History Series / CommanderInChief

* CastingGag: President Allen's mother is played by Polly Bergen, who played a female president in the 1964 comedy ''Kisses for My President''.

There were, of course, many comparisons with ''Series/TheWestWing'', that other TV series about a U.S. president (which was enourmously popular, critically acclaimed, and tied for most Emmy-award-winning show of all time). ''Commander in Chief'' focused more on the president's family, which was only an occasional theme on ''The West Wing'', and there were numerous other differences. However, the comparisons were generally not favorable; ''The West Wing'' was ending its run the same time ''Commander'' started, and many viewers were probably just disappointed that ''Commander in Chief'' was not, technically, ''The West Wing''. ''Magaine/{{Mad}}'' called it ''Series/JudgingAmy'' in The White House...

There were, of course, many comparisons with ''Series/TheWestWing'', that other TV series about a U.S. president (which was enourmously popular, critically acclaimed, and tied for most Emmy-award-winning show of all time). ''Commander in Chief'' focused more on the president's family, which was only an occasional theme on ''The West Wing'', and there were numerous other differences. However, the comparisons were generally not favorable; ''The West Wing'' was ending its run the same time ''Commander'' started, and many viewers were probably just disappointed that ''Commander in Chief'' was not, technically, ''The West Wing''.

* ShoutOut: Ami's Halloween costume included [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans Starfire's clothes and Raven's cape]]. Also, her Dad once carried her to give her the sensation of flying. He said [[{{Superman}} She's a bird! She's a plane!]]

* FictionalCountry: The series makes reference to the South American country of San Pasquale. [[CaptainObvious Which is not real.]]

* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Until Rod Lurie was replaced as showrunner by StevenBochco, the episode titles began with "First."

* MamaBear: The media corps ''really'' gets the idea when President Allen [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome tells them to stay away from her kids.]]

''Commander in Chief'' was a drama series about a fictional President of the United States that [[ShortRunner ran for one season]] (2005–06) on Creator/{{ABC}}.

''Commander in Chief'' was a show about a fictional President of the United States that [[ShortRunner ran from September 2005 to June 2006]] on Creator/{{ABC}}.

* FoxNewsLiberal: Or "ABC Conservative" in this case. Mackenzie is mentioned as having been a moderate Republican before becoming an independent. Despite this, she is never seen to have many (if ''any'') particularly conservative/libertarian traits. And although she's mentioned as clashing with the Democrats sometimes, it's rarely ever at the forefront, and we see her having rather pitched and heated battles against the Republicans instead (and indeed, the main Democrat on the show--Keaton--is portrayed much more favorably than the main Republican, Speaker Templeton). It gets to the point where it starts to feel like Mac's former Republicanism is merely an InformedAttribute that was given to her so that the presumably liberal writers could hold her up as an example and say "See? Any ''reasonable'' Republican would eventually leave the party and crusade against it on every issue!"

* BlondesAreEvil: Jayne, Templeton's chief of staff, is nearly as ruthless as he is.

* HollywoodLaw: In one episode, Mackenzie debates over whether to spare a mentally disabled Texan woman on death row for murdering a cab driver, and she eventually does so. However, the US President cannot grant pardons or reprieves to state prisoners, only federal ones. Some other episodes see her create a scholarship program through executive order (Congress would have to enact it) and federalizing law enforcement in a state county (completely illegal).

* HollywoodLaw: In one episode, Mackenzie debates over whether to spare a mentally disabled Texan woman on death row for murdering a cab driver, and she eventually does so. However, the US President cannot grant pardons or reprieves to state prisoners, only federal ones. Some ther episodes see her create a scholarship program through executive order (Congress would have to enact it) and federalizing law enforcement in a state county (completely illegal).

* HollywoodLaw: In one episode, Mackenzie debates over whether to spare a mentally disabled Texan woman on death row for murdering a cab driver, and she eventually does so. However, the US President cannot grant pardons or reprieves to state prisoners, only federal ones. Other episodes see her create a scholarship program through executive order (Congress would have to enact it) and federalizing law enforcement in Prince George's County, Maryland (completely illegal).