The Best Political TV Shows That Should Be Required Viewing

Politics is a tricky subject that most people usually try to avoid at the dinner table or during get-togethers with friends, but on the small screen, political television shows have been huge hits for decades. Especially as the political landscape grows more divisive from election to election, it makes sense; it can be comforting to escape into a much more idyllic — or just plain entertaining — version of American politics, learn more about an important chapter of America's political history, or go back to absorb an important warning to discover just how corrupted and out of touch the government could eventually become. 

With plays like Hamilton and films like Election, Vice, and The American President remaining popular for years, it's no surprise that political TV shows loom just as large as their film counterparts. From soapy Shonda Rhimes creations and Aaron Sorkin's defining White House drama to a Cold War epic and dystopian visions of America's future, here's a list of the best political TV shows that should be required viewing.

If you're looking for a soapier, intense version of The West Wing with a pronounced feminist bent, look no further than Scandal, which was launched in 2012 and ran for seven seasons until 2018. Run by Shonda Rhimes after she got her start with Grey's Anatomy, Scandal tells the intense, over-the-top story of Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), a Washington "fixer" brought in to mitigate even the most intense political scandals. Right off the bat, Olivia and her associates seem like the good guys, but as the show continues and gets much darker and way crazier, the line between "good" and "bad" begins to blur — especially when viewers discover early on that Olivia is having a longtime affair with Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), the President of the United States.

As each person around Fitz, from Olivia to his First Lady Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) to his Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene (Rhimes regular Jeff Perry), manipulates the President into furthering their own agenda, Scandal's complicated web of lies and secrets only becomes more and more intense. Beyond all of that, Olivia is a seriously strong female character — and in real life, Washington made history with the role as the first Black female lead in a network drama in nearly 40 years. If you like a side of serious heightened drama with your political intrigue, Scandal is the show for you.

One of the funniest and most profane political shows in recent memory, HBO's Veep, which was created by Armando Ianucci and led by the unmatched Julia Louis-Dreyfus, gave audiences a glimpse into the hilariously twisted world of Washington from the Vice President's point of view. As Selina Meyer, who begins the series as a lame duck Vice President with big dreams, Louis-Dreyfus gave the performance of a lifetime — which, considering her long-running and beloved stint on Seinfeld, is saying something — alongside a cast of comedy legends like Tony Hale, Matt Walsh, Gary Cole, Timothy Simons, Reid Scott, and more.

As Selina keeps trying to win the Presidency, she only becomes more craven and corrupt, sacrificing the happiness and well-being of her staffers and her family as she claws her way to the top, always in the funniest way possible. From its pitch-perfect pilot to Louis-Dreyfus' multiple Emmy wins to the stunning series finale it aired in 2019, Veep is a scathing and hilarious indictment of what really happens behind the scenes in Washington, and just how far people will go in pursuit of ultimate power.

By now, the life of nearly every American founding father has been explored and studied on film, and in 2008, HBO threw its colonial cap in the ring with a miniseries chronicling the life and political career of John Adams. With Paul Giamatti in the title role, the limited series, which was directed by future Academy Award winner Tom Hooper and adapted from David McCullough's 2001 biography of Adams, charts Adams' journey over seven episodes, starting in 1770 with the Boston Massacre.

Thanks to a defining central performance from Giamatti — and an assist from Laura Linney, who portrays Adam's First Lady and closest advisor Abigail Adams — as well as turns from Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones), Tom Wilkinson, and more, John Adams became one of the most celebrated miniseries in television history, winning four Golden Globes and a whopping 13 Emmy Awards. If you're looking for a deep dive into the life of one of the country's first Presidents, John Adams is a faithful, beautifully acted, and admirably comprehensive option.

The story of two Russian spies masquerading as everyday Washington suburbanites during the Cold War, FX's The Americans ran from 2013 to 2018 and starred Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys — who later got married offscreen after meeting during the show — as Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, KGB officers trying to infiltrate the United States government. Their secret, which becomes harder to maintain as their story continues, stays between Elizabeth and Philip for as long as possible; even their children, Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati), have no idea as the show begins, and the Jennings' next door neighbor, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), is also in the dark — fortunately for the Jennings, seeing as how Stan, aside from being one of their best friends, is also an FBI counterintelligence agent trying to uncover Russian spies in the States.

Throughout its six-season run, The Americans was consistently one of the most critically acclaimed shows on television, with many critics bemoaning its lack of awards early on, though it eventually won Emmys for writing and Rhys' performance in the aftermath of its final season. On top of that, its stunning, chilling ending in 2018 only cemented this dark, edgy show's legacy as one of the best political thrillers ever to air on the small screen. If you're looking for intrigue and drama and a bevy of excellent performances, The Americans is definitely the right choice.

CBS' The Good Wife, starring Julianna Marguiles as Alicia Florrick, the wife of disgraced state's attorney Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), premiered in 2009 and immediately made waves, thanks to its unflinching look at political corruption in Chicago and its excellent cast. Flanked by veterans like Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Alan Cumming, Archie Panjabi, and more, Marguiles — who won several Emmys throughout her tenure as Alicia — led this legal drama beautifully, with each episode centering around Alicia's personal life as well as her return to the legal profession. Alongside her colleagues Diane Lockheart (Baranski) and Will Gardner (Charles), Alicia grappled with all kinds of clients and cases, some of which brought her own problems to the surface.

Ultimately, the success of The Good Wife led to a spinoff, and in 2017, The Good Fight, led by Baranski reprising her role as Diane alongside newcomers to the franchise like Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie, premiered on CBS All Access, the network's streaming service. As a modern-day counterpart to The Good Wife, which ended its run in 2016, The Good Fight often comments on the real-life political landscape with its storylines, earning acclaim for their clever take on current American politics. Whether you watch one or both, you won't be disappointed.

Nobody on television believes in the power of politics and government quite as optimistically as Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) of Parks and Recreation, who spends her days working hard to make sure that her small town of Pawnee, Indiana continues to thrive. Aided by her coworkers, including gruff Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), sarcastic April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), doofy Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), ambitious Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), loyal friend Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), and more, Leslie does her very best to support and lift up every single citizen of Pawnee, no matter how hard the town's irritable occupants argue against her.

For seven seasons on NBC, Leslie and her friends — including late additions Chris Traeger (West Wing alum Rob Lowe) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), who bring great new energy to the cast at the end of the second season — try to make government work for them, and even as Leslie rises and falls on the political spectrum, she always remains positive and hopeful. If you're feeling glum about divisive politics and the state of the world, Parks and Recreation will definitely make you feel better about the power of public service — and when you've finished the series, you can also check out the socially distanced reunion special that aired on NBC during the COVID-19 crisis.