Obama's TV favorites: Political dramas, thrillers
New York Times reports US president is a big fan of 'Homeland' and 'House of Cards,' but is currently busy catching up on five seasons of crime drama series 'Breaking Bad'
According to the leading American daily, these days US President Barack Obama is busy catching up on the five seasons of AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” the award-winning TV drama about a drug-dealing high school teacher, which ended in September.
Netflix show "House of Cards," which depicts a dysfunctional Washington, is also one of Obama's favorites - likely because of the familiar theme about US government intrigues. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has even invited the president to do a cameo on the show.
According to the New York Times, in a meeting of technology executives last week Obama jokingly lamented his own inability to maneuver the halls of Congress in the way of Frank Underwood, the character played by Kevin Spacey. "This guy’s getting a lot of stuff done," he said.
One series Obama is particularly fond of is Showtime’s "Homeland," the Emmy-winning political thriller based on Israeli series "Hatufim" ("Prisoners of War"), which according to the New York Times offers an eerily familiar mirror to the president’s own foreign policy adventures: Terrorism, Iranian nuclear negotiations, drone strikes, and an intelligence agency struggling for legitimacy with Congress and the American people.
Actress Claire Danes, the show's leading star who plays CIA agent Carrie Mathison, visited the White House last year and was amazed to hear that the United States' No. 1 citizen was one of the biggest fans of "Homeland."
"I think we were all stunned — and a little terrified by that idea," she said. "The president knows what we do?"
But political thrillers are not the only ones that can be found in the White House's DVD library. Obama is also a big fan of "Game of Thrones," a brutal imagining of the wars in medieval Europe, and of HBO’s "The Wire," which he has repeatedly called one of the "greatest shows of all time."
According to the New York Times, "The Wire" creator David Simon said in an interview that he wonders whether Obama was drawn to the show because it dealt so directly with the issues of social and economic strife.
"'The Wire' was one of the few shows that was about the other America," Simon said. "It was set in the inner city. The characters were of a class that has been left behind economically and politically."
He is also known as a rabid sports fan, and regularly enjoys ESPN’s "SportsCenter." He also told TV Guide once that he and his family watch two comedy shows: ABC’s "Modern Family" and NBC’s "Parks and Recreation."
