Hail to the Chief

1 9 8 5 (USA)
7 x 30 minute episodes

This irreverent political satire from ABC revolved around the hectic home and working life of Julia Mansfield (Patty Duke), the first female president of the United States. She had been vice president when her male president was stung by a bee in the White House rose garden, developed an allergic reaction and died.

Julia is married to Oliver (Ted Bessell) – a philandering Air Force general and former astronaut who finds it impossible to make love to his commander-in-chief – and is the mother of three children: Lucy (Quinn Cummings), Doug (Ricky Paull Goldin) and Willie (Taliesin Jaffe).

Other Regulars included Julia’s salty mother, Lenore (Maxine Stuart); her National Security advisor Helmut Luger (Herschel Bernardi), who wasted little time on diplomatic flattery; her UN Ambassador LaRue Hawks (Glynn Turman); General Hannibal Stryker (John Vernon); Randy, the gay Secret Service agent (Joel Brooks) who liked picking out the president’s dresses for her and called himself “the most lethal pansy in the United States”; Raoul (Chick Vennera) the butler; Oliver’s mistress Darlene Lubin (Alexa Hamilton); and Reverend Billy Joe Bickerstaff (Richard Paul), a fundamentalist preacher – patterned on Jerry Falwell –  seeking to oust Julia.

It was basically Soap at the White House . . .

Julia Mansfield
Patty Duke
Oliver Mansfield
Ted Bessell
Lucy Mansfield
Quinn Cummings
Doug Mansfield
Ricky Paull Goldin
Willie Mansfield
Taliesin Jaffe
Lenore
Maxine Stuart
Helmut Luger
Herschel Bernardi
LaRue Hawks
Glynn Turman
General Hannibal Stryker
John Vernon
Randy
Joel Brooks
Raoul
Chick Vennera
Darlene Lubin
Alexa Hamilton
Reverend Billy Joe Bickerstaff
Richard Paul