Madam Secretary - Season 1 [DVD]

Maybe not quite up there with The West Wing but well written and directed. Maybe just me, but the quality seemed to go up a gear around the start of the third disc in this set. The private lives of the characters are progressing well and the in-office relationships, weak at the start, are strengthening. The acting is exceptional from Leoni on all the way through to minor roles. The only thing preventing the fifth star is that most of the international problems encountered are settled much too easily. I know the one-hour slot places demands, but we all know the real world too well for the quick fixes to be believable. Looking forward to Season 2.

In premise this is very similar to Netflix's Designated Survivor - or should I say, DS is very similar to this, since this came first. I love the touches of humour, the strong female lead - and I've always liked Tea Leoni - and the strong relationships throughout. While it deals with serious - and even deadly - situations, it does so with strong script, powerful acting and an integrity that avoids sentimentalism - and somehow also manages to avoid condoning questionable decisions that the government makes, but rather puts them in context. Thoroughly enjoyed this season.

What a Secretary of State! She's good looking; she's bright; never put's a foot wrong; has a bright, successful husband who loves her; has 3 bright children. What's not to like? Everything. She always gets out of every difficult position easily; her staff come out of a comedy writer's imagination and her two youngest children should have been strangled at birth. If you want to see a real American political drama watch The West Wing.

A well-written, compelling series. Enough twists to keep us interested, enough family life & comic relief to balance the serious politics. I agree with the reviews which complain that it always seems to be only MSec resolving the problems through "back channels" but then in House there's always some weird ailment which only HLaurie & team can diagnose & cure. This is Hollywood after all. Perhaps not on a par with West Wing writing but far superior to Scandal

I love this show. The characters are likeable, funny and engaging. A lot of the team seem to have broadway experience and sometimes that shows through but overall the cast is excellent. Tea Leoni and Tim Daly are fantastic and have great chemistry. The storylines are interesting and well-paced. It's serious but not too heavy, always balanced with lighter, comedic intervals. On occasion it can seem a bit unrealistic, and perhaps too predictable with Elizabeth usually saving the day, but it's always entertaining. I highly recommend it, just don't take it too seriously and enjoy it for what it is.

Awesome series, watched season 2 and can't wait for S3 to air. No Bluray as seems it is filmed originally in 3D for those that want and hence capacity saving. Shame but still get a pretty good upscale to 4k.If you liked the West Wing and US politics with a sense of humour as well as gritty realism then you can't go wrong with MS.All the actors are fantastic, Tea is awesome (and I will confess to not being a Tea fan in the past) but casting is superb and dialogue to match.

Brought the first season just to see what it is like. Really enjoyed it and I will be ordering the rest of the seasons. Did not take long to get into the charactors which is always a bonus. Enjoyed each episode.

A cross between Homeland and The West Wing. Not quite up to the (very) high standard set by those two but well worth watching.