THE REALISM of Designated Survivor
A Story of Presidential Succession and Set Design
COLLEEN SHOGAN
the abc-turned-netflix political drama Designated Survivor aired for only three seasons, yet this television show garnered consider able attention for its fast-paced portrayal of a national doomsday scenario. The pilot episode, which in 2016 debuted to more than 10 million viewers, depicted the complete destruction of the United States Capitol Building during the State of the Union Address, invoking the elevation of the lone “designated survivor” in the presidential line of succession. Enter Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Tom Kirkman (played by actor Kiefer Sutherland), who finds himself the new president of the United States following the most devastating terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. As reality sets in, Kirkman faces the daunting prospect of reconstituting the leadership of the entire federal government.
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CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHENTICITY
Understanding the critical importance of portray ing the situation as realistically as possible, the producers, directors, and writers of Designated Survivor aimed to capture the intense drama of the moment while making sure the script reflected actual practice and procedure. The “designated survivor” protocol is far from fiction. When politi cal leaders who occupy the line of presidential suc cession gather together, such as during the annual State of the Union or the inaugural ceremonies, a designated survivor must be chosen. The person must fulfill the constitutional requirements of the presidency, notably being at least 35 years of age and a United States born citizen. Designated survivors have existed since the 1960s, but their identities have been made public only since 1984. The first publicly known designated survivor was Samuel R. Pierce, who was, coincidentally, the secretary of housing and urban development. The most frequent cabinet member selected for “des ignated survivor” status is the secretary of the
interior, followed by the secretaries of agriculture, commerce, veterans affairs, and energy.1
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the operational protocol concerning the designated survivor changed to reflect the increased likeli hood of a potential doomsday scenario. Instead of remaining in the Washington, D.C., area, the selected cabinet official is relocated to a secure site away from the nation’s capital.2 This practice is at odds with the portrayal of events in the pilot episode of Designated Survivor, which includes a poignant scene in which Tom Kirkman watches the Capitol burn from a location across the Potomac River, likely the Virginia suburb of Arlington. For planning purposes, the designated survivor is also selected days ahead of time, enabling the Secret Service to coordi nate strategic movements with the chosen cabinet member. In the pilot episode, Kirkman finds out the day of the State of the Union Address that he has been selected as the designated survivor.
For the past decade, a “designated survivor” pro tocol for succession has been implemented not only
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The ctional designated survivor, Tom Kirkman, watches the U.S. Capitol burn from a location across the Potomac River in Virginia. In reality, designated survivors are relocated beyond the D.C. metropolitan area for the duration of the o cial event for which they have been safeguarded.
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The ruins of the U.S. Capitol are seen in Episode 1 of Designated Survivor (left) and Kiefer Sutherland is seen on set as President Kirkman (right).
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On his second day in o ce, President Kirkman is joined by his wife in the Oval O ce as he researches constitutional law.
within the executive branch but also the legislative branch. Designated Survivor gets this detail right. Early in the season, Tom Kirkman learns that he has a partner in rebuilding the government, namely the new Speaker of the House, Kimble Hookstraten (played by actress Virginia Madsen). The legislative branch designee is selected by the leadership of the opposition party, ensuring that the party not occu pying the White House has an elected leader with a legitimate voice as the government is reconsti tuted. For example, in 2018, Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected Representatives Mike Thompson and Doris Matsui to serve in this capacity, and therefore, they did not attend the State of the Union speech that year. 3
in
The presidential line of succession, as outlined in United States Code, Title 3, Chapter 1, Section 19, is not without controversy. According to the stat ute, if both the president and vice president cannot fulfill their duties, then the Speaker of the House becomes president. The next elected leader in the line of succession is the president pro tempore of the Senate. After that, the appointed cabinet sec retaries follow, from the order in which the depart ments were originally created, with the secretary of
state as the first official on the list.4 President Harry Truman strongly advocated for the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which returned members of Congress to the line of succession and placed them ahead of cabinet secretaries. Truman felt that members of Congress belonged higher in the line of succession since their governing authority originates from democratic elections rather than appointments. Some legal scholars question the constitutionality of the law, citing that an “officer” for succession purposes (Article 2, Section 1) of the Constitution refers to either judicial or executive branch officials, not to legislators.5 However, none of these issues matter within the fictional plot of Designated Survivor since every person in the stat utory line of succession was killed by the destruc tion of the Capitol, except Housing and Urban Development Secretary Tom Kirkman.
succession purposes (Article 2, Section 1 of Constitution) refers to either judicial or executive the constitutional
Later in the series, President Kirkman finds himself embroiled in a controversy involving the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. In the second season, the newly appointed and confirmed vice president and cabinet secretaries question Kirkman’s mental fitness for office after audio notes from his therapy sessions are mysteriously leaked to the American public. According to Section 4 of the amendment, the vice president and a majority of cabinet mem bers can invoke a claim of disability concerning the president. Ultimately, if the president disputes the claim of disability, Congress decides the mat ter within twenty-one days, requiring a two-thirds vote in both houses to remove the president from office. The disability clause is intended to address the circumstance of a president who is seriously wounded or mentally incapacitated, providing a constitutional procedure other than impeachment to remove a president from office.
