Best tv shows like The West Wing
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The West Wing provides a glimpse into presidential politics in the nation's capital as it tells the stories of the members of a fictional presidential administration. These interesting characters have humor and dedication that touches the heart while the politics that they discuss touch on everyday life.
IMDB Rating: 8.9
IMDB Votes: 83000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: clever, political, talky, sincere, serious, realistic, political thriller, sitcom, intelligent, action adventure
Best tv shows and movies like The West Wing (1999):
Similar in 89%
First Monday (2002)
Plot Summary:
A newcomer to the Supreme Court finds himself a pivotal force on an often deadlocked bench, frequently at odds over hot-button cases in this earnest but brief legal drama.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 211
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 79%
The Hour (2011)
Plot Summary:
A behind-the-scenes drama and espionage thriller in Cold War-era England that centers on a journalist, a producer, and an anchorman for an investigative news programme.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, realistic, stylized, historical drama, tense, political thriller, period drama
Similar in 82%
Mister Sterling (2003)
Plot Summary:
Mister Sterling is an American television serial drama created by Lawrence O'Donnell that ran from January to March in 2003. It starred Josh Brolin as an idealistic United States Senator, and featured Audra McDonald, William Russ, David Noroña, and James Whitmore as members of his staff. Despite mostly positive reviews, the show, which aired on NBC on Friday nights, was cancelled after 10 episodes after the show only ranked 58th in the yearly ratings Although it had numerous similarities to The West Wing in style and tone, it was not set in the same universe as O'Donnell's other political show. It is unknown if a cross-over would have ever occurred had Mister Sterling not been cancelled; however Steven Culp played presidential aspirant Sen. Ron Garland on Mister Sterling and House Speaker Jeff Haffley on The West Wing, and Democrats appeared to be in the majority in the US Senate on Mr Sterling, while in The West Wing consistent Republican control of both Houses of Congress was a key plot point. James Whitmore was nominated for a 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for playing former Governor Bill Sterling, the senator's father.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 179
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, psychological, atmospheric, thought provoking, serious
Similar in 89%
An American Affair (2008)
Plot Summary:
In the early 1960s, teenager Adam Stafford (Cameron Bright) becomes obsessed with his new neighbor, Catherine Caswell (Gretchen Mol), a divorcée and free spirit. Stafford spies on Caswell as she meets with strange men, and, despite the warnings of his conservative parents, he begins working for her as a gardener. Amid rumors of her affair with President Kennedy, the two become close, but political intrigue surrounding her acquaintances soon infringes on their friendship.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, realistic, serious, erotic, political, sad, clever, gloomy, political drama
Similar in 90%
Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977)
Plot Summary:
The story of a power-hungry U.S. President, and the men he surrounds himself with in order to keep his hold on power. Based on John Ehrlichman's book about the Nixon administration.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 231
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 750 min
Plot tags: political drama
Similar in 78%
State of Affairs (2014)
Plot Summary:
Each day the President is faced with dozens of life and death decisions, and to prioritize the biggest international crises facing the country, one top CIA analyst - Charleston Tucker - assembles the President's Daily Briefing. This list of the most vital security issues facing the nation brings with it moral and political judgment calls for Charleston and her trusted group of brilliant analysts at the agency. Aside from the political minefields she has to walk, Charlie has a close personal relationship with the President because she was once engaged to her son before a tragic terrorist attack took his life. Charlie survived that attack and is now determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. Navigating a complex personal life and a pressure-cooker profession is, of course, a challenge, and Charlie sometimes engages in boundary-pushing behavior to avoid facing her grief. But when the clock strikes 2 a.m., she is all about her job - protecting her nation, serving her president and still trying to get to the bottom of her fiancé's murder that will reveal itself as a shocking mystery.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, political, compassionate, tv series pilot
Similar in 75%
Commander in Chief (2005)
Plot Summary:
Commander in Chief is an American drama television series that focused on the fictional administration and family of Mackenzie Allen, the first female President of the United States, who ascends to the post from the Vice Presidency after the death of the sitting President from a sudden cerebral aneurysm. The series began broadcasting on ABC on Tuesday, September 27, 2005, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, although most countries outside North America began screening the series in mid-2006. The show was #1 on Tuesday nights until FOX's American Idol started in January. The show was also the #1 new show of the season until CBS' Criminal Minds surpassed it. Its major competitor in the 9:00 p.m. timeslot was FOX's House, which aired after American Idol. The series was created by American director Rod Lurie, director of the films The Contender and Deterrence and may have been inspired by The West Wing, a popular political drama on rival NBC. The network replaced Lurie with Steven Bochco as show runner, but declining ratings brought about a hiatus, a timeslot change and ultimately cancellation.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sincere, clever, serious, realistic, political, talky, political drama
Similar in 79%
Tanner '88 (1988)
Plot Summary:
