Commander in Chief is a television drama that focuses on the presidential administration and family of Mackenzie Allen (portrayed by Geena Davis), the first female President of the United States, who ascended to the role after the previous chief executive, Teddy Bridges (played by Will Lyman), died in office from a sudden ruptured 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. It garnered the highest ratings for a series debut on a Tuesday night.
The show was #1 on Tuesday nights until FOX's American Idol took this honor. 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 airs after American Idol.
The series was created by American director Rod Lurie, director of thrillers like The Contender and Deterrence, and may have been inspired by The West Wing, a popular political drama on rival NBC. Lurie directed the first three episodes of Commander in Chief.
On May 13, 2006, ABC announced that the show had been cancelled, although the remaining three episodes of the season were broadcast after the ratings year had ended. The network is in discussions with Rod Lurie, the creator of the show, about making a television movie based on the television show. On June 30, 2006, Davis told The Stage that the telemovie had been confirmed. . However no movie has been made yet.