For years we watched Kiefer Sutherland save America week after week from all kinds of nefarious plots. But CTU Agent Jack Bauer is now old news, and this isn’t 24. In Sutherland’s new TV series, Designated Survivor, the Emmy Award winning 24 actor goes from having to work for/against the President of the United States to being the top man in charge himself.
But not through any electoral process though, as he plays a lowly cabinet member who, as part of governmental protocol, is chosen to be the sole Congressman secreted away during the President’s state of the Union address just in the very rare chance that something catastrophic happens eliminating the rest of the government. This being Sutherland, of course something catastrophic happens, leaving his woefully unprepared Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Tom Kirkman to become Commander-In-Chief with his first job being to figure out exactly what happened to his predecessors. And maybe not start World War 3 in the process.
It’s an intriguing concept and based on the first trailer it could make for a very exciting series. Throw in a pretty great cast that includes Natascha McElhone, Kal Penn and Maggie Q and I’m definitely sold on this. Check it out for yourself below.
Interesting note: In between being a goofball in movies/TV series like Harold and Kumar and How I Met Your Mother, Kal Penn was actually the Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement in Barack Obama’s administration. Yes, he went from White Castle to the White House. And using that insider knowledge, Penn will actually serve as consultant on Designated Survivor on top of his co-star credit.
Tru Calling creator Jon Harmon Feldman will be acting as the showrunner on the production, while the series’ pilot episode was directed by Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin, Push). Designated Survivor is scheduled to debut in the US Fall TV season.
Last Updated: May 19, 2016
theBicycleBandit
May 19, 2016 at 22:29
EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!