However, Designated Survivor made some errors in its Twenty-Fifth Amendment storyline. In the show, a conversation between President Kirkman and the vice president incorrectly states that once the cabinet voted to declare the president incapacitated, the president would be removed from office permanently. The actual the process for removal of a president is much more complex, however, as detailed above. Popular Hollywood depictions have often gotten the thorny details of Section 4 wrong, leading some viewers to believe incorrectly that removal under the provisions of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment is simpler than it is.6
office permanently. The actual process for removal of a president is much more complex,
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The Designated Survivor Oval O ce set is seen under construction (opposite) and completed (above). The set decorators endeavored to build an accurate re-creation of the historic space by researching and carefully replicating measurements, moldings, and xtures. The set was also designed to accommodate a wide array of camera angles.
SET DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
In addition to focusing on constitutional procedure related to presidential succession, disability, and removal, Designated Survivor aimed for an authen tic looking set design and architecture. The show was shot in Toronto on a television production stage built to replicate the West Wing. The design team, led by production designer Cabot McMullen, made three separate research trips to Washington, D.C., before building the set. The final trip included a visit to the Oval Office inside the White House. McMullen explained how he utilized his time inside the West Wing to improve plans for the set.
I wasn’t allowed to take photos in the West Wing, so I walked around with a sketchpad and drew little details as fast and as furiously as I could. . . . Doors are quite short and the ventilation is archaic, but somehow, it creates this overall aesthetic—like walking through a working environment and a museum all at once. 7
The set decorator, Enrico Campana, engaged
in considerable research about the history of the White House. He obtained historic architectural plans from White House files so the designers could match the dimensions of the moldings and fixtures on the set to the actual Oval Office. McMullen claimed that the Designated Survivor set “is prob ably the most accurate version of it on TV right now.”8
The accuracy is vitally important, since other television shows, such as The West Wing, Madam Secretary, House of Cards, and Veep have made exclusive locations such as the White House seem familiar to viewers, even if they have never seen the actual building in real life. McMullen explained, “You have to start from a place of complete realism.”9
The set had to also accommodate filming and camera placement, so in addition to accuracy, there needed to be room for a wide array of shots from various angles. Corridors, entrances, and other walls needed to accommodate the maneuverability of cameras, actors, and others working on the set. This made the construction of sets involving White House locations a legitimate design jigsaw puzzle,
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with the goal of maximizing reality while simulta neously guaranteeing functionality. Building the office itself was challenging, given its unusual archi tectural oval shape.10
It is difficult to match the decor of the Designated Survivor version of the Oval Office to a particular president because the design created by the show’s experts deliberately blended elements from a vari ety of administrations. The monochromatic color palette of the Ronald Reagan years was adopted, while drapery from Franklin Roosevelt’s Oval Office was imitated. The designers used the geo metric wall patterns of the Barack Obama White House as an inspiration for the lattice pattern used in President Kirkman’s office. McMullen and his team located a rug in an antique shop that had been used to film The Kennedys miniseries. The propor tions fit the replica Designated Survivor Oval Office precisely, and only the Presidential Seal needed to be added.11
Hilbert Hakim, the longest serving producer for
Designated Survivor, explained the rationale for creating a realistic set of the White House: “A set is not just a space or backdrop, but an important visual supporting character. Just like a film score that helps set the emotion and pace of a scene, a good set design can be transformative and inspir ing.” Since the White House’s Oval Office is indeed one of the most recognizable spaces in the world, the challenge for set designers increases exponen tially. According to Hakim, the goal of the design was to “create the most authentic White House set possible.” 12
The show’s production team consulted regularly with the White House Historical Association as set designs for particular White House rooms were crafted. Alexandra Lane, the Association’s director of digital resources, explained, “If they had ques tions about how the rooms should be depicted, or what pieces were in the rooms, we were able to generate image albums for them based upon the Association’s research. They relied on images of
The Designated Survivor Oval O ce set blended elements of the decor from several presidencies, including the monochromatic color of the Reagan era.
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The set designers were inspired by the geometric wallpaper pattern of the Barack Obama Oval O ce. A Presidential Seal was added to a rug previously used to decorate an Oval O ce set for The Kennedys miniseries.
past presidencies and how the White House looked, so we were able to provide them with photos and illustrations, too.”13
The Association’s Digital Library proved the most valuable resource for the set designers.14 According to Lane, many of the show’s designers created Digital Library accounts so they could gather images and other materials that might be helpful when attempting to replicate a room in the White House.15 In addition to serving as historical consultants, Association staff members provided those working on the set with images of artwork that has hung in the White House. A good example is the high-resolution file of the painting, Signing of the Peace Protocol Between Spain and the United States, August 12, 1898 by Théobald Chartran (1899) in the White House Cabinet Room. After obtaining the digital file and signing a contract with the White House Historical Association, the production designers printed the image on canvas, framed it, and placed the replica artwork in the
appropriate place on set.