In 1988, renegade filmmaker Robert Altman and Pulitzer Prize–winning Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau created a presidential candidate, ran him alongside the other hopefuls during the primary season, and presented their media campaign as a cross between a soap opera and TV news. The result was the groundbreaking Tanner ’88, a piercing satire of media-age American politics, in which actors Michael Murphy (as contender Jack Tanner) and Cynthia Nixon (as his daughter) rub elbows on the campaign trail with real-life political players Jesse Jackson, Gary Hart, Bob Dole, Ralph Nader, Kitty Dukakis, and Gloria Steinem, among many others. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the complete eleven-episode television series—more relevant today than ever.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 936
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 353 min
Plot tags: mockumentary, political, clever, humorous, realistic, witty, cynical, semi serious, biting, suspense
Similar in 83%
LBJ: The Early Years (1987)
Plot Summary:
LBJ: The Early Years was a television movie that appeared on the NBC network in February 1987, depicting the life of former President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson from 1934 until 1973. Actor Randy Quaid won a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Johnson.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 278
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 155 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, serious, captivating, realistic, contemplative, political
Similar in 82%
Blind Ambition (1979)
Plot Summary:
Television series docu-drama traces the career of John Dean, special counsel of president Nixon.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 167
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 480 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 76%
Madam Secretary (2014)
Plot Summary:
Former CIA agent Elizabeth Faulkner McCord is suddenly thrust into the position of US Secretary of State where she must quickly learn to drive international diplomacy, wrangle office politics and balance a complex family life.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, political, intelligent, political drama
Similar in 79%
Political Animals (2012)
Plot Summary:
Political Animals is a six-part miniseries. Elaine Barrish's husband Bud was a popular President of the United States during the 1990s despite his extramarital affairs. After leaving the White House, Elaine Barrish was elected Governor of Illinois and ran for the Democratic nomination for President, but lost to Paul Garcetti. The night Barrish conceded the nomination, she asked her husband for a divorce. Two years later, as Garcetti's Secretary of State, Barrish deals with State Department issues while trying to keep her family together.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 360 min
Plot tags: realistic, political, serious, talky, suspense, clever, captivating, queer cinema
Similar in 88%
K Street (2003)
Plot Summary:
K Street is a 2003 HBO television series about lobbyists and politicians in Washington, D.C. It was named for a street that is home to many lobbying and legal firms.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 317
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: political, clever, serious, realistic, cynical, satirical, witty, talky, biting, black comedy
Similar in 88%
House of Cards (1990)
Plot Summary:
Francis Urquhart is the chief whip of the Conservative party. When Margaret Thatcher resigns as leader, he remains neutral and after a general election where the conservatives are returned with a reduced majority, he fully expects the new Prime Minister, Henry Collingridge, to give him his just reward: a senior Cabinet post. When he's informed that he is to stay in his current position, he devises a plot to unseat Collingridge and ensure his own election as party leader which would make his Prime Minister.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 226 min
Plot tags: tense, witty, political, realistic, clever, serious, political thriller, biting, educational, intelligent
Similar in 86%
The Politician's Husband (2013)
Plot Summary:
Aiden Hoynes is a senior cabinet minister who has always put his career before family, with the support of Freya, his devoted wife and mother to their two young children. But when Freya's own political career takes off and threatens to overshadow his, Aiden's life is thrown into chaos. As his political career comes to a standstill, and with his marriage turned upset down, Aiden takes increasing risks in his quest for power.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, tense, serious, political, psychological, clever, talky
Similar in 84%
Borgen: Power & Glory (2010)
Plot Summary:
Borgen is a drama series about the fight for political power – and about the personal sacrifices and consequences this has for those involved on and behind the political stage. The central figure is the 40-year old political leader Birgitte Nyborg, who through her idealism and huge effort secures her party a landslide victory and thus faces the biggest challenge of her life: how most effectively to use the newly won seats, and how far she is willing to go in order to gain as much influence as possible. Privately, Birgitte leads a happy family life with her husband and two children. She is a woman with a burning commitment, a big heart and little time. Will she be able to be a successful and professional top politician and stay true to herself at the same time?.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Drama
Country: Denmark
Duration: 58 min
Plot tags: political, tense, serious, captivating, realistic, intellectual, atmospheric, noir, clever, talky
Similar in 87%
The Kennedys (2011)
Plot Summary:
The story of the most fabled political family in American history, told in a manner similar to The Godfather: a manipulative, egocentric father determined to live out his own ambitions through his sons, who in turn spent their lives dancing to his tune while at the same time trying to stand on their own. This is history through personality - the tangled relationships through which paint a picture of one of the most turbulent periods of the modern age. Viewers will be upstairs at the White House, not in the Cabinet Room. Through iconic events in history - the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the civil rights struggle, the mob connection - viewers will learn about the lesser known, yet critical personal stories.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 346 min
