15 good shows like The West Wing
This fall marks a major milestone with the 25th anniversary of The West Wing. When the show premiered in 1999, it was immediately one of the biggest hits on TV. Viewers loved the look at the White House, not just handling major crises but the inner workings of how it dealt with day-to-day affairs and some often funny antics. It was backed by a stunning cast from Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet to Allison Janney in her breakout Emmy-winning turn as C.J. Cregg.
There have been a lot of shows dealing with politics since then, from thrillers to dramas, and few have captured the same energy and feel as The West Wing. Yet for fans of the show celebrating its 25th anniversary, these twelve shows have the same aura of looking at the higher levels of politics with amazing writing and acting and all worth a watch.
Madam Secretary
The best spiritual successor to The West Wing is this terrific CBS drama. Tea Leoni is Elizabeth McCord, who's talked by President Dalton (Keith Carradine) into becoming his Secretary of State. McCord has to handle various problems and scandals, including trying to prevent World War III a few times while discovering some of the most dangerous enemies come from within.
There's some top political discussions here (the storyline on the Ukraine is more striking to watch today) and a fine supporting cast. Leoni and Tim Daly also get along well as husband and wife on screen, and the politics are balanced with family life. The final season has Bess becoming President herself and any West Wing buff will love this.
Streaming on Netflix and Paramount+
The Crown
It may be about the British royal family, but this Emmy-winning Netflix drama also involves a lot of politics. It tracks the life of Elizabeth II (played over the years by Claire Foy, Olivia Coleman, and Imelda Staunton) as she takes the throne and handles the latter half of the 20th century and its many changes.
There's a lot of political maneuvering around with Elizabeth often clashing with her Prime Ministers, from Churchill (John Lithgow) to Thatcher (Gillian Anderson). The show examines the role of the Royal Family in British society and culture and the Queen is often tempted to get more involved in politics. While a terrific character drama, the political themes are a key part of the series' success.
Streaming on Netflix
Designated Survivor
The title of this drama (which ran on ABC before moving to Netflix) refers to Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), a low-level cabinet official when an attack during the State of the Union takes out Congress, the Supreme Court, and the entire line of succession. Now, a man who's never run for office is President of the United States and has to rebuild the government.
Sutherland is sensational in the role and it's notable how aeason 2 moves from the conspiracy to Kirkman tackling various international crises. He's got a good supporting cast around him with Maggie Q as a top agent and it's a shame it only lasted three seasons as this powerful take on a White House drama deserved more time to develop.
Streaming on Netflix
Scandal
This ABC sensation stars Kerry Washington in her signature role as Olivia Pope, the "fixer" who handles scandals of the rich and powerful Washington D.C. elite. The pilot ends with the revelation of Olivia's love for President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn), who became a key backbone for the series. That kicked off several seasons of wild thrills, including the truth of how Liv cheated to help Fitz get elected in the first place and is trying to cover it up.
The show just got wilder as it went on with more twists and turns and every one of them was loved by fans. That included the introduction of Liv's ruthless father, one OPA member turning into a sociopath, the First Lady running for President and it all culminated in a wild finale. Scandal is a crazy ride, but it's worth watching for a different take on White House politics.
Streaming on Hulu and Tubi
House of Cards
It may be a bit more troubling due to its leading man yet this Netflix smash is still a powerful political drama. A remake of a British series, Kevin Spacey is Frank Underwood, a man happy to be a simple mover and shaker in Congress. But when the President reneges on a promise for a big promotion, Frank starts working behind the scenes to gain the most power he can.
The show is packed with amazing moments and shocking turns, with Frank addressing the audience and explaining his motives. Robin Wright is superb as his wife, Claire, a Lady Macbeth who shows her own dark side. The last seasons have Frank elevated to the Presidency to cause more chaos while Claire takes up the lead in the final year. The speaking to the audience bit alone makes this show a dark but fun ride.
Streaming on Netflix
White House Plumbers
The Watergate scandal is fodder for some terrific TV dramas. White House Plumbers is a more satirical take, using the idea that rather than a carefully laid out plan by professional agents, the entire break-in was a bungling affair, and the cover-up was even worse. It's more comedic, playing on how a stupid plan escalated into the greatest scandal in history.
