One of the shows ABC highlighted over the summer was "Designated Survivor" starring Kiefer Sutherland.
The show centers around Sutherland's character Tom Kirkman, a low-level cabinet member (about to be axed by the president) who ascends to the presidency when an explosion rips apart the U.S. Capitol during the State of the Union address.
As the "designated survivor" for the evening, Kirkman is viewing the address from a secured, off-site location -- put there in order to maintain continuity of government (in the event disaster strikes).
Kirkman is the administration's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He has never been elected to office, and has little in the way of ambition.
I was a big fan of Sutherland's series "24," which saw his Jack Bauer character race against the clock to defend truth, justice and the American way for the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU).
(I talked about the cultural significance of "24" in a previous post here).
In many instances, Bauer was the reluctant hero whose noble virtue was that he'd freely give of himself to defend the United States.
In that regard, Tom Kirkman on "Designated Survivor" is an evolution of Jack Bauer -- less hard-nosed, more intellectual, pressed into service in the blink of an eye.
About a decade ago you could find merchandise touting "Jack Bauer for President" (I have such a t-shirt somewhere).
When I first saw the promos for "Designated Survivor," I said, "Finally! We get President Jack Bauer!"
That isn't to say Kiefer Sutherland's performance isn't nuanced. Rather, his previous stint as Jack Bauer creates instant credibility as viewers watch President Kirkman navigate treacherous geo-political waters.
I was thinking back to the days when techno-thriller author Tom Clancy was at the top of his game, and employed a very similar plot point to elevate Jack Ryan to the Oval Office in the book "Debt of Honor."
As the days and weeks progress, Tom Kirkman is likely to face similar issues to those that challenged Ryan in those Clancy novels.
That means heaping helpings of interesting possibilities for the character. If the first two episodes of "Designated Survivor" are any indication, we are in for global and domestic intrigue, political machinations, and a myriad of twists and turns coming to the fore.
Viewers will be fortunate to have President Kirkman at the helm during these troubled times.
"Designated Survivor" Trailer:
Read yesterday's blog post here: What Am I Thinking?
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