"Commander in Chief"

I keep hanging in with this show, even though it makes me want to throw my hands up and walk away every time one of the kids comes on screen. Steven Bochco, where are you??

Last nights episode had the oldest girl, a "straight A student" who doesn't drink, do drugs, or hang around with Bad People, begging her father to let her go to a party so she can be with a guy. A guy we soon see *is* a bad boy, with his video camera hidden up in his bedroom. Guess they're trying to show us even smart teenage girls act stupid around boys, but puh-leese. I can't believe a woman as smart and on top of it as Mackenzie Allen would raise such an idiot. The son forges the presidents name on a bad homework paper, and the little cute kid just mopes and whines about "people hating mommy". These kids add no interest to the show at all.

Luckily we only have a few more episodes to go before we get to the ones Bochco has developed. Episode 9 is rumored to be his first, and he's bringing in a few strong characters to beef up the series.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who has worked often with Bochco (notably on NYPD Blue) will be coming on board as a "slick, savvy media strategist". Polly Bergen will be joining in a recurring role as the President's (Geena Davis) mother.

I just hope that they are ditching the kids, or at least relegating them to the dinner table. If I want to see whiney kids doing stupid things, I don't need to turn on the TV - I can find plenty of that in my own house.