Commander in Chief

Commander in Chief was a show about a fictional president of the United States that ran from September 2005 to June 2006.

The show centered around Mackenzie Spencer Allen, the first female president, and her family. Allen begins the pilot as vice-president, and becomes president when the president (Republican Teddy Bridges) dies. Allen is an independent (she had been a moderate Republican during her brief congressional career, but had left the party), and Bridges asks her to resign so that the extremely ultra-conservative Republican Speaker of the House (Nathan Templeton, played by Donald Sutherland) would become President when he dies. Allen refuses, becomes president, and then has all those pesky problems that come with the office.

Episodes would generally trace a political problem and one or more family ones. The cast list is split between staff (Allen's chief of staff, the speaker and his chief of staff, and a few others) and family (the First Gentleman [i.e. the President's husband], their three children, and even the president's mother). Political plot lines in the show include things such as torture, hostages, and so on. Family plot lines involve the First Gentleman's difficulty with his wife being the leader and their teenage childrens' sexuality.

There were, of course, many comparisons with The West Wing, that other TV series about a U.S. president (which was enormously popular, critically acclaimed, and tied for most Emmy-award-winning show of all time). Commander in Chief focused more on the president's family, which was an occasional theme on The West Wing, and there were numerous other differences. However, the comparisons were generally not favorable. The West Wing had just ended before Commander started, and many viewers were probably just disappointed that Commander in Chief was not, technically, The West Wing.

Commander in Chief was cancelled before its first season was complete; it ran for 18 episodes. Changes in producers and time slots are evidence of some difficulties with the show and its audience. Interestingly, it was the #1 show on Tuesday nights until American Idol took that honor, and the #1 new show of the season until Criminal Minds took over that slot. Its direct competition in its time slot was with House.

Tropes used in Commander in Chief include:
  • Alternate History: The universe of Commander in Chief branches off from real history at some point. There are references in the first episode to the Clintons, Al Gore, and Dick Cheney, all as having held the offices that they did in real life. So the show happens sometime after George W. Bush's first term. More than that is never clearly explained.
  • Blondes Are Evil: Jayne, Templeton's chief of staff, is nearly as ruthless as he is.
  • Bratty Teenage Daughter: Becca. Horace becomes a male version sometimes too.
  • Corrupt the Cutie: Horace's and Rebecca's classmates are very eager to do this.
  • Fictional Country: The series makes reference to the South American country of San Pasquale. Which is not real.
  • Gender Blender Name: Mackenzie "Mac" Spencer Allen.
  • Happily Married: Templeton and his wife Sara--it's disarming and almost creepy when compared to how evil Templeton can be when he wants to be.
    • President Allen and her husband Rod are also Happily Married, though certain episodes do highlight the tension that sometimes comes between them. They manage to work it out.
  • Iron Lady: President Allen.
  • Mama Bear: The media corps really gets the idea when President Allen tells them to stay away from her kids.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Templeton.
  • Oh Crap: When Templeton hears the tape, his expression is this.
  • Old Shame: In-Universe: President Allen gets hold of an old tape from 1965 of Templeton advocating segregation in order to secure election in the South. Templeton is horrified, saying that at the time, he was willing to say whatever needed to be said in order to get elected, and that it's not really what he believes.
  • Our Presidents Are Different: President Allen is equal parts President Minority, President Iron, and President Personable.
    • Templeton briefly becomes President Scheming when Mac is hospitalized for a burst appendix--they invoke the 25th Amendment and Templeton takes on the duties of the president for a little less than a day.
  • Politically-Incorrect Villain: Templeton is a bit of a sexist. However, as time goes on, his sexism becomes less and less an example of why he is Wrong in comparison to everything else that he does.
  • Scylla and Charybdis: President Allen is often torn between her duties as President of the United States and her duties to her family.
  • Statuesque Stunner: Geena Davis makes an elegant, yet extremely tall and intimidating, President Allen.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Templeton and his soft-boiled eggs. Also Amy and her ice cream, donuts, cupcakes, cookies, chocolate-chip pancakes...
  • Twenty Minutes Into the Future: The show aired from 2005-2006, but if one pays attention, it seems like the Allen Administration takes place 8-10 years later. There are references to Dick Cheney serving as VP, indicating that in the show's timeline the Bush Administration happened. It is unknown whether Teddy Bridges was elected in 2008 or 2012 however.
  • ...Who Needs Enemies?: President Allen's initial Cabinet, inherited from Teddy Bridges, starts resigning/backstabbing her as they defect to Speaker Templeton's side.
  • Worthy Opponent: Over time, President Allen and Templeton see each other as this, sometimes offering each other grudging congratulations when one of them does something well.
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