Political Animals

65
Metascore
2012-2012
1 season
USA Network
Drama
TV-14

Sigourney Weaver stars as Elaine Barrish Hammond, the current secretary of state and former first lady. In this new drama Hammond develops an unlikely friendship with an ambitious young journalist played by Carla Gugino.

65
Metascore
2012-2012
1 season
USA Network
Drama
TV-14

How I Met Your Mother: Revenge's Roger Bart to Help with Barney and Robin's Big Day

Revenge's Roger Bart will guest-star on the upcoming final season of How I Met Your Mother, TVGuide.com has learned. Bart will play an employee at...

Tue, Jul 23, 2013

How I Met Your Mother: Revenge's Roger Bart to Help with Barney and Robin's Big Day

Happy Endings Postmortem: What's Next (If the Show Comes Back)?

[SPOILER ALERT: The following story contains spoilers from Friday's season finale of Happy Endings. Read at your own risk.]

Sat, May 4, 2013

Happy Endings Postmortem: What's Next (If the Show Comes Back)?

Burn Notice Targets Heroes Alum Adrian Pasdar for Recurring Role

Coming this summer to Burn Notice: A Heroes reunion! Adrian Pasdar, who played Nathan Petrelli on the NBC superhero series, is joining Burn Notice's seventh season for

Wed, Mar 27, 2013

Burn Notice Targets Heroes Alum Adrian Pasdar for Recurring Role

Pilot Season: Sarah Michelle Gellar to Play Robin Williams' Daughter in CBS Sitcom

Sarah Michelle Gellar is slated to star alongside Robin Williams in the CBS sitcom pilot The Crazy Ones, TVGuide.com has learned.

Sat, Feb 16, 2013

Pilot Season: Sarah Michelle Gellar to Play Robin Williams' Daughter in CBS Sitcom

Scandal Swears In Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius

Olivia Pope & Associates' client list is quickly turning A-list on Scandal. Following news of Lisa Edelstein's upcoming appearance, Ugly Betty alum Eric Mabius has been tapped for a guest spot on the ABC political drama, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Scandal seduces House's Lisa Edelstein for guest spot As first reported by Mabius will play...

Wed, Feb 13, 2013

Scandal Swears In Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius

Pilot Season: James Wolk to Co-Star in CBS' The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams

Political Animals star James Wolk has joined the cast of the CBS pilot The Crazy Ones, a workplace comedy starring Robin Williams, TVGuide.com has confirmed. The Crazy Ones, from David E. Kelley, is...

Thu, Feb 7, 2013

Pilot Season: James Wolk to Co-Star in CBS' The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams

New Girl Scoop: Carla Gugino Does Dirty Things to Max Greenfield and Lives to Tell the Tale

Schmidt may have finally bitten off more than he can chew! New Girl's self-professed ladies' man will meet his match in Emma (Carla Gugino), his new corporate boss who enlists Schimdt (Max Greenfield) in a reverse Fifty Shades of Grey-esque relationship Tuesday (9/8c, Fox). As such, Gugino and Greenfield had to get mighty close throughout filming their, ahem, sadomasochistic (S&M) scenes, which is why TVGuide.com turned to the Political Animals alum to find out just how far things went on set. Plus: How is Greenfield as a TV lover? Get the scoop below: Are New Girl's Nick and Jess the new Ross and Rachel? What was your first reaction to this role when it hit your radar?Carla Gugino: My first introduction to it was a conversation on the phone with [creator] Liz Meriwether, and at that point, it was in the incubation phase of, "This is what we think we want this dynamic to be." As she started describing more of the qualities of this character, I was loving it more and more. I was happy that she wanted this person to be as crazy as...

Tue, Nov 13, 2012

New Girl Scoop: Carla Gugino Does Dirty Things to Max Greenfield and Lives to Tell the Tale

Ask Matt: USA Cancellations, Revolution Hiatus, Community, X Factor and more

Send questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!Question: Been a follower for some time now. I'm happy to say you're usually a fan of the same shows as me, and we're close enough that I use your take on upcoming shows I'm on the fence about. My question is regarding the recent USA cancellations of Common Law and Fairly Legal.

