No, I'm not talking about the Kennedy family. What I am talking about is the new show on the WB called Jack & Bobby about two brothers growing up, one of whom serves as President of the United States from 2041 to 2049. Fortunately, the mystery of which brother it will be was revealed at the end of the first episode. The story of Robert McAllister's presidency is told both through stories of people close to him--his wife, the vice president, press secretaries, opposing candidates in the 2040 election, journalists, etc--as well as through his self-discovery process as he grows through his teenage years, taking place in the here and now.
Jack & Bobby has been praised by every review that I have read, and it is quite compelling. Regardless of your political beliefs, the McAllister presidency is obviously one of unification, hope and strong leadership, and suggests that an Independent can win the White House, including a woman as Vice President. Jack & Bobby's mother, excellently played by the underrated Christine Lahti, is intense in a way that would exceed believability if played by anybody else.
Jack & Bobby originally aired on Sunday at 9 pm, but is struggling against ABC's so-far runaway new hit, Desparate Housewives. Beginning this week, Jack & Bobby airs Wednesdays at 9 pm. I encourage anyone who is interested in a smart, compelling show to check out Jack & Bobby. It's a cut above many of the other shows out there and I would like to see it succeed. While a full season has already been ordered, unless it catches on it won't get renewed for next year (a moment of silence for all the great shows that have failed to find an audience over the years). Therefore I'm doing my small part. :)
Let me (and others) know what you think of the show if you watch it! I'll post some thoughts about this week's episode tomorrow.
I watched the first episode. It was very strang at first just because it dosn't seem to take place in the furture, if fact I thought he had supposedly been our president already. I can't say it is an exceptional show but it isn't any worse then all the other new shows, The Mountain, Lost.
He had already been the President--the scenes interviewing various people, who talk about his Presidency, are set right after his Presidency ended. The rest of it is all taking place today.
The first episode was a bit different because it focused on revealing whether the next President was going to be Jack or Bobby. After that was revealed, it has had a slightly different (better, IMHO) flavor.
USA Today always has a few paragraphs along with its TV schedule, and for tonight the mentioned Jack & Bobby had moved to Wednesday in an attempt to find a better audience, and shared my sentiment that it is a show worthy of being watched and continued. :)
I said I'd comment on last night's episode, so here I am. There were two main plots: 1) Bobby's relationship with "bad girl" Dex (yes, a girl nicknamed Dex) and his will to see her even though Grace (i.e. mom) didn't want him to and 2) The University President threatening a student who hit on his 16 year old daughter, prompting the student to write a "political cartoon" depicting the President clubbing the student while protecting his enormously chested daughter (being a "political cartoon" things were exaggerated of course). The Bobby/Dex relationship ended when Bobby found Dex kissing another guy, and the President's daughter never really forgave her dad because it hurt her so much more than him, because every saw the cartoon. The connection to the future was that when Bobby was President, his oldest son, Jack, (named after his brother who we have learned died while still young) wanted to go on a date without the secret service. Bobby apparently agreed, but told to the SS to go and when the girl fell on the ice at the ice rink they rushed out. According to the President's wife, they didn't speak for a month after that.
As always, there is some connection between the future story and the present story, and that's one of the things that makes it so interesting.