Madam Secretary Puts a Dramatic Spin on the Presidential Election

Some shows are ripped from the headlines, but Madam Secretary prefers to rip its stories from the future. The hit Beltway drama kicked off its third season this month with President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine) angering his biggest fat-cat donor by acknowledging climate change and the danger it’s posing to America’s naval bases. The fallout was swift and it was deadly: Dalton got a middle-finger salute from his own party members and failed to win the nomination to run for a second term—an embarrassing fate suffered by only one elected president in U.S. history (that would be Franklin Pierce in 1856). Now what? The only possible way Dalton can remain in the White House—according to his highly trusted secretary of state, Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni)—is to make a ballsy move and run as an independent. It’s impractical. It’s extremely chancy. It’s probably insane, even in the progressive and aspirational world of Madam Secretary.

“It’s looking more and more likely that our country will one day move beyond a two-party system, so we’re putting it out there now,” Leoni says. “We’ve been adamant since Episode 1 to never label any character as a Republican or Democrat—and that includes everyone in the Dalton administration—so we don’t take this new direction lightly. In fact, when the idea of an election story first came up, we all thought, ‘How can we possibly do this without discussing political parties?’”

The election results will be revealed on air in December, and Dalton simply must come out on top. Otherwise, Elizabeth is out of a job and then there’s no show, right? “I don’t think Dalton necessarily has to win reelection, though that might feel like a built-in conclusion,” executive producer Barbara Hall says. “We’re taking the most interesting and surprising path possible with this election story, loading it with twists and turns, as well as rules and laws [our viewers] might not know about.”

Also in this issue:

• Halloween Preview: Your guide to the season’s spookiest programming, including black-ish, Scorpion, Superstore, The Middle and more.

• Supergirl: Lynda Carter, aka the original Wonder Woman, guest stars in a presidential role.

• The CMA Awards: The genre’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire, look back at 50 years of country’s big night.

• Plus: Jane Pauley takes over CBS Sunday Morning, How to Get Away With Murder, Rectify, This is Us, Insecure, MacGyver, Bull, Salem, The Young and the Restless and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.