The behind-the-scenes fight that ruined Geena Davis’ favourite role: “I had a very short administration”

Posted On April 30, 2025April 30, 2025

When her film career began to tail off in the early 2000s, Geena Davis‘ decision to do what many other movie stars would do in the coming decades arguably saved her career. Indeed, she was one of the first bonafide big-screen icons to embrace the possibilities of long-running roles on TV, and she kicked things off with a sitcom titled The Geena Davis Show. In the 2010s, she would also star in Coma, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Exorcist’s TV spinoff. However, while arguably her most famous television role was also her favourite, to her dismay, it was ruined by behind-the-scenes network skullduggery.

When writer and director Rod Lurie pitched the idea for this show to ABC, he considered it a no-brainer. He wanted to tell the story of America’s first female president, who steps into the role after the incumbent male dies. Throughout Hollywood history, there have been barely any depictions of female presidents, a notable exception being Polly Bergen in 1964’s Kisses for My President. In the movie business—as in real life—it seemed the best a woman could hope for was the position of Vice President, a la Glenn Close in Air Force One.

With his show Commander in Chief, Lurie admitted that he wanted to normalise the notion of a female president to the American public. He told The Hollywood Reporter he genuinely believed, “if we all do our jobs, we’re going to change the world. Because what we’re going to do is get the whole world to become comfortable with the term ‘Madam President.’”

Davis was cast in the lead role of President Mackenzie Allen, and the show got off to a great start, beating Hugh Laurie’s iconic House in ratings. American viewers seemed intrigued by how things could play out with a woman leading the country, and Davis received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. The show also had some prominent fans, including former president Bill Clinton and his wife, future presidential candidate Hillary. Davis claimed that when she met the Clintons at an event, Bill walked over to her and said, “My president!” She smiled, “He said it was his and Hillary’s favourite show. They never missed it.”

Strangely, though, despite the strong start, Commander in Chief didn’t take long to collapse under its own weight. Lurie only served as showrunner for seven episodes before being unceremoniously sacked by the network. He grumbled, “Their logic was, I was late with scripts”, perhaps hinting that he didn’t believe that was the real reason for being let go. Whatever the case, he was replaced by Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue’s Stephen Bochco, a true titan of American television with a wealth of experience and know-how – but even he only lasted four episodes before being sent his merry way.

Bochco later called his time on the show “horrible”, and Lurie lamented, “The tone and central conceit of the show completely changed. It almost went from why we should have a female president, to why we shouldn’t.” By the time a third showrunner was hired—Nashville’s Dee Johnson—the damage was done, and the show only lasted another six episodes before being cancelled entirely.

While everyone involved in Commander in Chief was upset by the cancellation, it particularly hurt Davis, who had gone from Golden Globe nominee to never playing a character again over just 17 episodes. “I don’t enjoy having my ass cancelled,” she told AARP. “I was so bummed when ABC’s Commander in Chief went off the air. As President Allen, I had a very short administration.”

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