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- 2016
- TV-14
- ABC
- 2016
- TV-14
- ABC
Summary Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) is left as the Commander in Chief after an explosion during the State of the Union address kills the President and those in line of succession.
Created By: David Guggenheim
- 2016
- TV-14
- ABC
- 2016
- TV-14
- ABC
Designated Survivor
Season 1 Premiere: Sep 21, 2016
71
6.1
Where to Watch
Summary Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) is left as the Commander in Chief after an explosion during the State of the Union address kills the President and those in line of succession.
Created By: David Guggenheim
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 39 Critic Reviews
71
69% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
31% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 39 Critic Reviews
71
69% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
31% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
As equal parts action and drama, and giving Kiefer Sutherland one of the best roles of his career, Designated Survivor is the season’s first sure thing. Make that “Designated” sure thing.
As a standalone episode of television, Survivor’s pilot is nothing to cartwheel over, but as it lays out the show’s premise, it becomes obvious why network executives would snap it up. It’s destined to become one of fall’s biggest network hits, and all because Sutherland accepted his role as the elder statesman of the small screen action thriller.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 372 User Ratings
6.1
58% Positive
217 Ratings
217 Ratings
14% Mixed
53 Ratings
53 Ratings
27% Negative
102 Ratings
102 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 372 User Ratings
6.1
58% Positive
217 Ratings
217 Ratings
14% Mixed
53 Ratings
53 Ratings
27% Negative
102 Ratings
102 Ratings
The pilot does everything it needs to, checking off the necessary boxes for the unwilling American hero-president in efficient, compelling scenes. This show isn’t going to be for everyone, but it comes with one of the highest-quality pilots broadcast is offering this fall, and it’s ABC’s strongest drama.
That B-plot is where Designated Survivor has the potential to adhere most stringently to formula, with Wells chasing down leads and interrogating suspects Bauer-style in order to prevent further chaos, but even that traditional side of the series is deftly introduced. Ideally, it will remain in the background; Sutherland is where the show soars.
In a way, all Guggenheim needs to accomplish in the pilot is to put Sutherland behind the desk in the Oval Office, and he does that. But Designated Survivor feels like it could be a whole lot more than that, perhaps if it started trying to do a bit less overall.
The problem comes in the second episode, along with a suddenly increased capacity to resist everything about Designated Survivor. Here we come up against the show’s message, or more precisely its gross political tendentiousness. ... Mr. Sutherland may not have been the best choice for the role of a virtuous milquetoast concealing a heart of steel--the milquetoast part dominates even when the steel is flashed.
Sutherland himself is cool and charming, but the boilerplate stylings and dialogue leave his character--and the series--uninspired.
Season 1 and 2 were good but I absolutely loved Season 3. Excellent character analysis. I also enjoyed how interviews with non-actors were weaved into the narrative. This season had much more dimension than the previous ones (actually, far superior to corny shows like "Scandal")
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Season 1 and season 2: 6.5/10.
Decent entertainment. Actiona/drama-oriented as opposed to politically oriented.
Season 3: 2/10. While I personally favor left politics (I am Norwegian after all), this became a left-leaning circlejerk-narrative even the most extreme PC-activists must regard as embarrassing. It tipped over the edge and became a parody on itself.
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Although the premise of this series had potential, these episodes are universally marred by cartoonish characterisations, and threadbare, timeworn plot tropes. The character of the president vacillates from pollyanna to simp. The characters of the FBI agents swing from fool-hardy to oblivious dolts. Every other role is a hyperbolic, over-wrought caricature. There are some good ideas in the plot arcs, they are just not represented or executed very well here.
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The first season was fun to watch. It was suspenseful and easy to connect with the characters. Season two was okay. Watchable but not gripping. Season three was terrible. The story line was interesting but the addition of profanity and graphic sexual content was distracting and unnecessary. This was a show I could watch with my 12 year old during season one snd two. We were very disappointed with season three and it’s “R” rated content.
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I'm only giving the show a 2 because it had two Good seasons. Once Netflix took the show over it became a gigantic zero. It has so much left wing indoctrination that it has quit being a show, but has become a platform for pushing agendas. Throw in some disgusting graphic **** sex, and you have one of the worst collapses of a television show ever.
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Production Company:
- The Mark Gordon Company
- Kinberg Genre
- ABC Signature
- Entertainment 360
Initial Release Date: Sep 21, 2016
Number of seasons: 3 Seasons
Rating: TV-14
Awards
Golden Trailer Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Critics Choice Television Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
The Joey Awards, Vancouver
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
