History Series / DesignatedSurvivor

* RightBehindMe: A variation; when speechwriter Seth Wright rants about how he doesn't believe Kirkman has what it takes to lead the country to the guy in the toilet next to him, he doesn't realize that said guy is Kirkman himself. To his credit, after the initial OhCrap wears off, he sticks to his guns.

* SleazyPolitician: Implied with President Richmond, who removes all of Tom's programs from his speech and then has the guy fired while his chief of staff tries to pass it off to Tom (who's not fooled for a minute) like it's a promotion. Tom seems like a genuinely good guy who is dedicated to his job, and he latter admits to Alex that it was likely because 'he wouldn't play Richmond's games' and that 'he didn't want to be one of those guys' when he received his position. As he watches Richmond's State Of the Union address, Tom's rather unimpressed with Richmond's promises.

* ThisIsReality: Twice. When the Secret Service collects Kirkman's son Leo after the attack, the agent sarcastically claims that he had to cross-reference 30 phone calls through PRISM in order to triangulate his location, and then admits he just pinged his cellphone. Later, when Kirkman is given the nuclear football, he asks if there's a fingerprint or retinal scanner on it. The military officer replies that that's only in the movies, and the football is only activated via an attached satellite phone.

* SleazyPolitician: Implied with President Richmond, who removes all of Tom's programs from his speech and then has the guy fired while his chief of staff tries to pass it off to Tom (who's not fooled for a minute) like it's a promotion. Tom seems like a genuinely good guy who is dedicated to his job, and he latter admits to Alex that it was likely because 'he wouldn't play Richmond's games' and that 'he didn't want to be one of those guys' when he received his position. As he watches Richmond's State Of the Union address, Tom rather unimpressed with Richmond's promises.

* SleazyPolitican: Implied with President Richmond, who removes all of Tom's programs from his speech and then has the guy fired while his chief of staff tries to pass it off to Tom (who's not fooled for a minute) like it's a promotion. Tom seems like a genuinely good guy who is dedicated to his job, and he latter admits to Alex that it was likely because 'he wouldn't play Richmond's games' and that 'he didn't want to be one of those guys' when he received his position.

* NiceGuy: Kirkman at least has this going for him. He seems to be less mercenary than a lot of folks in the current administration and genuinely wants to use his power as secretary to help people.

* PlayingAgainstType: Kiefer Sutherland, perhaps best known for his portrayal of eminent {{Badass}} Jack Bauer on ''TVSeries/24'', is a laid-back, mild-mannered, bespectacled family man / civil servant with kind of a nerd vibe coming off of him.

* ClothingSwitch: Before he meets with the Iranian Ambassador to the UN and addresses the nation, Kirkman swaps his hoodie and jeans for a White House staffers suit.

* FirstNameBasis: When Alex is talking to Seth Wright, she asks him to call her by her first name. He flat out refuses, reminding her that she is now the First Lady of the United States, and he cant possibly do so.
* FreezeframeBonus: When Tom first enters the White House, he passes several framed photos of the former President meeting with various world leaders, including Vladimir Putin.

* Ambassador:
** In the pilot episode, Tom is offered an ambassadorship to the International Civil Aviation Organisation by the Richmond Administration. Although the Chief of Staff plays it up as a promotion, Tom immediately realises it is simply a polite way to get him to resign from the cabinet so he can be replaced if Richmond gets elected for a second term.
** In an example of ShownTheirWork, Kirkman is forced to meet with the Iranian Ambassador to the UN, as the United States does not have a diplomatic relationship with Iran.

* InSpiteOfANail: In the world of this show, the 2016 terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris still happened, despite the existence of a different POTUS and administration.

* ReassignedToAntarctica: The day before the attack, Kirkman is told he's being "promoted" to being US Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, based in Montreal. He immediately realizes that he's being shuffled out of the way of the administration's agenda.

* ReassignedToAntarctica: The day before the attack, Kirkman is told he's being "promoted" to being US Ambassador to the International Civic Aviation Union, based in Montreal. He immediately realizes that he's being shuffled out of the way of the administration's agenda.

* CaliforniaDoubling: All the scenes were shot in the Greater Toronto Area.

