and-coming senator named Barack Obama would deliver the keynote speech at John Kerry’s Democratic National Convention, 24 gave us TV’s first black White House hopeful. By Season 2, Palmer would mark another milestone, having been elected POTUS. His favorable rating with viewers, as well as with Jack Bauer, was high.
Mike Brady, The Brady Bunch in the White House
In this 2002 TV-movie, Mike Brady’s charitable donation of someone’s unclaimed lottery winnings winds up, through a very Brady series of events, landing him behind the Resolute desk. Mom always said not to play ball in the White House!
Laura Roslin, Battlestar Galactica
Having irked President Adar by settling a teachers’ strike, Secretary of Education Roslin was on track to unwillingly resign — until the Cylons’ attack on the Twelve Colonies left her, 43rd in line of succession, the last one standing.
Robert McAllister, Jack & Bobby
Dubbed "The Great Believer" for his unflagging desire to rise above various hits on his administration, President McAllister was unique in that we mostly witnessed his journey as a teenage boy, though we were left to guess, for a while, if he or his brother Jack was fated to call 1600 Penn home.
Mackenzie Allen, Commander in Chief
Upon President Teddy Bridges’ abrupt death from an aneurysm, VP “Mac” Allen ascends to the highest office in the land — and thus became the first female POTUS in a drama series.
Charles Logan, 24
After President Keeler’s critical injury in a terrorist attack, VP Logan took over as POTUS, where he appeared utterly overwhelmed and wildly ill-equipped for the magnitude of the job. During Day 5, though, it would be revealed that Logan was a puppet of that season’s conspiracy, which among other things felled many CTU agents in a nerve gas attack. (R.I.P, Edgar.)
Caroline Reynolds, Prison Break
Akin to sister series 24‘s Charles Logan, Reynolds served as president while juggling a secret, nefarious agenda as a shot-caller with The Company — to frame Lincoln Burrows for her brother’s murder.
Fitzgerald Grant, Scandal
“Fitz” thought he won the presidential election fair and square. Little did he know that chief of staff Cyrus, wife Mellie, campaign manager/mistress Olivia and others conspired to “fix” the results in tiny Defiance Country, Ohio, giving him the nudge he’d need.
Frank Underwood, House of Cards
Call us naive, but we really, really want to think that few POTUSes were as underhanded and overzealous as Underwood — a master manipulator of people, including the commander-in-chief he eventually usurped — in getting where they got.
Selina Meyer, Veep
VP Meyer had dug in her heels to properly make a run for the White House when President Hughes decided to step down and care for his ailing wife. Meyer parlayed her tenure as a terrible VP into a presidency that would eventually rank 43rd of all time (trailing only behind James Buchanan).
Tom Kirkman, Designated Survivor
In ABC’s freshman drama, Kiefer Sutherland plays a lowly, about-to-be-fired Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who most unexpectedly and most abruptly found himself sworn in as commander-in-chief, after a terrorist attack killed the president and everyone in the line of succession before him. (And you thought Jack Bauer had bad days!)
Olivia Marsdin, Supergirl
Though our “head canon” wanted to believe that Princess Diana of Themyscira aka Diana Prince set aside her superhero costume to become President of the United States, Marsdin seems equally wonderful a woman — even if she is hiding a secret, alien identity (along with her “other” jet).
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