10 Best TV Shows Like The First Lady | Screen Rant
Of course, The First Lady also joins a rich crop of TV shows that highlight powerful women in the political arena well as anthology series based on real-life luminaries and the impact they made on society as a whole.
Far ahead of its time, Geena Davis gives a highly convincing turn as United States President Mackenzie Allen in Commander in Chief, ABC's excellent but short-lived political drama that ran from 2005-to 2006. When Allen assumes the president once the commander-in-chief Teddy Bridges suddenly passes, skeptics question if she's up to the task.
With resounding confidence, President Allen steps in and takes control of the White House, earns the trust and respect of her elders and subordinates, and begins to make positive changes for the country just as the women in The First Lady prove time and again as they become national role models for young girls everywhere.
While more of a dramatic thriller at times, CBS' Madam Secretary is pretty safe for a network cable TV show. However, the real reason for The First Lady fans to tune in is the stellar title character, Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord, and the superb performance by Tea Leoni in the role as she shapes foreign policy while navigating domestic life.
Created by Barbara Hall, the show lasted 120 episodes that ran from 2014 to 2019, proving how much fans enjoyed watching McCord graduate from a shrewd stateswoman to become one of the best fictional U.S. presidents by the final season, a vexingly long-overdue role for such a qualified woman.
One of Netflix's flagship programs in terms of popularity and critical adoration, The Crown can be viewed as the superior English counterpart to The First Lady. Both shows star the luminous Gillian Anderson in some of her best TV roles, with the role of women at the top of the political landscape leading to riveting palace intrigue and unpredictable plotlines.
The Crown is currently rated #98 on IMDb's Top 250 TV shows of all time, as the must-see historical drama tracks the aftermath of Princess Diana's tragic death and the fallout Queen Elizabeth II experiences as she tries to keep the kingdom happy and healthy as can be.
Of the three American Crime Story seasons to date, Impeachment is the one most ideal to watch alongside The First Lady, especially given Hilary Clinton's (Edie Falco) role in the proceedings. The third season of the Fox series follows the laborious process that ended in U.S. President Bill Clinton's impeachment attempt during the 1990s.
Subjugating women to the powerful hands of men at their political height, the show gradually shows how the women like Linda Tripp (Sarah Paulson), Monica Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein), and Paula Jones (Annaleigh Ashford) came together to fight systemic oppression, rampant misogyny, sexual abuse, and ultimately had the most influential man in the country removed from power.
For another political drama with a highly influential woman leading the opposite end of the left-right spectrum, fans ought to see Cate Blanchett in one of her best roles in Mrs. America. The biographical drama recounts the role of Phyllis Schlafly, a real-life conservative activist who somehow fought to oppose the Equal Rights Movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
As wrongheaded as her stance ultimately proved to be in the long run, Phyllis' staunch insistence to go against the grain of public sentiment to maintain the status quo proves she was a politician who truly believed in her cause. Blanchett is absolutely terrific in the role, showing there is both inherently good and bad in every politician.
When fans begin tiring of U.S. politics, Borgen is the place to be. The Danish political drama follows Brigitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), loosely based on Denmark's first female Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt. Strong-willed, responsible for her actions, and unwilling to compromise her values, Borgen is a role model for everyone to aspire to.
In a day and age of quantity over quality streaming, Borgen takes its time to tell complex, movielike stories per episode, of which only 38 have been made between 2010-and 2022. The changes in the European political landscape from 2010 to 2022 are extremely fascinating to chart.
Despite being wholly fictional, The West Wing remains the most popular political drama in TV history. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the show always puts precedent on the value of women in the White House, including the First Lady Abbey Bartlet (Stockard Channing), even if the point is made through male characters who oppose their presence.
Rated #59 on IMDb's Top 250, the time in which the show was produced (1999-2006) marked a historical transition from President Clinton to President Bush, providing ample opportunity for Sorkin and his tremendous cast to tell timely and topical political stories that hold a mirror to society.
The upcoming fourth season of Nat Geo's biographical anthology series Genius will focus on Martin Luther King Jr., clearly one of the most important political leaders and civil rights advocates in U.S. history. The season will also feature the role of Malcolm X and his role in American politics. Hopefully, the Nat Geo show isn't canceled before people forget about it.
While all three seasons of Genius are worth watching, as they focus on Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Aretha Franklin and the cultural impact they had, season 4 promises to dig into more fertile political territory as MLK Jr. fights for equality for minorities, women included.
In many ways, Hollywood and Washington DC are alike. Both actors and politicians put up public fronts and deal with backroom politicking and influential deal-making for their own gain. For those skeptical, check out Feud: Betty And Joan, the 9-part biographical miniseries with stellar performances by Oscar-winners Jessica Lange (as Joan Crawford) and Susan Sarandon (as Bette Davis).
Exploring the two Hollywood icon's toxic relationship as they make the cult horror movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a movie that mirrors the abusive nature of the two aging Hollywood stars.
Sigourney Weaver gives a thoroughly convincing turn as Elaine Barrish in Political Animals, former First Lady of the United States who becomes the Secretary of State following her marital divorce from the adulterous ex-POTUS. Despite lasting just six episodes, The First Lady fans will love what the show has to say about female empowerment.
In addition to her aforesaid roles, Barrish also served as the Governor of Illinois, with the show depicting how she fights political battles at every rung on the ladder of influence. A show canceled ahead of its time, the outstanding performances alone are worth tracking the series down.