The replication of various White House rooms often had to occur within a matter of only two or three days after a script was released. Such a short turnaround time frame meant that the Association’s support of the show played a critical role. Once the desired artwork was identified, it was crucial that contracts for use be processed almost immediately so that set construction could commence. Hakim commented on the working relationship between the White House Historical Association and the show’s production team: “The Association was hugely instrumental in creating a sense of realism about the White House for us.”16
The White House Historical Association also pro vided the Designated Survivor team with early plans for the construction of the United States Capitol, assisting plot development for scenes in which FBI Special Agent Hannah Wells (portrayed by Maggie Q) seeks to identify the true perpetrators of the bombing.
While making sets look as realistic as possible
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The sets created for Designated Survivor were based on actual rooms and furnishings in the White House. Clockwise from top left: the Situation Room; the Treaty Room (the president’s o ce) on the Second Floor of the Residence, was depicted with a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant from the White House Collection; the East Sitting Room features a realistic reproduction of the majestic fan window that de nes the actual space; and the Queens’ Bedroom, occupied by President Kirkman’s daughter, is furnished with a four poster bed inspired by the twentieth-century decor of the room.
improves the viewing experience, it can also influ ence the quality of acting. On a television set, according to Hakim, “Actors are responsive to their environment.” He cited the example of Kiefer Sutherland, an executive producer on the show and “a consummate professional.” Sutherland, said Hakim, “appreciated the touches of reality on the set. . . . To play the president of the United States, you need every bit of assistance you can when you walk into the Oval Office or walk along the hallways of the White House. It invigorated him as an actor.”17 Kal Penn, who played speechwriter Seth Wright on Designated Survivor, brought an unusual background to his role. He had worked in President Barack Obama’s administration as the associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Penn frequently consulted on script details but was likewise impressed by the realistic portrayal of various White House rooms on the show, said Hakim.18
Attention to detail, including the selection of colors, artwork, and objects, made the Oval Office a “place of reverence” on the production set. Even though it was a replica, those who worked on Designated Survivor, including those who were not U.S. citizens, tended to revere the space as if they were inside the actual room, said Hakim. He observed, “I felt like I was working in the White House for three years. That’s how real it was to me.”19
THE WHITE HOUSE ON TELEVISION
Designated Survivor joins a growing list of tele vision programs focused on the White House, its daily operations, and the people who work and live there. Americans may disdain politics, but a fas cination with the nation’s most enduring symbols remains strong. No list of “must see” locations in Washington, D.C., fails to include the White House
as a top destination. The burden on television pro grams like Designated Survivor is a heavy one. Realism matters in popular depictions of revered institutions and historic locations because visual portrayals serve a pedagogical function, educating viewers about places they may never visit in per son. These places also have the ability to inspire the next generation of historians, public servants, archivists, and even future occupants of the White House itself.
notes
1. “Cabinet Members Not in Attendance (‘Designated Survivor,’ from 1984), and Frequency by Department,” American Presidency Project website, www.presidency.ucsb.edu.
2. Grace Panetta, “Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Is Staying Behind for Biden’s State of the Union: Here’s How Past Designated Survivors Spent Their Evenings Under High Security,” updated March 1, 2022, Business Insider, www. businessinsider.com.
3. Colleen Shalby, “Trump’s Designated Survivor for State of the Union Is Agriculture Secretary Perdue,” Seattle Times, January 30, 2018
4. See the exact text of the U.S. Code at https://uscode.house.gov.
5. Akhil Reed Amar and Vikram David Amar, “Is the Presidential Succession Law Constitutional?,” Stanford Law Review 48 (1995–96): 116.
6. Brian C. Kalt, “How TV Taught America Bad Constitutional Law,” Atlantic, December 24, 2019.
7. Vibhu Gairola, “How Designated Survivor’s Designers Built a Replica Oval Office in Toronto,” Toronto Life, December 13, 2016.
8. Quoted in ibid.
9. Quoted in Dani Di Placido, “Cabot McMullen on Creating the Look Behind ‘Designated Survivor,’” posted November 6, 2016, Forbes, www.forbes.com.
10. Hilbert Hakim, telephone interview by author, July 2, 2020.
11. Gairola, “How Designated Survivor’s Designers Built a Replica Oval Office in Toronto.”
12. Hakim interview.
13. Alexandra Lane, telephone interview by author, June 29, 2020.
14. The Digital Library is available at the White House Historical Association website, www.whitehousehistory.org.
15. For examples of artwork replicas on the set of Designated Survivor, see the photo gallery in ibid.
16. Hakim interview.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
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