# Designated Survivor (2016)

> A mild-mannered cabinet member is thrust into the presidency after a catastrophic attack wipes out the government, and must hold the nation together while hunting for who is responsible.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/59011

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 53
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, thriller
- Created by: David Guggenheim
- Network: ABC, Netflix
- Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone, Maggie Q, Kal Penn, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, LaMonica Garrett, Malik Yoba
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5296406/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: tense, sombre, paranoid, mournful, earnest

## What critics say

Audiences rated the series positively, with praise for its high-stakes premise and lead performance, though enthusiasm faded across its three seasons.

## Synopsis

Designated Survivor (2016-2019) is an American political thriller series created by David Guggenheim for ABC, later continued on Netflix. Kiefer Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, a low-level housing secretary who becomes president overnight after a bombing at the State of the Union wipes out everyone above him in the line of succession. Natascha McElhone plays his wife Alex, while Maggie Q plays Hannah Wells, a Secret Service agent, and Kal Penn plays Seth Wright, a presidential aide, each pulling Kirkman between loyalty, ambition and suspicion. The engine of the show is a reluctant leader trying to govern a grieving country while every decision exposes him to rival factions, intelligence officials and an unseen enemy. Each season balances crisis-of-the-week political maneuvering with a larger serialized conspiracy about who really planned the attack. The series spans three seasons and is built on the tension between public duty and private family life. Set in present-day Washington, D.C., its tone is sombre and tense, with grief, paranoia and moral compromise running beneath the corridors of power. Fans of 24, The West Wing and Homeland will find resonance in its blend of Washington intrigue and national-security dread.

## Shows like Designated Survivor

- [Scandal (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/36086)
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- [Commander in Chief (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/3818)
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- [The Night Agent (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/107194)
- [24 (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/1865)
- [Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73749)
- [Hostage (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/164349)
- [Zero Day (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/136517)
- [The West Wing (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/651)

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