* GeneralRipper: General Cochrane jumps on the chance to try and declare war on Iran (even though there's no proof they're responsible for the attack), and when Kirkman overrides him, he almost immediately starts plotting a coup.
* GunboatDiplomacy: President Kirkman uses this to the Iranian Ambassador to the UN in order to get Iranian Navy ships to leave the Strait of Hormuz or they'll be met with retaliation from the US Navy.

* MonumentalDamage: Half of the Capital building was blown away in the attack.

* ThisIsReality: Twice. When the Secret Service collects Kirkman's son Leo after the attack, the agent first claims that he cross-referenced 30 phone calls, and then admits he just pinged his cellphone. Later, when Kirkman is given the nuclear football, he asks if there's a fingerprint or retinal scanner on it. The man replies that that's only in the movies.

* ReassignedToAntarctica: The day before the attack, Kirkman is told he's being "promoted" to being US Ambassador to an international civics organization based in Montreal. He immediately realizes that he's being shuffled out of the way of the administration's agenda.

* TheCoup: Before the pilot is even over, certain members of the administration and military are plotting to seize control from Kirkman in light of the emergency situation.

Creator/KieferSutherland plays Tom Kirkman, the United State's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. On the night of a State of the Union he is informed, in short order, that the president has removed all mention of Tom's programs from his speech, he's on the verge of [[ReassignedToAntarctica substantial demotion]], and that he's been tapped to be the White House's designated survivor-- kept away from the event itself in order to preserve the line of succession in the event of an attack killing everyone else, but also meant to simply keep him out of the way. Thinking little of it, he and his wife watch coverage of the session on television...when the House of Representatives is blown up in an apparent act of terrorism, immediately thrusting him into the role of [[ThePresidents President of the United States]].

* DrivingQuestion: In-universe, the FBI and Kirkman is trying to determine who was the mastermind for attacking Washington D.C.

-->-- '''Definition according to Wikipedia''.

!! ''Designated Survivor'' provides examples of the following tropes:
* GeneralRipper: General Cochrane immediately suggests showing aggression towards America's enemies in order to prove that the country is still strong, and immediately begins to doubt Kirkman when the latter demonstrates his lack of warmongering and unfamiliarity with the office's military aspects.

* InsistentTerminology:
-->'''Alex:''' Please, it's Alex.
-->'''Seth:''' Uh...no, ma'am. You're the First Lady.
* ItHasOnlyJustBegun: Wells infers that since no one has yet taken credit for the attack that the attack is not yet finished.

* ReassignedToAntarctica: Tom Kirkman was going to be offered a position as Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization, headquartered in Montreal.
* RightBehindMe: A variation; when speechwriter Seth Wright rants about how he doesn't believe Kirkman has what it takes to lead the country to the guy in the toilet next to him, he doesn't realize that said guy is Kirkman himself. To his credit, after the initial OhCrap wears off, he sticks to his guns.

* StressVomit: Kirkman, after becoming President and promptly having to deal with Iran trying to take advantage of the situation.

* UnexpectedSuccessor: Tom went from being the lowest rung of the cabinet on his way out of the White House to POTUS, over the course of a single day.

On the night of a State of the Union, Tom Kirkman (Creator/KieferSutherland) --the United State's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on the verge of [[ReassignedToAntarctica substantial demotion]]-- is tapped to be the White House's designated survivor. Thinking nothing of it, he watches coverage of the session on television... when the House of Representatives is blown up in an apparent act of terrorism, immediately thrusting him into the role of [[ThePresidents President of the United States]].

* InMediaRes: The first episode starts with Tom watching the State of the Union address when the attack happens. The episode then goes back fifteen hours, showing his day leading to that point, and then continues on.

On the night of a State of the Union, Tom Kirkman (Creator/KieferSutherland) --the United State's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on the verge of [[DemotedToExtra substantial demotion]]-- is tapped to be the White House's designated survivor. Thinking nothing of it, he watches coverage of the session on television... when the House of Representatives is blown up in an apparent act of terrorism, immediately thrusting him into the role of [[ThePresidents President of the United States]].

* ReassignedToAntartica: Tom Kirkman was going to be offered a position as Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization, headquartered in Montreal.