I watched the new USA series this morning and by God, is it fun. It’s a blatant takeoff on “Primary Colors”, starring Sigourney Weaver as Elaine Barrish Hammond, divorced former first lady, defeated presidential primary candidate, and current secretary of state. (And by the way, it’s one hell of a valentine to the woman on whom they claim it isn’t based. They make Hammond into a hard-as-nails but sympathetic superwoman, juggling problems with her grown kids and an Iranian hostage crisis. By the way, she’s also manipulated and set up by the president who defeated her for the nomination.)
The mini-series is pure political crack. The story lines are straight out of the (recent) history books, and the dialogue is sharp and witty. Ellen Burstyn is a particular delight as Margaret, Barrish’s boozy old mother. Oh yeah, and there’s a Maureen Dowd-ish reporter.
I’ll be sorry when it ends.
