Photo Credit: HBO
On this national holiday, it seems fitting to break down some of the top fictional presidents in television history.
Ranging from political masterpieces like West Wing to high stakes spy dramas like 24, Commander-in-Chiefs can be found on any show. To celebrate President’s Day. let’s take a look at some of best leaders of the free world and why they have reserved a spot in every fan’s heart.
Photo Credit: Cartoon Network
10. Rick and Morty – The President
The President in Rick and Morty is inspired by Barack Obama’s look but that’s where the similarities end. A popular adult cartoon, the series wanted to poke fun at the presidency in general, which included a large variety of politicians. However, the look of The President did rub viewers the wrong way initially. Viewers needed to be reminded that this is a cartoon, and in the show, this Commander in Chief is highly vindictive as well as a hot head.
While many TV series are accused of leaning too far to the left or right to be credible, Rick and Morty take a surprising unbiased take. The series has their president be insecure and prone to abusing his power simply because of his own vanity. They never discuss his actual politics or which party he’s a member of, something hard to find in a television show. He’s definitely not the most conventional character, but he’s one of the more unique presidents on television nowadays.
Photo Credit: Warner Brothers
9. Jack & Bobby – Bobby McCallister
The short-lived but critically adored Jack & Bobby followed the lives of two brothers through their childhood. However, they weren’t just your average middle-class kids because one of them would grow up to be President of the United States. Framed by documentaries, news reports, and interviews from the future, the TV series questions whether presidents are born to lead or whether they’re shaped by their life to step into that position of power. Ultimately, younger more eccentric brother Bobby is revealed to be the successful politician rather than the charismatic track star, Jack, showcasing just how much his experiences prepared him to become Commander in Chief.
It’s sad that the series didn’t get picked up after the first season, albeit unsurprising that the WB target audience wasn’t interested in seeing a well-crafted political show. Bobby McCallister is such a compelling character who audiences don’t get to spend a lot of time with. He’s raised by a single mother, a local professor who smokes weed on the regular, and his older popular brother. Both are staunch Democrats, which makes it surprising that Bobby grows up to be an adored Republican. In this modern day political climate, the McCallisters would be an interesting family to revisit to see how exactly Bobby would find his views within the opposing party.
Photo Credit: ABC
8. Designated Survivor – Tom Kirkman
When Designated Survivor debuted on ABC, many people noted that President Tom Kirkman was basically Jack Bauer with glasses. Yet, as the series went on, Kirkman began to distinguish himself as more than just a man trying to find justice, but someone who knows how to play the political game. He’s a bit of a fish out of water in Washington D.C., because Kirman genuinely wants to help people with no regard for how many other government officials help him. Initially, this is what keeps Designated Survivor alive, the naivety of Kirkman as he tries to find ways to compromise to ensure everyone’s happiness.
Over time, he slowly begins to lose that good-natured attitude in order to learn the Washington game. He becomes a worthy sparring partner with a few different political big shots, specifically Kimble Hookstraten. One of the most compassionate presidents in television history, hopefully, Kirkman is able to keep politics and a government conspiracy from destroying his integrity.
Photo Credit: FOX
7. 24: Live Another Day – James Heller
In a competition for most tragic ending in the 24 franchise, President James Heller takes the cake. During his tenure as Commander in Chief, he kept a level head trying to alleviate tension between the United States and Great Britain. Constantly undermined by his Chief of Staff and foreign intelligence agencies, Heller manages to keep his cool despite his deteriorating health. In such a dark world, Heller was one of the few characters in the 24 universe to keep their morality intact. In fact, before the revival ended he even issued Jack a presidential pardon, something he did simply because it was the right thing to do.
Unfortunately, Heller ends up getting the short end of the stick in the finale of the series. Yes, Jack manages to save his life and stop military drones from starting another war. However, these triumphs come at the cost of his daughter Audrey’s life. His Chief of Staff’s arrest for treason leads Jack to the mercy of a new round of torture, and Heller’s Alzheimer’s means he will soon have no recollection of Audrey or her death. It’s a tragic ending for a man who did nothing but try to be a good leader for the American people, but in line with the tone 24 set from the beginning.
Photo Credit: HBO
6. The Leftovers – Kevin Garvey
The Leftovers initially started out as a series following the fallout of two percent of the population vanishing into thin air. By the final season, Kevin Garvey has graduated from a reluctant police officer to a potential messiah to the human race. While he isn’t president in real life, the episode “The Most Powerful Man In The World (And His Identical Twin Brother),” has Kevin taking on the role of Commander in Chief in his dream. Of course, Kevin is also his “identical twin” — the assassin whose mission it is to kill the President. Ultimately, his term as the leader of the United States is so profoundly weird and intriguing that it could actually be modern day politics.
