Politics happens to be one of the many things humans are very passionate about, and so TV producers have always teamed up with networks to make an attempt at creating intriguing political dramas. Most of the time, no critically acclaimed project is born out of these efforts but once in a while, there emerges a pièce de résistance.
Given the high number of offerings in the genre, potential viewers might have a hard time sifting through the haystack to find something worth investing time in. A good place to start would be the shows below, which are not only well-decorated but also explore the political scenery in a much more detailed manner.
10 Boss (2011-2012)
Showrunners seeking to explore politics mostly give in to the temptation to go all the way to the highest office in the land. However, the juiciest tales tend to lie in the lower levels of government, something that the Mayor of Chicago and his associates prove in Boss.
The Starz show starts off as a story about fighting for survival, with its ailing protagonist, played by Kelsey Grammer, doing his best to hide a degenerative neurological disorder diagnosis so as not to appear weak. However, the somber tone is soon shoved into the background and the show quickly veers into the usual sex, scandals, and lies waters. All these are handled in mind-blowing fashion, making it quite a pity that there are only 2 seasons to binge on
9 Kennedy (1983)
Martin Sheen has been lucky enough to play a President on TV twice. and the first time he did it, the character was none other than John F. Kennedy. Unfolding like a history book, the 1983 miniseries, Kennedy, covers every single detail about the celebrated president’s life.
Since no major events are fictionalized for dramatization purposes, Kennedy is more recommendable for those simply seeking to know what went down during Kennedy’s tenure in the early ‘60s. And with major historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Johnson appearing as supporting characters, the perspective about various societal issues never seems one-sided.
8 Borgen (2010-Present)
Viewers opting to take a break from American and British politics can settle for Borgen, which follows a centrist in Denmark as she rises to become the country’s first female Prime Minister. As is normally the case with political dramas, her path to glory gets littered with numerous obstacles.
Aside from just providing entertainment, Borgen imagines all kinds of political scenarios, so much so that it has even predicted a couple of real-life happenings. Apart from being a prescient show, Borgen also does a great job of portraying women in power and of showing how low-key villains in the corridors of power tend to make bureaucratic processes difficult.
7 The Mechanism (2018-2019)
There’s more to political dramas than just discussing policies and holding heated meetings. Undoubtedly one of Netflix’s greatest foreign language shows, The Mechanism tells the story of “Operation Car Wash,” which unearthed the corruption involving several Brazilian political figures and engineering firms.
The Mechanism is packed with intriguing characters, most of whom are based on real-life individuals. Thanks to the reliance on a police investigation to push the plot, plenty of twists keep coming up along the way, resulting in an entertaining story that highlights the negative outcomes of greed and abuse of power.
6 Madam Secretary (2014-2019)
While there has yet to be a female American president in real-life, in fiction it has happened several times. Of all the depictions of a female POTUS, none is arguably better than that of Madam Secretary.
Though the idea isn’t a new one, Madam Secretary better explores office politics from a female politician’s perspective. As she rises from Secretary of State to the occupant of the White House, Elizabeth McCord, played gby Téa Leoni, forcefully frees herself from shackles and breaks plenty of rules to ensure no unnecessary laws hold her back. Viewers can have a fun time enjoying the adventures of one of the most strong-willed TV politicians to come around.
5 Gaslit (2022)
The Watergate Scandal has long been a major part of American political history, and Gaslit retells the story through a strong cast that includes Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, and Betty Gilpin. Even better is that Gaslit shines a light on a part of Watergate that rarely gets discussed while President Nixon himself rarely appears in the proceedings.
This makes the political drama unique because most Watergate stories tend to automatically be Nixon stories. And in typical Starz fashion, there’s plenty of sex and debauchery in Gaslit, which in turn helps show how shady many of the administration insiders are. In addition to that, the ‘70s-era visuals are stunning.
4 Scandal (2012-2018)
Political dramas can be hard for casual fans to get invested in because of their slow-burn nature, but Scandal isn’t plagued by such screen ailments. The Shondaland masterpiece sprinkles in a little bit of everything, from a Clinton-style affair to election rigging to conspiracies within the government.
Scandal's endless cliffhangers make it hard to press pause, and so do the soulful ‘70s soundtracks and Kerry Washington’s spirited performance as Olivia Pope. As a fixer for the Washington elite, her character truly is extremely resourceful. And the fact that her villainous, ever-meddling father is one of the wickedly smart TV characters makes the dynamic even more interesting.
3 House Of Cards (2013-2018)
How quickly someone rises from House Majority Whip to President doesn’t depend on their popularity but by how good a schemer they are, at least according to House of Cards. The show’s protagonist uses just about every strategy from Nicollo Machiavelli’s teachings to ensure he sits in the highest office on the lands.
Today, the show is talked about in whispers, because of Kevin Spacey’s sexual assault allegations, but the brilliant manner in which House of Cards depicts pragmatism, betrayal, and manipulation will remain hard to match in years to come. Additionally, the professional relationship between POTUS and FLOTUS is explored much better in the Netflix series than anywhere else.
2 The Crown (2016-2023)
The Crown has been called out by many scholars for being one of the most historically inaccurate shows around, but the entertainment value is key in the TV landscape, and so fans would rather consume the rumors than the actual facts. As such, the show has treated fans to various dramatic moments that border more on fiction than fact.
Still, not everything is alien to those that know the real story. Thanks to the perfect casting choices, most of the actors do resemble the people in the play. The Crown happens to have a very competent costume design too, meaning that what Princess Diana wore in real life in 1982 is the exact same attire that’s seen on screen.
1 The West Wing (1999-2006)
Almost two decades since it ended, The West Wing remains the most recommendable political drama to ever air on TV, and that’s to be expected for a show that won 26 Emmys. There are many things to love about it, including the fact there is a very likable President as well as his staff who never stop digging into the little details.
The West Wing is also considered one of the best-written TV dramas because real-life political insiders helped craft the manner in which most events and practices were depicted on the show. For this reason, The West Wing is a perfect learning tool for anyone seeking to learn more about how American politics unfolds at the highest levels.