Designated Survivor, starring Kiefer Sutherland as accidental President Tom Kirkman, has become one of my must-see shows each week.
And with as many shows as I have to preview and review for the job, shows watched just for pleasure are few and far between.
If you haven't been watching Designated Survivor (the freshman series airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC) because you thought Sutherland would simply channel his old Jack Bauer character from 24 as president, you'd be pleasantly surprised.
After all, Tom Clancy created Jack Ryan, an academic turned CIA action hero turned president after a suicide pilot crashes his 747 into the U.S. Capitol, killing most government officials.
Designated Survivor has a similar scenario, except that the apolitical and low-key Kirkman is no action hero. He's the secretary of Housing and Urban Development who had been named the "designated survivor" -- the one Cabinet member chosen to safely sit out the president's State of the Union address just in case something catastrophic happened.
And it did. Big time.
Thanks to a well-organized and far-reaching conspiracy, explosions destroy the Capitol and kill the president, his Cabinet and most members of Congress.
The lowly Kirkman suddenly finds himself next in the line of succession and is sworn in as president.
That was just the beginning. As we watch Sutherland's inspired depiction of a man reluctantly thrown into the absolutely worst-case scenario, we learn that the primary problem is not knowing whom to trust.
Paranoia sets in as some state governors refuse to consider Kirkman legitimate because the dead president had been on the verge of asking Kirkman to resign. Meanwhile, others rally behind Kirkman's efforts to keep the country from devolving into chaos.
Kirkman picks a vice president and he's sworn in. Then Kirkman gets shot.
Yes, there's an assassination attempt on top of everything.
Then come international crises. And threats to his family. And political in-fighting. And a (it's revealed) traitorous vice president along with antsy generals. Then there's a popular former president who drops by and seems way too comfortable visiting the Oval Office.
It gets more tense as each episode passes and Kirkman struggles to grow into his role with its daily challenges.
In my opinion, Kirkman is the most inspirational TV president since The West Wing's Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen).
Kirkman learns that the reason he was chosen designated survivor is because he was seen as the weakest, least savvy Cabinet secretary, and once he was president, he would be the easiest to manipulate by the bad guys.
Heading the investigation to ferret out the conspiracy is FBI Special Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q), who has proved herself to be resourceful and tenacious. That's a good thing, because it's obvious the conspirators are still out there and are not yet finished.
The Designated Survivor supporting cast is outstanding. There is no weak link.
Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar) plays White House Press Secretary Seth Wright; Italia Ricci (Chasing Life) plays Emily Rhodes, who becomes chief of staff following the resignation of Aaron Shore, played by Adan Canto (The Following).
Especially intriguing is Virginia Madsen (Sideways) as Congresswoman Kimble Hookstraten. She was the Republican designated survivor and is later elected new speaker of the House. Despite her seeming support of Kirkman, Hookstraten may have her own agenda.
There will be 22 episodes this first season. If you've missed any, you can always catch up On Demand or on the abc.go.com website. Last time I checked, all past episodes were posted and ready to view.
• Forged in Fire. Season 4 of the competition series debuts at 8 p.m. today on History Channel with a second episode following at 9. This season, four master bladesmiths are challenged to re-create some of history's most iconic swords, which are then tested by a panel of judges.
The last bladesmith standing wins $10,000 and the title of Forged in Fire champion.
• Storage Wars. Season 10 arrives at 8 p.m. Wednesday on A&E. A second episode follows at 8:30.
I've never gotten interested in this series, which follows modern-day treasure hunters trying to strike it rich by bidding on abandoned storage units. Each unit gets a quick flashlight peek inside before the buyers begin the bidding. Drama ensues. It smacks of manipulation and fakery to me, whether it is or not.
I may not be watching but this is Season 10, so somebody is watching.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 04/11/2017