To be clear, President Garvey is one of the weirdest things that The Leftovers ever did and it’s unlike any other episode of television. In fact, his presidency is different from every other character on this list because it happens in a dream realm where he deals with ridiculous foreign policy decisions. But the real reason this President (who is also a member of The Guilty Remnant cult) is Kevin Garvey is that the real “Kevin” or the Assassin must destroy this part of himself. It’s a story of self-reflection and it makes him one of the best presidents on this list.
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Photo Credit: ABC
5. Scandal – Fitz
Scandal is heading into its final season but it will always leave a lasting memory as an interesting political drama. When the series debuted, Fitz Grant was a bit of a cliched character: the handsome young president having an affair in office. Over the course of the series, he’s been fleshed as more than just a love interest to Olivia and an actual character. While fans might debate over who Olivia should date, her alliance with Fitz has always been one of the staples of the series whether it’s platonic or not.
A staunch Republican who is rumored to be inspired by George W. Bush, Scandal never dwells on the irony of Fitz’s many affairs while in office. However, it does showcase his strength after he’s forced to become a better man and father following the death of his oldest son. For a while, Olivia had so outgrown him as a person that it was hard to root for their relationship, now he is the one who has become one of the best characters in the series.
Photo Credit: ABC
4. Commander in Chief – Mackenzie Allen
Another short-lived political show, Commander in Chief never got quite the following compared to other dramas. However, Geena Davis is a force to be reckoned with as Mackenzie Allen, the Vice President forced into office after an untimely death. Despite quite a few criticisms towards the series, namely Allen not being elected into office, it didn’t stop Geena Davis from getting a lot of awards recognition. Nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy, SAG, and BAFTA award, Davis has definitely cemented her character’s position as one of the most notable presidents of all time.
Even though the Republican party has never had a female nominee for President, much less even found someone to run, Allen is part of the conservative group. A strong mother, lawyer, and philosopher, Allen has all of the credentials to be a successful Commander in Chief. Considering this character has transcended the mixed reviews of her show, Mackenzie Allen definitely deserves to be on the list for best fictional presidents.
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Photo Credit: FOX
3. 24 – David Palmer
One of the longest-running characters on 24, it’s hard not to think of the series without David Palmer. Portrayed by Dennis Haysbert, he is notably considered one of the greatest fictional presidents of all time. On top of multiple award nominations, including the Golden Globes, many viewers attribute the character of Palmer as one of the reasons most Americans were comfortable when President Obama took office. While there’s no way to prove this unless someone took a nationwide poll of 24 fans, just the fact that viewers could even speculate such a major claim shows how large of an impact Palmer had on the series.
After evading many attempts on his life, Palmer would meet his end at the hands of a sniper in the premiere of season five. Despite the loss of a fan favorite, the season has been met with resounding critical acclaim. The most-watched episode of the entire series, Haysbert initially refused to return to film his character’s death because of how much he disagreed with the storyline. Eventually, he relented, and Palmer goes down in history as one of the best presidents in television history despite his death.
Photo Credit: HBO
2. Veep – Selina Meyer
Veep has gained notoriety recently as the current political state of America has begun to resemble satirical comedy. Starting off as Vice President, Selina Meyer’s ambition eventually take her to Commander in Chief position at the White House. However, she’s far from competent and relies far too heavily on the experienced staff around her. Despite being one of the worst people to ever populate Washington, Selina quickly won over the hearts of viewers with her fast-talking insults aimed at everyone surrounding her. It’s no surprise that the HBO comedy has gone on so long or that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won six Emmy’s in a row for her portrayal of Selina.
Of course, her presidency ends up being a total failure and she ends up leaving office pretty quickly. This past season has been the weakest yet with Selina in the private sector being bankrolled by her daughter. However, it left off on a high note with the promised presidential run where she will once again try her hand at running the country. Of course, it will probably end up being another colossal failure, but Veep is at its most interesting when Selina is making a mess of things.
Photo Credit: Warner Brothers
1. West Wing – Josiah Bartlet
The first show that springs to mind when talking about fictional presidents is West Wing, the show dedicated to telling a story about the leadership in the White House. Josiah “Jed” Bartlet is perhaps the most revered fictional Commander-in-Chief of all time in both film and television. The popular Democrat is consistently considered the ideal president by viewers and even real life politicians. In fact, Martin Sheen’s character became so popular that even The X-Files hoped to get the actor to reprise his role in their (first) series finale. While the cameo never actually happened, Sheen did walk away with a Golden Globe and two SAG awards for his portrayal.
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There have been some critics who complained that Bartlet represents the ideal liberal point of view and complained that the series as a whole is too bias. However, Bartlet really is the perfect model for any politician. A fierce family man who is never plagued by an affair, as many other fictional and real-life politicians are these days, and upholds the Constitution no matter what. With the country divided over what makes a good leader, Bartlet is a good example of someone who knows how to compromise to help his people.