Plot tags: political, thought provoking, realistic, talky, serious, anthology, historical drama, controversial, contemplative, stylized
Similar in 87%
The Best Man (1964)
Plot Summary:
The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, cynical, political, rough, clever, witty, contemplative, biting, suspense
Similar in 77%
Advise & Consent (1962)
Plot Summary:
A Senate investigation into the President's newly-nominated Secretary of State gives light to a secret from the past, which may not only ruin the candidate, but the President's character as well.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 139 min
Plot tags: political, black and white, clever, realistic, sincere, thought provoking, serious, disturbing, contemplative, tense
Similar in 80%
The Comey Rule (2020)
Plot Summary:
An immersive, behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath, which divided a nation. This two-part biopic tells the story of two powerful figures, Comey and Trump, whose strikingly different personalities, ethics and loyalties put them on a collision course.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 210 min
Plot tags: political, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, interesting, political drama
Similar in 83%
The Newsroom (2012)
Plot Summary:
A behind-the-scenes look at the people who make a nightly cable-news program. Focusing on a network anchor, his new executive producer, the newsroom staff and their boss, the series tracks their quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles-not to mention their own personal entanglements.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 123000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: clever, intellectual, political, sincere, realistic, dramatic, exciting, inspirational, thought provoking, controversial
Similar in 86%
Scandal (2012)
Plot Summary:
Everyone has secrets and Olivia Pope has dedicated her life to protecting and defending the public images of the elite by keeping those secrets under wraps. Pope and her team are at the top of their game when it comes to getting the job done for their clients, but it becomes apparent that these "gladiators in suits," who specialize in fixing the lives of other people, have trouble fixing those closest at hand -- their own.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: political thriller, serious, political, realistic, clever, bleak, erotic, sexy, sad, soap opera
Similar in 83%
Wag the Dog (1997)
Plot Summary:
During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 88000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: black comedy, political, talky, dark comedy, realistic, satirical, funny, melancholic, humorous, thought provoking
Similar in 85%
Kennedy (1983)
Plot Summary:
Biography of the 1961-1963 presidency of John F. Kennedy.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 573
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 282 min
Plot tags: political, sincere, thought provoking, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 86%
Power (1986)
Plot Summary:
Pete St. John is a powerful and successful political consultant, with clients spread around the country. When his long-time friend and client Ohio senator Sam Hastings decides to quit politics, he is rapidly drafted to help with the campaign of the man destined to succeed him, unknown and mysterious businessman Jerome Cade.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, clever, cynical, political, retro, talky
Similar in 90%
Recount (2008)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of the weeks after the 2000 U.S. presidential election and the subsequent recounts in Florida.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: realistic, political, factual, talky, intense, serious, captivating, controversial, non fiction, cult classic
Similar in 77%
House of Cards (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set in present day Washington, D.C., House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, a ruthless and cunning politician, and his wife Claire who will stop at nothing to conquer everything. This wicked political drama penetrates the shadowy world of greed, sex and corruption in modern D.C. House of Cards is an adaptation of a previous BBC miniseries of the same name, which is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 524000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 3804 min
Plot tags: political, serious, clever, captivating, tense, talky, postmodern, cynical, intellectual, exciting
Similar in 76%
The Special Relationship (2010)
Plot Summary:
A dramatisation that follows Tony Blair's journey from political understudy waiting in the wings of the world arena to accomplished prime minister standing confidently in the spotlight of centre stage. It is a story about relationships, between two powerful men (Blair and Bill Clinton), two powerful couples, and husbands and wives.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: political, realistic, intense, tricky, sincere, thought provoking, disturbing, political thriller, serious, independent film
Similar in 90%
The Ides of March (2011)
Plot Summary:
Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where 'victory' is relative.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 229000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: political thriller, talky, political, suspense, clever, tense, realistic, psychological, suspenseful, tricky
Similar in 85%
Game Change (2012)
Plot Summary:
Based on the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, Game Change focuses on the Republican run of the 2008 Presidential election, when candidate John McCain picks a relative unknown, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, to be his running mate. As the campaign kicks into high gear, her lack of experience, in both political and media savvy, becomes a drain upon McCain and his strategists. Directed by Jay Roach, who previously directed the HBO film Recount and the Austin Powers movies, Game Change premiered on HBO on March 10th, 2012.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: political, talky, intense, thought provoking, serious, realistic, captivating, clever, visually appealing, non fiction