Why Political Dramas Thrive When Real Politics Turn Toxic

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  • Political TV dramas like “The Diplomat” and “Death by Lightning” are booming even as real-world politics feel increasingly polarized and exhausting.
  • Scripted political stories offer emotional distance, clear arcs, and satisfying resolutions that real politics rarely deliver.
  • Washington, DC is emerging as a potential storytelling hub as media entrepreneurs bet that political narratives will keep drawing viewers.
  • Audiences use political TV to process anxiety about democracy, leadership, and global crises in a safer, more controlled way.

Table of Contents

Why We Can’t Look Away From Political TV

According to the CNN podcast One Thing, hosted by David Rind, political dramas had a standout year. If you binge-watched titles like “The Diplomat” or “Death by Lightning”, you were part of a broader trend: audiences are gravitating toward stories set in the halls of power, even as many people say they are exhausted by real politics.

This creates a fascinating paradox. On one hand, survey after survey shows voters are frustrated and turned off by toxic partisanship. On the other hand, fiction about political power is more popular than ever. As the episode explains, these shows offer:

  • High stakes – wars, elections, and crises keep viewers hooked.
  • Complex characters – leaders, advisors, and rivals who feel layered and human.
  • Safe distance – viewers can explore big issues without directly entering the political fray.

How Political TV Differs From Real-Life Politics

The podcast emphasizes that while these shows mirror the language and settings of politics, they operate under a different set of rules. In scripted series:

  • Conflicts usually build toward clear resolutions – a vote, a speech, a deal.
  • Motives are eventually revealed or explained, making the narrative feel coherent.
  • Viewers are given emotional closure, something real-world politics rarely offer.

By contrast, real politics in the US and around the world feel messy, ongoing, and often deeply personal. The One Thing episode suggests that political TV allows us to reimagine politics as a story with structure instead of a constant barrage of breaking news.

Could Washington, DC Be the Next Storytelling Hub?

Guest David Beaubaire, Founder & CEO of Sunset Lane Media, is one of the people betting big on this genre. He sees an opportunity for Washington, DC itself to become a new home for Hollywood-style storytelling.

Instead of only flying in to shoot exteriors of the Capitol, studios and production companies could tap into:

  • Local expertise – former staffers, journalists, and policy experts who understand how power really works.
  • Authentic locations – agencies, think tanks, and neighborhoods that rarely appear on screen.
  • Endless story material – from foreign policy to regulatory battles to inter-agency rivalries.

Beaubaire’s approach, highlighted in the podcast, treats DC not just as a backdrop but as a living, breathing character in political storytelling.

How Audiences Use Political Dramas to Cope

One of the most insightful points in the episode is how viewers subconsciously use political TV to process anxiety about democracy and leadership. When the real news cycle feels relentless, a tightly written 10-episode season can feel oddly comforting.

From a data and behavior perspective, audiences tend to:

  • Binge-watch during major news events as a way to contextualize what they are seeing.
  • Discuss shows on social media using political language, blurring lines between fiction and reality.
  • Seek out podcasts like CNN’s One Thing to go beyond the headlines and understand why certain stories resonate.

As the show notes point out, One Thing itself is designed to help listeners make sense of “what everyone is talking about,” including the pop culture that shapes our political imagination.

Tips for Choosing Your Next Political Show

If you are curious about political dramas but wary of more stress, you can use a simple personal filter:

  • Define your tolerance level: If real news already feels heavy, start with character-driven shows that emphasize relationships over war rooms.
  • Look for balance: Mix darker series with lighter or more idealistic ones so politics does not dominate your viewing mood.
  • Pair fiction with context: After a season, listen to episodes of One Thing or similar shows to separate dramatization from reality.

For deeper exploration, you can visit CNN’s podcast hub and check out related shows like CNN 5 Things, Inside Politics, Fareed Zakaria GPS, and State of the Union, all of which offer different lenses on how power operates in the real world.

Interactive idea: Next time you finish a political series, note which scenes felt most believable, then compare them with insights from a news or analysis podcast. Over time, you will build a more informed, less anxious relationship with political storytelling.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/one-thing/episodes/a375f2ae-29c6-11ef-8cc2-efa829a519eb