Ranking Every HBO Miniseries From Worst To Best

This satire, written by Doonesbury scribe Garry Trudeau and directed by the great Robert Altman, somehow only gets better with time. Shot in Altman’s trademark verite style, it sees an outsider politician attempt to shock the system through his insistence on realness and passion.

Here the politician is Jack Tanner, a minor league representative from Michigan who takes one last swing at the big time, running against Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson in the 1988 primaries. The subtle storytelling and blend of fiction and reality was way ahead of its time. While the show was scripted, Altman encouraged an inspirational time, and his allowing of dialogue to overlap heightens the sense of verisimilitude.

This was quietly influential; so too was its unwillingness to dumb down, especially on political matters. Aaron Sorkin has acknowledged it as an influence on The West Wing, which swapped out Tanner’s quiet striving for grandstanding speeches.

The show was a minor curiosity at the time, warmly received but not beloved; nowadays, it’s worth revisiting as something genuinely special.