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It may feel like, wherever you go, it’s impossible to escape politics. You hear the latest tirade against (or praise for, depending on what you’re watching!) Donald Trump every night on the news. Protests are exploding all over the U.S. – whether over women’s rights or new immigration legislation. Not to mention the stream of political posts covering your social media feeds.
All of this may make watching fictional political TV shows the last item on your to-do list. However, with series like “Scandal” starting back up again, there has never been a better time to escape into an alternate (political) universe.
Ready to trade reality’s political frustrations for TV’s political entertainment? Here are ENTITY’s top five politics themed dramas and sitcoms – all featuring some inspirational kick ass women! – worth binge watching ASAP.
Power of corruption or corruption of power? Watch a ruthless politician who stops at nothing to take over Washington, D.C. in this Emmy and Golden-Globe winning drama. It doesn’t hurt that Frank Underwood has an equally badass (and ruthless) wife, either.
We make the terror. pic.twitter.com/VpChwGOSMj
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) January 20, 2017
If you haven’t already watched the first four seasons, you also have just enough time to catch up before season five debuts on May 30, 2017. In a politically savvy move, Netflix released the release date of season five on the same day that Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States.
READ MORE: Frank Underwood Soliloquies That Nail Politics in America Today
Sure, sometimes this series hits a little too close to home when it comes to political doom and disaster. Fans were even shocked that season four seemed to mirror much of the 2016 campaign – like with (no spoilers, I promise) a Supreme Court vacancy, a KKK scandal, and a battle with the NRA – even though the show was filmed before the campaign started. As Kevin Spacey, the star of the show explains, “Every season we’ve shot ‘House of Cards,’ we’ve decided on a story line. We’ve written it; we’ve shot it. And just before the series gets dropped, something very close to what we have decided to develop happens in real life.”
So, whether you want to escape today’s political insanity…or see what could happen in the future…or just want to see how impressive characters like Frank and Claire Underwood would deal with the chaos we’re surrounded by, House of Cards is the show for you!
Want a politics show that also promises plenty of laughs? “Veep” is for you. Previously a senator, Selina Meyer soon discovers the step up to being Vice President (or other powerful positions, hint hint!) is nothing like she expected.
READ MORE: 5 Female World Leaders Who Shattered the Glass Ceiling
You’ll be surprised by the actress behind Selina Meyer – Julia Louis-Dreyfus – just as often. Besides acting the main role, she’s also an executive producer on the comedy show. ” I try to be as kind and pleasant as possible,” she told the New York Times. “But I’m pretty sure that people would say I assert myself.”
That was never clearer than when Louis-Dreyfus won the award for Female Actor in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. First, she kept her acceptance speech light, joking about the possibility of Russians hacking the election. Then, she went in for the kill. “I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant…I love this country, and because I love this country I am horrified by its blemishes. And this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American,” she said. “Our guilds are unions of storytellers who always welcomed those from the nations of varying beliefs who wish to share their creativity with America…We will stand with them. And we will fight for them.”
(And whether you agree with her views or not, you can probably agree that it took guts to share them!)
I at one time admired Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as of this day she will be on my not so nice list! https://t.co/vOz7VSqIyB
— Bob Parker (@Bobp1169) January 30, 2017
First Kerry Washington, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Every one using their platform to speak out tonight?????? #sagawards
— Gabrielle Iorio (@gabiorio) January 30, 2017
Where is Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Veep when we need her?!? #inauguration
— Mel Katz (@mel_katzz) January 20, 2017
If you want to see a presidential figure who is as entertaining on TV as she is empowering and courageous in real life, start watching “Veep” before its sixth season airs (likely sometime this April.)
I know that we all wish we could magically make a lot of today’s political messes disappear with the snap of our fingers. Olivia Pope shows us exactly how that’s done in this hit ABC drama. Basically, you watch Washington D.C. lawyers make some major problems disappear. The twist? Olivia Pope and her team are great at solving other people’s problems…but a little less adept when it comes to solving their own.
READ MORE: The Women of ‘Scandal’
Scandal’s sixth season just launched last Thursday, and while its most recent episodes had some frighteningly similar points to the 2016 election, Tony Goldwyn (who plays President Fitzgerald Grant) was quick to point out that is totally fictional. “It’s an alternate universe and is not a political commentary,” Goldwyn told The Hollywood Reporter. “It provides a cathartic counterpoint for people.”
Ashley Ray-Harris from the AV Club agrees. “These past few days, I’ve been dreaming of Olivia and her gladiators marching around Washington,” she writes. Of course, the dark world of Olivia Pope also makes us realize “we’re probably much better off here.” If you were (and still are) a huge Hillary Clinton fan and don’t think America’s political climate can get any worse…well, let’s just say that “Scandal” reminds us that America doesn’t have it too bad.
