Designated Survivor
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Designated Survivor (2016) is a drama and thriller series from Netflix. It has built a run of 53 episodes. It premiered on September 21, 2016. Viewers rate it 7.4 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 3 seasons.
What Designated Survivor Is About
Kiefer Sutherland stars as Tom Kirkman, a lower-level cabinet member who is suddenly appointed President of the United States after a catastrophic attack on the US Capitol during the State of the Union, on the highly anticipated series Designated Survivor. In this dramatic thriller, Kirkman will struggle to keep the country and his own family from falling apart, while navigating the highly-volatile political arena and while leading the search to find who is responsible for the attack.
What to Expect When You Watch
The format keeps each instalment self-contained enough to drop into, the full run covers 53 episodes, spread across 3 seasons and it leans into its drama/thriller roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Kiefer Sutherland, Adan Canto and Italia Ricci to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Kiefer Sutherland, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, Kal Penn, Maggie Q and LaMonica Garrett lead the cast.
Key roles include Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman; Adan Canto as Aaron Shore; Italia Ricci as Emily Rhodes; Kal Penn as Seth Wright; Maggie Q as Hannah Wells.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of drama and thriller have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Netflix’s other originals, a 7.4/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2016 and carried by Netflix with the series still ended, it lands hardest with drama and thriller viewers.
How Designated Survivor Compares
If Designated Survivor lands for you, the next stops are Breaking Bad, Firefly and The Wire, which share its drama/thriller lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Designated Survivor comes from Netflix. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
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On the whole Designated Survivor is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Kiefer Sutherland and Adan Canto doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its drama/thriller roots, It has held up since 2016 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Designated Survivor is a safe bet for anyone already inside the drama and thriller lane, at 53 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 7.4/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 7.4/10. Watch it if you want drama/thriller you can settle into.
