After watching history being made on Inauguration Day 2021, here are some more shows and movies to watch with some of TV’s best fictional (and real) Presidents. If you’re all real politic’d out, then try some fictional politicians. Or if your kids and teens now have interest in politics, here are some recommendations for the best political shows and movies to watch with teens after Inauguration Day.
Best Political Shows and Movies for Teens
Parks and Recreation
Straight up, Parks and Recreation is a fan favorite, and it’s hard not to love Leslie Knope. Parks and Recreation revolves around Leslie, the deputy director of the parks and recreation department in the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee. While the first season has a slow start, stick with it. Plus Joe Biden has a cameo in Season 5! Starring Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Rashinda Jones, and Nick Offerman, it’s full of a lot of laughs!
The show would probably be rated PG-13 and has some mature content. Though not about federal government, you can see some of the politics involved amongst bureaucrats and red tape. You can watch Parks and Recreation on Peacock.
Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus already plays a female vice president in Veep. Former Senator Selina Meyer has accepted the call to serve as Vice President of the United States. However, the job is nothing like she imagined and everything she was warned about. Meyer and her staff try to leave a lasting legacy without getting caught in all the Washington D.C. political games. However, that doesn’t work.
Veep is rated TV-MA for a ton of language. This one would be for older teens for parents who aren’t concerned with language.
Scandal
Where are my Olivia Pope fans? Scandal shows us just how Presidential elections can be fixed. So maybe this one isn’t so great for conspiracy theorists.
Everyone has secrets and Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) has dedicated her life to protecting and defending the public images of the nation’s elite by keeping those secrets under wraps. Pope’s 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.
This was a great show, but things got a little dicey towards the end and kinda off-track. This aired on ABC, but it’s still Shondaland, so things got a little steamy. Probably PG-13 steamy to TV-MA. I would recommend this one for older teens, but be careful of mature content, because the whole show was full of scandals! You can watch Scandal on Hulu.
Designated Survivor
I’ve loved Kiefer Sutherland since the days of 24 (which has my favorite President – President Palmer). Now he plays the President in Designated Survivor. After an attack on Washington decimates the government, a low-level official becomes the designated survivor, and President of the United States.
Originally airing on ABC (I interviewed cast member Italia Ricci), it was cancelled, then moved to Netflix for its 3rd and final season. The show tackles some hard topics and is recommended for older teens. You can watch Designated Survivor on Netflix.
First Daughter
If you need something light and fluffy, then First Daughter should be on your political watch list for teens. Kids and teens are often fascinated with Presidents’ children.
Samantha MacKenzie (Katie Holmes), the daughter of the president of the United States (Michael Keaton), arrives at college with a group of Secret Service agents. Samantha, however, resents their presence and decides she wants to attend school just like a normal student. Her father agrees to recall the agents but secretly assigns an undercover agent to pose as a student. They fall in love, but their romance is jeopardized when Samantha learns James’ true identity.
First Daughter is rated PG. You can watch First Daughter on Starz or Philo or rent it for $3.99 on Amazon.