Mon, Nov 5, 2012

Ask Matt: USA Cancellations, Revolution Hiatus, Community, X Factor and more

USA Cancels Political Animals

Political Animals will not return for a second season, TVGuide.com has confirmed. The six-episode series, starring Sigourney Weaver and Carla Gugino, was originally conceived as a miniseries, but producer Greg Berlanti and some of the show's stars hinted that it might be picked up for a second season if the initial run drew enough viewers. The show premiered to 3.8 million total viewers and averaged a modest 3.2 million viewers for the six weeks it was on the air.

Fri, Nov 2, 2012

Madchen Amick, Glenne Headly Move Into Lifetime's Witches of East End

Lifetime's drama pilot Witches of East End has bewitched two new cast members: Twin Peaks vet Madchen Amick and ER grad Glenne Headly, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The pilot, based on Melissa de la Cruz's best-selling novel, is about...

Tue, Oct 9, 2012

Madchen Amick, Glenne Headly Move Into Lifetime's Witches of East End

USA Renews White Collar, Covert Affairs and Royal Pains

Summer's gonna last forever! USA has renewed three of their top warm-weather hits, White Collar, Covert Affairs and Royal Pains.The two crime dramas each received a 16-episode order, marking the fifth season for White Collar and the fourth for Covert Affairs.

Tue, Sep 25, 2012

USA Renews White Collar, Covert Affairs and Royal Pains

Exclusive: Dylan Baker Joins ABC's Zero Hour

Dylan Baker has joined the cast of ABC's midseason drama Zero Hour, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. Zero Hour stars ER's Anthony Edwards as a skeptics magazine editor who is pulled into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history after his wife (Jacinda Barrett) is kidnapped. Get the scoop on your favorite returning fall TV shows Baker, whose recent credits in The Good Wife and Political Animals, will play...

Wed, Sep 12, 2012

Exclusive: Dylan Baker Joins ABC's Zero Hour

Rome's Ciaran Hinds Joins Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is hailing Caesar. Ciaran Hinds, who portrayed Rome's ambitious tyrant, has joined the cast of the HBO drama in Season 3, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Entertainment Weekly first reported the news. Comic-Con: Game of Thrones casts Queen of Thorns, 13 other roles Hinds will portray...

Fri, Aug 17, 2012

Rome's Ciaran Hinds Joins Game of Thrones

Greg Berlanti Reunites with ABC for Medical Drama

Greg Berlanti is partnering up with former Supernatural showrunner Sera Gamble on a medical drama he sold to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Check out more news on Greg BerlantiThe untitled project will focus on world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Steven Saylor, who is forced to become an internist again after suffering a traumatic brain injury.

Thu, Aug 16, 2012

Greg Berlanti Reunites with ABC for Medical Drama

Ask Matt: Teen Wolf and Awkward, Political Animals, Damages, Emmys and More

Send questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter! Question: I was wondering if you have found time to tune in or catch up on MTV's teen supernatural drama Teen Wolf or the comedy Awkward. I have been back watching both again recently and am officially hooked. With Teen Wolf being picked up for a 24-episode season next year [and Awkward for 20] and the laundry list of new scripted dramas on the horizon, what do you think of MTV scripted shows and are they in it for the long haul? — Sharday

Mon, Aug 13, 2012

Ask Matt: Teen Wolf and Awkward, Political Animals, Damages, Emmys and More

The Woman Problem: What Political Animals' Susan Berg Could Teach the Newsroom Ladies

"The first rule of being a female journalist," political reporter Susan Berg (Carla Gugino) tells a younger female colleague in the third episode of USA's miniseries Political Animals, "[is] if you s--- where you eat, don't cry about it. ... You want to be taken seriously? Take yourself seriously." This single line of dialogue makes it clear that there's a much-needed crossover episode hidden in the summer TV lineup. Could Susan please take a temporary consulting gig in New York and talk some professional sense into the women of The Newsroom?

