Commander in Chief Synopsis and General Information

September 27, 2005

May 2006
The series ran for one season on ABC and produced 18 episodes.

Geena Davis as President Mackenzie Allen
Harry J. Lennix as Jim Gardner, Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Donald Sutherland as Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton
Ever Carradine as Kelly Ludlow
Kyle Secor as Rod Calloway
Matt Lanter as Horace Calloway
Caitlin Wachs as Rebecca Calloway
Jasmine Jessica Anthony as Amy Calloway

In the pilot episode, the scenes involving Air Force Two were actually scenes used in the film, Force One starring Harrison Ford.

Series writer, Steven Cohen worked for Hillary Clinton during her husband's Presidency as her deputy communications director. Another series writer, Stuart Stevens, ran the 2000 and 2004 media campaigns for President Bush.

Can a woman really make it as the leader of the free world? As we evolve, this possibility could and most likely will become a reality sooner than we think. This show addressed the many obstacles a woman would likely face in any kind of position of power -- from the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers to backstabbing from the people who are supposed to be supporting your decisions.

Mackenzie Allen (Academy Award-winner Geena Davis), the 45-year-old Independent Vice President of the United States, is about to venture into territory no woman has entered before. While at an official ceremony with husband and Chief of Staff Rod Calloway (Kyle Secor), she is informed by the President's Chief of Staff, Jim Gardner (Harry Lennix), and the Attorney General that President Bridges is about to undergo emergency brain surgery for a tumor.

Mackenzie is stunned when Gardner tells her that, in the event the President does not recover, the party doesn't want her to succeed him. Instead, she's asked to step down in order to allow the Speaker of the House to assume the post, as he shares the party's ideals.

Mackenzie's doubts are confirmed when she visits President Bridges at the hospital and hears from him directly that he wants her to resign. Bridges dies before transition plans are finalized, however, and after sitting through an insulting and sexist conversation with Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland), Mackenzie decides to forge ahead and assume the presidency, despite the obstacles that lie ahead.

Aside from the challenges Mackenzie faces, husband Rod has his own hurdles to overcome, as he finds himself being ushered into a pink and feminine office by the first lady's aide. Her children, six-year-old Amy (Jasmine Anthony), as well as twins Horace (Matt Lanter), one of the most popular kids in school, and Rebecca (Caitlin Wachs), a rebellious teenager with raging hormones, must also learn to deal with their mother's new role as leader of the free world.

Meeting with a saddened Congress and addressing a stunned nation, Mackenzie delivers an inaugural speech with the help of press secretary Kelly Ludlow (Ever Carradine), which manages to unite a grieving country, quell the critics who feel she's not up to the task, and look to the bright future which lies ahead, led by the first female President of the United States.

Summary provided by ABC.