Scripted series · Netflix
The Politician
We promise you bi partisanship.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Ben Platt
Payton Hobart
15 eps
Judith Light
Dede Standish
8 eps
Lucy Boynton
Astrid Sloan
15 eps
Zoey Deutch
Infinity Jackson
15 eps
Bob Balaban
Keaton Hobart
8 eps
Julia Schlaepfer
Alice Charles
15 eps
Laura Dreyfuss
McAfee Westbrook
15 eps
Theo Germaine
James Sullivan
15 eps
Rahne Jones
Skye Leighton
15 eps
Bette Midler
Hadassah Gold
8 eps
Eileen Grubba
Angela
1 eps
Gwyneth Paltrow
Georgina Hobart
15 eps
Jessica Lange
Dusty Jackson
8 eps
Benjamin Barrett
Ricardo
9 eps
David Corenswet
River Barkley
11 eps
Brandon Win
Connor
7 eps
Alveraz Ricardez
Police Officer
1 eps
Tracy S. Lee
Vicki
1 eps
Courtney Taylor Burness
Hostess
1 eps
Adam Wang
Mr. Anselm
1 eps
Jordan Nichole Wall
Ivy
1 eps
Andrew Patrick Ralston
Dean Lawrence
1 eps
Nathan Howard
Damien
1 eps
Laura Patalano
Lupe
1 eps
Jeff Allen
Thomas Eagleton
1 eps
Andre Hotchko
Hubert Humphrey
1 eps
Blaine Gray
Ted Kennedy
1 eps
Chris Flanders
Walter Mondale
1 eps
Rick Holmes
Cooper
2 eps
Tanner Thomason
John Judson
1 eps
Richard Wharton
Thomas
3 eps
Troy Blendell
Mr. Happ
2 eps
Russell Posner
Elliot Beachman
1 eps
Koby Kumi-Diaka
Pierre Toussaint
4 eps
Graham Clarke
Freddy
1 eps
Macy Friday
Chippy
1 eps
Kevin Gardner
Mr. Hapswell
1 eps
AJ Achinger
Derek
1 eps
Paloma Esparza Rabinov
Trina
1 eps
Elise Luthman
Shelley
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Politician actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Politician reads strongest on Humour, Bingeability and Character Depth.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
The story
What it's about
Payton has known since childhood that he's going to be president. First he'll have to navigate the most treacherous political landscape: high school.
The run
Seasons
2 seasons · 15 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
20198 episodes
7.6IMDbPayton Hobart, a wealthy student from Santa Barbara, has known since age 7 that he's going to be president of the United States, but first he has to navigate the most treacherous political landscape of all, Saint Sebastian High School.
Best episode · S01E08 Vienna
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
20207 episodes
8.6IMDbPayton Hobart fights to unseat Dede Standish in the New York State Senate race. As a long-time incumbent and greatly admired Senate Majority Leader with no-nonsense Chief of Staff, Hadassah Gold at her side, Dede’s re-election was supposed to be easy, but Payton - who sees this as the next step on his path to the Presidency - must decide what kind of politician he ultimately wants to be in order to succeed, even if that means exposing secrets, lies, and a throuple.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E02
The Harrington Commode
Amid escalating concerns about his vice presidential pick, Payton gets plunged into a family crisis that stokes long-seething resentments.
S01E04
Gone Girl
With the election just days away, Payton faces tough questions about just how far he's willing to go to defeat his opponent.
S01E03
October Surprise
While Payton plays hardball with Harvard admissions, shocking betrayals and a scandalous videotape take the election to a new level of ruthlessness.
S01E05
The Voter
Payton makes an eleventh-hour push to lock down the school's undecided voters, including one student who has other things on his mind besides politics.
S01E01
Pilot
After a charismatic candidate joins the race for student body president, Payton searches for a running mate who will make him seem more authentic.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S02E03
Cancel Culture
S02E05
The Voters
S02E01
New York State of Mind
S02E02
Conscious Unthroupling
S02E04
Hail Mary
S02E06
What's in the Box?
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Brad FalchukExecutive Producer
- Gwyneth PaltrowExecutive Producer
- Kenneth SilversteinProducer
- Ian BrennanExecutive Producer
- Lou EyrichProducer
- Ryan MurphyExecutive Producer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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