Fri, Aug 10, 2012

The Woman Problem: What Political Animals' Susan Berg Could Teach the Newsroom Ladies

Political Animals: What Went Wrong with Elaine Barrish

After I realized Political Animals wasn't a pet-themed reality show and was actually about an empowered female politician, I was beyond thrilled. Any miniseries — forgive me, "television event" — that could lure Oscar-nominee Sigourney Weaver to the small screen has to be great, right? Well, yes and no. Only about 20 minutes into the premiere and I began to realize how misguided I'd been. Political Animals isn't about a strong female in government. It's just another prime-time soap featuring a woman whose power is her sexuality and whose weakness is men (yawn). Weaver stars as...

Fri, Aug 3, 2012

Political Animals: What Went Wrong with Elaine Barrish

Law & Order: SVU Arrests Revenge's Roger Bart, Veep's Anna Chlumsky

Law & Order: SVU has booked Revenge scene-stealer Roger Bart, Veep's Anna Chlumsky and Broadway vet Raúl Esparza for an upcoming episode, TVGuide.com has learned. In the episode, titled "Twenty-Five Acts," Chlumsky plays the author of a best-selling erotic novel...

Thu, Aug 2, 2012

Law & Order: SVU Arrests Revenge's Roger Bart, Veep's Anna Chlumsky

Political Animals Exclusive Video: Georgia Gives the Scoop on T.J. and President Garcetti

Political Animals Georgia Gibbons (Megann Fahy) may be the woman that came between Susan Berg (Carla Gugino) and her editor/live-in boyfriend Alex (Dan Futterman), but you've got give the Washington Globe News gossip reporter credit for knowing how to get good scoop. In her latest video post, Georgia dishes on all the latest goings on inside the Hammond family, including...

Mon, Jul 30, 2012

Political Animals Exclusive Video: Georgia Gives the Scoop on T.J. and President Garcetti

Top Moments: A Shocking Burn Notice Tragedy and Skinny-Dipping on Bachelor Pad

Our top moments of the week:11. Worst Argument: After he's put into the bottom three on The Glee Project, Abraham delivers a perfectly fine performance of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" for his last-chance performance. But after feeling that he gave less than his best, he storms back onstage to tell Ryan Murphy and the other judges just how much he deserves to stay. "I'm not freaking leaving until I win this competition and you write a role for me on Glee," he proclaims. Murphy appreciates his initiative...

Fri, Jul 27, 2012

Top Moments: A Shocking Burn Notice Tragedy and Skinny-Dipping on Bachelor Pad

VIDEO: Will Political Animals' Exes Bud and Elaine Reconcile?

Her ex-husband has a Latin soap star on his arm, but when will Political Animals' Elaine start dating again?Hopefully soon, Sigourney Weaver says. "She's a sexual creature, that doesn't go away just because she's Secretary of State," Weaver tells TVGuide.com. "In fact, I'm hoping that because Elaine is divorced, I'll have an active dating life one of these seasons."

Fri, Jul 20, 2012

VIDEO: Will Political Animals' Exes Bud and Elaine Reconcile?

Ratings: Breaking Bad Hits Series High; Political Animals Has OK Debut

Breaking Bad kicked off its fifth and final season to record numbers Sunday. The drama drew 2.9 million, up 14 percent from the Season 4 opener, making it the most-watched episode ever. The show was also up ...

Mon, Jul 16, 2012

Ratings: Breaking Bad Hits Series High; Political Animals Has OK Debut

Political Animals Exclusive Video: Does Susan Care Too Much About the Hammond Family?

Political Animals' ace journalist Susan Berg (Carla Gugino) is willing to do anything to get a good story. Years ago, she was the one to expose President Bud Hammond's (Ciarán Hinds) sexual liaisons and subsequently ruined the Hammods' marriage. And, as seen in the premiere episode, she withheld information about T.J.'s (Sebastian Stan) suicide attempt to get full access to Elaine (Sigourney Weaver). But as also seen in the first hour of the six-part miniseries, the Washington Globe News reporter has a thing or two in common with Secretary of State Barrish. Perhaps she's starting to care too much about the Hammonds? Character Chatter: Join the conversation with other USA Network fans "You can't care too much because then you become...

