American Political TV Shows

[NYSforKennedy2024]

I've been trying to get into new political shows during the pandemic on my off days.

I've watched all of House of Cards, and season one of West Wing; but am I missing out on anything good with the other choices?

My personal favorite is House of Cards, but mainly up to the end of the Underwood vs. Conway election - after that, the show really fell off IMO.

[Orwell]

Obviously the West Wing, it's where my Reddit username comes from. It is probably one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

[Pyro]

Does 'The Man in the High Castle' count?

[John Dule]

The West Wing is a great show. It's ideologically biased, but it's also very up-front about that and aware of it, and it doesn't shy away from giving the GOP the last word pretty frequently. I'd watched it intermittently for years but this summer is the first time I've actually seen it through from beginning to end. Toby is the best.

House of Cards was brilliant in its first season but as soon as

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Underwood killed the reporter

 it just became absurd. I know that scene was in the original show, but the fact that it

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killed off one of the most compelling characters far too soon

 was a big letdown, and I think it precipitated the show running off the rails too quickly. That, coupled with the fact that we never really get a sense for why Underwood actually wants power, makes the last few seasons abysmally dull. I never finished it.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Although it's maybe increasingly unrealistic in its fluffiness and cheerfulness nowadays I'm still gonna vote for the West Wing.

It's spiritual opposite House of Cards got continuously worse until it totally jumped the shark, and most of that other shows were kind of lame (except maybe Veep, but I have never seen that one).

[Illiniwek]

House of Cards was pretty absurd and cringy at times, but it was still absolutely captivating. That said I only got like two episodes into the final season.

[Middle-aged Europe]

House of Cards was pretty absurd and cringy at times, but it was still absolutely captivating. That said I only got like two episodes into the final season.

House of Cards's final season was an abomination. At times I wasn't really sure anymore what the season was even supposed to be about, but the general gist seemed to be that Claire Underwood - now the first female president - was executing some grand master plan to take revenge against the male gender (or at the very least male politicians in general). And in the end she succeeds, full stop!

For the most part it left me confused. Was this season an attempt to troll the Incel movement on purpose? Was it supposed to be some sort of Handmaid's Tale-in-reverse scenario? Or were they simply completely stoned writing the scripts? I guess it does pay off to watch it at least once just so you can see that trainwreck unfold for yourself...

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Veep is the only good show on this list.

[tmthforu94]

West Wing is the best of all time, also one of my favorite overall shows. I would have been interested in seeing it continue under President Bartlett's successor.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Veep is the only realistic one.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

None of these compare to Yes (Prime) Minister.

[Santander]

Veep is the only good show on this list.

True, but it still falls short of The Thick of It.

The Good Wife is at least half a political show (especially as it goes on), and it was better than any of the shows on this list.

[Orwell]

Veep is the only good show on this list.My opinion is wrong

[John Dule]

West Wing is the best of all time, also one of my favorite overall shows. I would have been interested in seeing it continue under President Bartlett's successor.

Me too, but only if that successor had been #SECULAR California Goldwater libertarian Arnie Vinick.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I like West Wing best esp. 2nd season, but also like Madam Secretary.   Veep I thought was coarse and uninteresting and didn't get through the first episode.  haven't seen the others. 

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I like West Wing best esp. 2nd season, but also like Madam Secretary.   Veep I thought was coarse and uninteresting and didn't get through the first episode.  haven't seen the others. 

Veep has some growing pains season 1; it really finds its footing in mid-season 2 when it become an ensemble show.

[MABA 2020]

Does Parks and Rec count?

Seriously though out of these I've only really seen Veep

[FairBol]

West Wing, with Designated Survivor second. 

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

Madam Secretary, although Veep and the West Wing are also fantastic.

[Lumine]

Have only watched House of Cards and Designated Survivor (just Season 1). Of those I'd vote for Designated Survivor, which I found fun enough to watch despite steadily losing steam in the latter part of the season and what I thought was an underwhelming finale.

House of Cards was decent (or at least fun) - if nowhere near the original - up to the end of Season 2. Then it was very disappointing (barring the few isolated episodes in which the narrative became compelling again), and by the last season it was just painful. In retrospect, I regret having finished the show, should have just dropped it.

I do wish political tv shows weren't so quick in testing one's suspension of disbelief. I try to be fair because some stuff - like, say, reasonably accurate election results - ultimately isn't important at all to the narrative, but they often go ahead with far-fetched notions that are near-impossible even during these crazy times, when a more realistic portrayal could be just as compelling or dramatic.