Designated Survivor - Season One

"We're living in a different world today than we were yesterday," says the un-elected President Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland).

The capitol building has exploded in a terrorist attack, killing the president of the United States and everyone in the presidential line of succession. Everyone, that is but Kirkman, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the "Designated Survivor."

Someone deep within the government is a traitor - in fact, there is a whole treacherous network - and Kirkman has little help as he tries to reestablish the U.S. government. Constantly by his side are Chief of Staff Aaron Shore (Adan Canto), Special Advisor Emily Rhodes (Italia Ricci), and personal Secret Service agent Mike Ritter (LaMonica Garrett) - though one of them may be a conspirator. And the president couldn't survive without his White House Press Secretary Seth Wright (Kal Penn). But can he unravel the plot to obliterate America without first devastating his wife, First Lady Alex Kirkman (Natascha McElhone), and family?

The solution relies on FBI agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) as she follows a chain of deception whose influence may go all the way to the Democratic Congressman Peter MacLeish (Ashley Zukerman), a man on his way to becoming Vice President.

Some accomplices in the plot are unwillingly included, like Deputy Director of the FBI Jason Atwood (Malik Yoba), and some slink at the edges like Beth MacLeish (Lara Jean Chorostecki), a Lady Macbeth on her rise to power, a powerful conspirator with confusing allegiances.

David Guggenheim's edge-of-your-seat political thriller is one of the most difficult shows on television to quit watching, especially as it is laid out in this 5 DVD collection and you can easily jump from one episode to the next. Also included in this set are a host of special features, including extended scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at the show with the filmmakers and cast (noting the ways they assure authenticity) and an intimate tour of the White House sets.

In some ways, it feels like "Designated Survivor" is network television's answer to "Homeland," though connections can be made to "House of Cards" and "Scandal" as well. But don't think that the subscription services and cable channels have the upper hand just because they have fewer restrictions in their content. This riveting series proves that, even in 21 episodes, the networks can still do it right.

What makes this show so successful, though, is it gives us an American that, even in extreme crisis, we want to believe in, something bigger than ourselves - a country with a leader that is decent and compassionate, a man that values integrity over vanity and service over ambition.

"Designated Survivor"
DVD
$29.98
abc.go.com/shows/designated-survivor/