A photo posted by GOrgeous (@yougogorgeous) on
Whether you just want a kick-ass role model like Olivia Pope (or Kerry Washington, who plays her and is equally vocal!) to look up to, a super fashionable wardrobe to envy (can you say “power suit”?) or just an intense yet entertaining break from the world of Trump…jumping into the world of “Scandal” is just the therapy you need.
We all know that balancing a social life and work is no easy task. Heck, sometimes just taking care of ourselves and a plant is too difficult a task. But what happens if you’re also the Secretary of State? To put it simply, life gets a whole lot more complicated.
Elizabeth McCord – played by Tea Leoni – is one of the ultimate #womenthatdo during its entire three seasons (with the latest episode airing just last Sunday). What’s so awesome about McCord? She’s a mom – but, unlike other shows that try to portray women’s struggle to balance work and home life, she actually makes an endearing mother. She does everything from yell at the President (PSA: this powerful woman is NOT afraid to shake things up) to go on top-secret missions to other countries to deal with the typical challenges of keeping the spark alive in her marriage. As ET Online points out, McCord is surprisingly relatable…and that’s the key to her success.
@StephanieJBlock @TeaLeoni @MadamSecretary MY NEW FAVORITE!!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!! WAY TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW TO RUN A COUNTRY!!!!INSPIRING!
— donna (@dlocpa) January 30, 2017
In the current US political climate I cannot stop thinking of the decency portrayed by @MadamSecretary and hoping they keep it up.
— Raquel Herrera (@r_herreraf) January 30, 2017
It also doesn’t hurt that Leoni is just as bold in her own life. Recently, viewers noticed that, in a recent episode of Madam Secretary, Elizabeth McCord is wearing a Hillary Clinton pendant necklace in almost every scene. The pendent, made by California-based jewelry designer Billy Zeeman, features the words “Grit, Courage and Grace” surrounding a heart with an “H” inside it. Of course, Leoni isn’t the first star to rock this jewelry. Katy Perry, Meryl Streep and even Clinton herself have boasted the bling. But, that doesn’t make this little wink from one “woman in power” to another any less inspiring.
Just noticed that @TeaLeoni has been wearing this Hillary Pendant on @MadamSecretary – Pendant made by HRC supporter https://t.co/8MqmoTFlC7 pic.twitter.com/C9NwPPlJnZ
— Yashar (@yashar) January 27, 2017
If you want to see a (more) realistic picture about what it would be like to be the Secretary of State, look no further than Madam Secretary!
Okay, maybe to escape from Trump, you need to go to land far away. Why not save the plane ticket and blast back in time to old England with “The Crown” instead? This Netflix original series has been making headlines since its debut in November – especially since it reportedly cost $130 million to produce. It’s not just the elaborate costumes, gorgeous scenery and plentiful eye candy (hello Matt Smith, who certainly received a royal promotion to go from Doctor Who to Prince Philip).
READ MORE: Game of Thrones: ‘Victoria’ v. ‘The Crown’
The Crown follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who began her reign in 1952 when political icon Winston Churchill was Prime Minister. While the show might have an “old” focus, it stirs up plenty of questions for the modern woman. Viewers see that education is power as Queen Elizabeth realizes how much her own education was lacking. And, while most couples may not have crowns, they can likely relate to the power struggles Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip experience. (If you’re part of the 38 percent of women who earn more than their husbands, make that an “almost certainly.”)
Could you be watching TV like royalty if you add “The Crown” to your viewing to-do list? It isn’t certain. As Claire Foy, the actress who plays Queen Elizabeth, admitted at the Screen Actors Guild Awards: “It’s very difficult to get a truthful answer from anyone, which is the nature of them [the royal family], and the beauty of them. We don’t know [if the royal family is watching], but we do know they have a Netflix subscription.”
I’m a little obsessed w this show #thecrown #queenelizabeth #clairefoy
A photo posted by Jenna Lynne Russ (@jl_glamoruss) on
And you would know that you’re watching the series that won Best TV Show at the 2017 Golden Globes and two awards at the SAG Awards. Now, that’s royally awesome. I mean, what’s a better way to escape today’s political climate than watching a (literal) Queen slay in England decades ago?
Considering how entrenched society is today with politics, you may want to ditch political TV shows altogether. However, perhaps the best way to forget our own political problems is exploring others’ – especially when there are plenty of kick ass women on our side.
TV show binge watching has never been more cathartic…and more packed with female characters who make you say, “Now, that is one epic nasty woman!”