Mon, Jul 16, 2012

Political Animals Exclusive Video: Does Susan Care Too Much About the Hammond Family?

5 Reasons (Among Many) to Watch USA's Political Animals

Political Animals' lead character Elaine Barrish (Sigourney Weaver) appears to be strong, tough and full of confidence on the outside. But a few minutes into the USA series, viewers will learn that she's a lot more flawed and self-doubting than she looks. "We present this woman so effective, so articulate, so passionate, so true to her moral compass and the flip side is she's much less confident in her personal life and as a mother," Weaver tells TVGuide.com. "She makes a lot of mistakes."

Fri, Jul 13, 2012

5 Reasons (Among Many) to Watch USA's Political Animals

Review: Behold the Criminal and Political Animals

In the latest head-on collision of top-notch Sunday night cable dramas, the return of TV's most chilling dark parable faces the arrival of an irresistible new potboiler. One you can take to the Emmy bank next week; the other you'll be tempted to take to the beach. As the first half of the final season gets underway for AMC's masterpiece of intensity Breaking Bad (Sunday, 10/9c), mensch-turned-mastermind Walter White (three-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston) escalates his criminal ways, and a man who once inspired pity now leaves even loved ones quaking in fear...

Fri, Jul 13, 2012

Review: Behold the Criminal and Political Animals

On the Set: Uncovering the Secrets of Political Animals

Usually, the secretary of state keeps company with foreign dignitaries in exotic, far-flung locales, not Teamsters in the shell of a business park by the Philadelphia International Airport. Then again, this Madame Secretary has saved the planet from some really illegal aliens before taking office, so who are we to judge? As Political Animals' former First Lady-turned-Secretary of State Elaine Barrish Hammond, Sigourney Weaver is back in badass form, only on a civic-duty level rather than a sci-fi one. And although she has three names and a philandering ex-husband, Elaine is not based on you-know-who. "I had to get over the slight feeling of, 'Oh, it's Hillary,' which she really isn't," says Weaver, citing inspiration from countless women in power, including a childhood headmistress and...

Fri, Jul 13, 2012

On the Set: Uncovering the Secrets of Political Animals

Capitol Gains: TV Goes to Washington

Before executive producer Greg Berlanti came in to pitch what would become Political Animals, USA Network wasn't actively looking for a series set in Washington, D.C. "We were probably as averse to [D.C. shows] as any network," says Bill McGoldrick, USA's executive vice president of original scripted programming. Not wanting to alienate viewers, TV execs have mostly steered clear of...

Tue, Jul 3, 2012

Political Animals Exclusive First Look: Meet America's Queen, the Gay Icon and More

There's always more to the story than meets the eye in politics — and it's no different on Political Animals. Ahead of the miniseries' premiere (July 15 at 10/9c), USA has released a series of colorful — and extremely revealing — animated images to introduce viewers to Elaine Barrish (Sigourney Weaver) & Co. Get an exclusive first look at Political Animals' revealing new animated images Reminiscent of President Obama's iconic 2008 campaign poster, each character portrait shows two very different sides to the...

Wed, Jun 20, 2012

Political Animals Exclusive First Look: Meet America's Queen, the Gay Icon and More

Homeland and Community Nab Top Honors at Critics' Choice TV Awards

Homeland was named Best Drama Series at the Critics' Choice Television Awards Monday night.The Showtime series took home the award for the Best TV Drama at the Golden Globes in January, positioning it as a strong contender for the Emmys in September. Homeland star Claire Danes was also honored with the award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.

Tue, Jun 19, 2012

Homeland and Community Nab Top Honors at Critics' Choice TV Awards

Get an Extended Look at USA's Political Animals

For the Hammonds, the country's closest thing to royalty and the small screen's version of The Clintons, there is zero separation between church and state, or in this case, the personal life and the state. "There is no difference between the personal and the political,"  ruthless D.C. journalist Susan Berg (Carla Gugino) explains. In this extended first look at the upcoming miniseries Political Animals, USA offers a close look at the campaigning, the successes, the failures and the scandals of...

Wed, Jun 13, 2012

Get an Extended Look at USA's Political Animals