Streaming on Max
Gaslit
Starz's Gaslit puts a focus on the side people involved in the Watergate scandal from FBI agents to Martha Mitchell (Julia Roberts) and what part they played in uncovering the truth. Both Gaslit and White House Plumbers have similar bits, like G. Gordon Liddy presented as a total nutjob and Nixon himself rarely on camera. Both shows are a good look at an event that nearly broke the country.
Streaming on Starz
The Oval
This BET series makes Scandal look like a dead-serious docudrama. Created by Tyler Perry, it plays as looking at both the First Family and the various workers of the White House putting up with their antics. There are brawls in the White House, attempted coups, cults, kidnappings, you name it, it happens. It's like The West Wing put through a serious soap opera blender and while it may not be logical, it's also pretty fun and worth a binge for a guilty pleasure ride.
Streaming on BET+
The Young Pope
The Catholic Church is as much about politics as it is religion. HBO's linked series, The Young Pope and The New Pope are a good examination of the power it wields.
The Young Pope has Jude Law tearing it up as the newly elected Pope who, behind the scenes, is a wild figure who doesn't even believe in God. His actions cause chaos in the Italian government, and Law is sensational, acting up in outrageous storylines that are compelling to watch.
Streaming on Max
The New Pope
The New Pope explores the fallout of Law's Pope in a coma and the battle to be his successor, exposing the dark secrets of the Church. John Malkovich is at his usual best as one candidate for the throne and it amps up the complexity of how the governments address the Church today. It may not be right for some viewers, yet still combines to a wild take on how linked the Church is to the political world.
Streaming on Max
Veep
The producers of this HBO show have openly admitted that what was once satire has now become real life. That just makes a rewatch of the series better today.
In her multiple Emmy-winning performance, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Selina Meyer, the foul-mouthed vice president who keeps bumbling her way through attempts to be taken seriously. Surrounded by a staff as incompetent as she is, Selina's antics are fodder for terrific comedy.
Veep sharpens as it goes with Selina achieving her dream of becoming President only for it to become a nightmare. The takes on politics are almost sedate compared to the nightly news, but the cast makes them hilarious to watch. The series still holds up as one of the best political shows ever and funnier in how it's mirrored actual events since.
Streaming on Max
Borgen
This Danish hit streaming on Netflix centers around Birgitte Nyborg Christensen (Sidse Babett Knudsen), a low-level moderate politician who ends up becoming the first female Prime Minister of Denmark. Going in with lofty ideas, Birgitte realizes she has to get a bit dirty to handle the games of opponents and allies alike.
Unlike Jed Bartlett, Birgitte isn't perfect as she makes a lot of mistakes, from her marriage to nearly wrecking the government. Season 3 has a spin of her moved to foreign minister where her actions could set the country on the road to war. Put up with the subtitles and this series is a fantastic watch that shows the West Wing formula can work for other nations.
Streaming on Netflix
Chief of Staff
This Korean drama plays like this nation's version of House of Cards. Lee Jung Jae is the young chief of staff for a politician who has to choose whether to play things fairly or break the rules to affect true change. It's complicated by a romance with a rival aide.
The show is a terrific kdrama, mixing the romances with various crisis, insight to life in South Korea and examining just how good someone can be when they're involved in this political world. The two-season run is a good one for anyone who enjoys a powerful political drama.
Streaming on Netflix
Queenmaker
Another top Korean drama, this 2023 series is a great spotlight on two top women. One is a "fixer" and image consultant for a powerful company who clashes with a fiesty human rights attorney. Circumstances cause the two women to both get fired and they decide to team up and get the lawyer elected mayor of Seoul.
The dynamic of the two leads--Kim Hee-ae and Moon So-ri--is amazing as they constantly clash over how dirty the campaign will go yet also respect one another. They're bound together fighting the company and their own nasty tricks and the election battles are wonderful fodder for political drama junkies.
Streaming on Netflix
The First Lady
It may not be as great in some areas of pacing but this Showtime series deserves a watch just for the cast. It focuses on three of the most notable First Ladies in American history: Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfieffer), and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis). Each has challenges, from Eleanor being the longest-serving First Lady to Ford's personal problems to Obama's historic run.
The Presidents are just as good with Kiefer Sutherland as FDR and Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford. The bouncing around timelines can be convoluted as it dramatizes anything from World War II to Watergate. Yet the three stars are the reason to watch to show the First Lady's impact on the country.
Streaming on Max
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