Hail to the Chief

Hail to the Chief

1985
Hail to the Chief
Hail to the Chief

Hail to the Chief

7.3 | en |

Hail to the Chief is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from April 9, 1985 until May 21, 1985. It centered on the first woman President of the United States, portrayed by Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke. The series was created by Susan Harris, and was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions. It featured one of the few recurring gay characters in a 1980s television series.

View More
AD

WATCH FREEFOR 30 DAYS

All Prime Video
Cancel anytime

Watch Now

Seasons & Episodes

1
EP7  Episode Seven
May. 21,1985
Episode Seven

Raoul leaves for South America and Lucy follows after him. Luger has dinner with Stryker's family and after seeing how crazy it is, decides to marry Muffin if for no other reason than to get her out of the house. Ivan gives Oliver a list of demands. Later Ivan admits to a colleage that if Oliver doesn't come through for them that his a better plan- a plan to put a Soviet Agent in the White House, at which point he introduces his newest secret agent...Rev Billy Joe!!!

EP6  Episode Six
May. 14,1985
Episode Six

Clovis and Lamar give the President's accountant some money to secretly put (in the names of Julia's family) into Government contracts as personal investments to make it appear that she gave her family inside information. They then tell Rev. Bikerstaff to attack Julia on his talk show. Ivan Zolotov confronts Oliver letting him know that if he doesn't do what he says that the world will see the film of him and a Russian Agent.

EP5  Episode Five
May. 07,1985
Episode Five

Oliver who is now home from the hospital still can't make love to Julia because he feels guilty about cheating on her again. Clovis and Lamar find some dirt on the President's personal accountant and force him to help them plot against Julia. Oliver breaks it off with Darlene but not before having ""one last time together"" and not knowing all the time that the KGB is secretly filming the whole time.

EP4  Episode Four
Apr. 30,1985
Episode Four

Oliver recovers from his coma and tells his family of how he went to heaven and was given a second chance. Lucy and Raoul sleep together. Raoul tells Lucy he loves her but can't commit to her untill his people in Contrapointa, South America are free. Darlene offers Oliver her own brand of TLC in the hospital. General Styker tells Luger that he has to marry his daughter Muffin or he will kill him. Julia tells her son Doug, a professioanl tennis player to stop making off color remarks on the tennis court. Rev Billy Joe finds two wealthy oil barons, Clovis and Lamar, who are willing to help him with his plan.

EP3  Episode Three
Apr. 23,1985
Episode Three

Oliver confronts Brower and is gets shot in the process. While the news reports this Ivan Zolotov, the head of the KGB and who happens to be twin brother of the Premier, arrives to the Russian Embassy. There he sends for his top agent, Darlene, who has been having an affair with Oliver to get information. He instructs her to keep by his side, should he survive. Later Julia tells a comotosed Olivier that all is forgiven.

EP2  Episode Two
Apr. 16,1985
Episode Two

Julia's advisors still discuss how to dissarm the crazy Major. Head of Defense, General Stryker tells Head of Security, Helmut Luger, that his daughter is pregnant and has claimed he is responsible, not knowing Julia's son Doug, is really the father. Rev. Billy Joe Bikerstaff, a powerfull,courupt tele- evangelist starts plotting to find a way to empeach the President. Julia's daughter Lucy is smitten with Raoul, the butler. Oliver's mistress Darlene threatened to ruin Oliver when he tried tried to end their relationship. In a attempt to make up for past mistakes, Oliver promises God he will save the world by going to the launch command center and stopping Brower.

EP1  Episode One
Apr. 09,1985
Episode One

General Oliver Mansfield, the President's husband who is unable to make love to her, has an argument with his mistress. Randy confronts Oliver about it telling him if he hurts Julia, he will ruin him. Julia is told that an Air Force General named Brower has gone crazy and has taken control of a launch command center and will launch a pre-emptive stike against the (as it then was) Soviet Union if his demands are not met. Julia contacts Premier Zolotov to warn him and while he is touched by her concern he warns her that he will have to launch a second strike if Julia can't stop the crazy Major. Julia's advisors discuss possible solutions. After the nation is put on alert, Oliver confesses all his past affairs which makes Julia mad and she walks out on him.

SEE MORE
7.3 | en | | More Info
Released: 1985-04-09 | Released Producted By: , Country: Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

Hail to the Chief is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from April 9, 1985 until May 21, 1985. It centered on the first woman President of the United States, portrayed by Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke. The series was created by Susan Harris, and was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions. It featured one of the few recurring gay characters in a 1980s television series.

...... View More
Stream Online

The tv show is currently not available onine

Cast

Patty Duke , Ted Bessell , Joel Brooks

Director

Tony Thomas

Producted By

,

AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.

Watch Now

Reviews

eschetic-2 No, it actually wasn't all that well written, but my goodness was it prescient! Imagine if Hillary Clinton had actually won the White House in 2008, Bill in tow, but been saddled with a Cabinet and kids Nixon, Reagan or "Bush the Lesser" might have produced. Picture that and you'll have something close to what the creators of this Reagan Era satire must have had in mind in trying to apply the style (right down to the musical cues and canned laughter from the brilliant SOAP) to the world of national and international politics.The Soviet Union was still together and the Middle East hadn't exploded yet, but everything else rings painfully true in the audio tapes I made (so recent and yet VCRs were just coming in!) of the first four episodes (of the seven shown) and recently stumbled across in the back of a drawer...so true in fact, that I dearly wish the company which put SOAP out on DVD would put the lone season of HAIL TO THE CHIEF on a DVD to be enjoyed again - for many people, for the first time. It might stun a lot of people including the original creators. Most satire (unless it's as brilliantly written as a MURPHY BROWN) ages rapidly, but this show actually seems better now than when it originally aired.
dallas4214 This was the funniest show of 1985 and it was tragic when they canceled it. I wish it was on DVD or video. I would buy it today. I believe it was so controversial that it scared the southern baptist coalition and republican party of things come. Obviously it was exactly 23 years ahead of its time. When President H. Clinton takes office I hope she will invite Patty Duke to the inauguration. The show touched on many issues that have come to life in recent years. Why was it canceled? If anyone has a tape of the show I would like to buy it. The characters were extremely realistic. If anyone knows when this show will be available on video please let me know.
haildevilman But I still laughed.Fans of Soap will dig it. There was clearly a lot of inspiration there.And the satire was brilliant.Patty Duke was the eye of this hurricane. The only normal one. The rest were your regular stereotypes.Philandering first husband. Friendly but slightly unhinged Russian Premier. (Shawn was excellent in the role.) Loose daughter. Gay assistant. War monger General. Right wing secretary of state. (Herscel Bernardi's last role?) Southern gentleman democrat. And Glynn Thurman playing and over-the-top version of Jesse Jackson nearly stealing the show.The humor was a bit off color, but that's what made me laugh. I think people liked it despite themselves.
John English I remember this show being pretty funny. It would air well on Trio or Bravo back-to-back with Soap, as the two are similar in style and humor. Patty Duke was a good lead as Pres. Mansfield, and I remember Dick Shawn (LSD from the movie The Producers) having a blast as the Russian premier. Richard Paul was also good as a reverend who thought it was blasphemy to have a female president. It gave him good practice for when he'd start playing Rev. Jerry Falwell. (He played Falweel in The People vs. Larry Flynt and also in the 1990 TV-movie Fall from Grace, starring Kevin Spacey and Bernadette Peters and Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker.) Hopefully someday a cable channel will tire of the usual sitcom reruns and give this one a shot.