Commander in Chief
ABC | Release Date: September 27, 2005
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
56
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
8
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Baltimore SunDavid Zurawik
Season 1 Review: As drama, tonight's pilot has its flaws, but it is, nevertheless, one of those electrifying TV productions that instead of simply seeking to divert or amuse, challenges viewers to imagine a reality other than the one they have been conditioned to accept. Read full review
80
Chicago TribuneSid Smith
Season 1 Review: It all promises to be addictive watching. Read full review
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Season 1 Review: The best new fall drama. Read full review
75
Detroit Free PressMike Duffy
Season 1 Review: "The West Wing" was more vivid, original and compelling than "Commander in Chief" is likely to become. But impressive Geena Davis and the Oval Office gender twist are indeed refreshing. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: Davis... is very good. Read full review
75
People WeeklyTom Gliatto
Season 1 Review: A diverting, silly potboiler, a bold cartoon with none of the staffers' anxious beetle scuttling that gives NBC's venerable The West Wing a sense of verisimilitude. [3 Oct 2005, p.39]
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: It's a whole lot better than the premise on paper, and though initially it takes a bit to warm to Davis. Read full review
75
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 1 Review: Tonight's premiere rises and falls with Davis, and she's completely in command. We'll just have to hope the rest of the show falls in line behind her. Read full review
70
Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland
Season 1 Review: Davis fills the "leader of the free world" shoes admirably, quickly demonstrating herself to be a formidable presence when she tangles with Sutherland. Read full review
70
SlateDana Stevens
Season 1 Review: It's less a vision of what a real female presidency might be like than an extended allegory about gender politics in the workplace. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley
Season 1 Review: Well written and playful with its premise. Read full review
70
The New YorkerNancy Franklin
Season 1 Review: It is probably too soon in the series to expect to see more complexity, or some sense of the grinding difficulty of the job of President, and the number of no-win situations that present themselves every day in the Oval Office. But “Commander in Chief” really does make things look too easy. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman
Season 1 Review: Heavy-handed. Read full review
60
Kansas City StarAaron Barnhart
Season 1 Review: While not quite the out-of-the-gate obvious hit that “The West Wing” was, ["Commander In Chief"] has enough going for it that it may soon become America’s favorite soap opera about a president of the United States. Read full review
60
Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
Season 1 Review: Maybe Davis will grow into the role. Perhaps Commander in Chief will develop into something deeper than a smooth, self-satisfied show. For now, the series enjoys one important asset: impeccable timing. Read full review
60
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesCharlie McCollum
Season 1 Review: "Commander'' looks good, summons up some real energy in key scenes and establishes a certain warmth in its portrayal of the Allen family. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: Polished and lively, it is also simplistic, melodramatic and half-baked — though it clips along nicely enough that you may not notice. Read full review
40
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: Some viewers will be put off by the many unbelievable aspects of ''Commander in Chief," and not least of all by Geena Davis. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron
Season 1 Review: Although it would be extraordinary for any series to match the level of political complexity and realism of "The West Wing," this one barely tries. Read full review
40
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: Despite nice touches in writer-director-exec producer Rod LurieRod Lurie's handsome-looking pilot, there's also a smothering stiffness to it, including Geena Davis' performance as the first female president. Read full review
40
PopMattersSamantha Bornemann
Season 1 Review: Anyone who learned politics from The West Wing will feel adrift in Commander in Chief's vacuum. Where are the polls, the clamoring press? We get little proof that the nation President Allen governs even exists. Read full review
38
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: A script so unimaginative, and characters so flat and forced, that it begs for a recall vote. Read full review
20
Cleveland Plain DealerMark Dawidziak
Season 1 Review: The writing on "Commander in Chief" often is so distressingly thin and pale, this West Wing drama will suffer in comparison to the robust early years of, well, NBC's "The West Wing." Read full review
20
Miami HeraldGlenn Garvin
Season 1 Review: An absurd fairy tale. Read full review
20
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
Season 1 Review: Simplistic and shamelessly manipulative. Read full review
0
NewsdayVerne Gay
Season 1 Review: Finally, the best new comedy of the 2005-06 TV season is here... What's that, you say? This is a drama and not a comedy? Oh, dear. Read full review
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