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Commander In Chief
SERIES: ABC, Tuesday 9:00p (60 minutes)
Starring
Geena Davis,
Donald Sutherland,
Kyle Secor,
Harry J. Lennix,
and
Ever Carradine
When the President dies, Vice President MacKenzie Allen (Geena Davis) becomes the United States' first female head of state. Her first task: avoid getting cancelled.
| GENRE(S): |
Drama
|
| CREATED BY: |
Rod Lurie
|
| FIRST AIR DATE: |
September 27, 2005 |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
80
Baltimore Sun David Zurawik
As drama, tonight's pilot has its flaws, but it is, nevertheless, one of those electrifying TV productions that instead of simply seeking to divert or amuse, challenges viewers to imagine a reality other than the one they have been conditioned to accept.
80
Chicago Tribune Sid Smith
It all promises to be addictive watching.
80
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen
The best new fall drama.
75
San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman
It's a whole lot better than the premise on paper, and though initially it takes a bit to warm to Davis.
75
People Weekly Tom Gliatto
A diverting, silly potboiler, a bold cartoon with none of the staffers' anxious beetle scuttling that gives NBC's venerable The West Wing a sense of verisimilitude. [3 Oct 2005, p.39]
75
New York Post Linda Stasi
Davis... is very good.
75
Detroit Free Press Mike Duffy
"The West Wing" was more vivid, original and compelling than "Commander in Chief" is likely to become. But impressive Geena Davis and the Oval Office gender twist are indeed refreshing.
75
USA Today Robert Bianco
Tonight's premiere rises and falls with Davis, and she's completely in command. We'll just have to hope the rest of the show falls in line behind her.
70
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Melanie McFarland
Davis fills the "leader of the free world" shoes admirably, quickly demonstrating herself to be a formidable presence when she tangles with Sutherland.
70
Slate Dana Stevens
It's less a vision of what a real female presidency might be like than an extended allegory about gender politics in the workplace. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.
70
The New York Times Alessandra Stanley
Well written and playful with its premise.
70
The New Yorker Nancy Franklin
It is probably too soon in the series to expect to see more complexity, or some sense of the grinding difficulty of the job of President, and the number of no-win situations that present themselves every day in the Oval Office. But “Commander in Chief” really does make things look too easy.
63
Chicago Sun-Times Doug Elfman
Heavy-handed.
60
San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum
"Commander'' looks good, summons up some real energy in key scenes and establishes a certain warmth in its portrayal of the Allen family.
60
Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart
While not quite the out-of-the-gate obvious hit that “The West Wing” was, ["Commander In Chief"] has enough going for it that it may soon become America’s favorite soap opera about a president of the United States.
60
Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker
Maybe Davis will grow into the role. Perhaps Commander in Chief will develop into something deeper than a smooth, self-satisfied show. For now, the series enjoys one important asset: impeccable timing.
50
Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd
Polished and lively, it is also simplistic, melodramatic and half-baked — though it clips along nicely enough that you may not notice.
40
Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron
Although it would be extraordinary for any series to match the level of political complexity and realism of "The West Wing," this one barely tries.
40
Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert
Some viewers will be put off by the many unbelievable aspects of ''Commander in Chief," and not least of all by Geena Davis.
40
Variety Brian Lowry
Despite nice touches in writer-director-exec producer Rod LurieRod Lurie's handsome-looking pilot, there's also a smothering stiffness to it, including Geena Davis' performance as the first female president.
40
PopMatters Samantha Bornemann
Anyone who learned politics from The West Wing will feel adrift in Commander in Chief's vacuum. Where are the polls, the clamoring press? We get little proof that the nation President Allen governs even exists.
38
New York Daily News David Hinckley
A script so unimaginative, and characters so flat and forced, that it begs for a recall vote.
20
Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm
Simplistic and shamelessly manipulative.
20
Cleveland Plain Dealer Mark Dawidziak
The writing on "Commander in Chief" often is so distressingly thin and pale, this West Wing drama will suffer in comparison to the robust early years of, well, NBC's "The West Wing."
20
Miami Herald Glenn Garvin
An absurd fairy tale.
0
Newsday Verne Gay
Finally, the best new comedy of the 2005-06 TV season is here... What's that, you say? This is a drama and not a comedy? Oh, dear.
 The average user rating for this tv show is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 213 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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