Best Political Drama Series Worth Watching
TL;DR — For hopeful, idealistic politics, watch The West Wing or Borgen. For cynical power games, House of Cards (the early seasons) or Succession. For global crises, The Diplomat or Homeland. For history, The Crown or Chernobyl. For satire, Veep. Below, each with network, length and what it does best.
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Take the quizHopeful and idealistic
The West Wing (NBC, 1999-2006, 7 seasons). President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his senior staff, written by Aaron Sorkin for the first four seasons. Fast, witty, walk-and-talk drama that believes public service can work. Still the starting point for the genre.
Borgen (DR, 2010-2013, 3 seasons, plus Netflix's Power & Glory in 2022). Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) unexpectedly becomes Denmark's first female prime minister and has to hold a coalition together. Smart about compromise, the media and the cost to her family.
Cynical and ruthless
House of Cards (Netflix, 2013-2018, 6 seasons). Congressman Frank Underwood schemes his way to the presidency, speaking directly to the camera. It was Netflix's first big original drama. Seasons 1 and 2 are the best; the final season, made after Kevin Spacey was fired, centres on Robin Wright's Claire.
Global crises
The Diplomat (Netflix, 2023 onward). Keri Russell is a career diplomat made US ambassador to the UK in the middle of an international crisis, while her marriage to a more famous diplomat gets in the way. Fast, funny and tense.
Homeland (Showtime, 2011-2020, 8 seasons). Bipolar CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) believes a rescued American prisoner of war has been turned. The first season is superb; later seasons reinvent the show around new crises.
History
The Crown (Netflix, 2016-2023, 6 seasons). Elizabeth II's reign, with her prime ministers and constitutional crises at the centre of many episodes. The cast changes every two seasons as the characters age.
Chernobyl (HBO, 2019, 5 episodes). The 1986 nuclear disaster as a story of a state that preferred lies to the truth. Short, devastating and complete.
Satire
Veep (HBO, 2012-2019, 7 seasons). Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a vain, petty vice president surrounded by incompetent staff. From Armando Iannucci, creator of The Thick of It. Louis-Dreyfus won six Emmys for the role.
Our verdict
Start with The West Wing for hope or Veep for laughs. If you've seen both, Borgen is the best political drama most English-speaking viewers haven't tried.
Frequently asked questions
Is Borgen worth watching? Yes. It's often called the European West Wing, and a fourth season, Power & Glory, arrived on Netflix in 2022.
Is House of Cards worth finishing? The first two seasons are the strongest. Kevin Spacey was removed before the sixth and final season, which most viewers found weaker.
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