Kiefer Sutherland stars in "Designated Survivor"

It hardly needs pointing out that American politics is one of the most widely discussed topics floating around just now. In the wake of November's presidential election, you can't turn around without hearing something about the state of the U.S. government and the man in charge of it.

"Designated Survivor," ABC's freshman political drama, is thus aptly timed. No, it has nothing to do with a world in which Donald Trump has become president of the United States, but it does see the inauguration of a brand-spanking-new POTUS whose abilities in the position are strongly questioned by many. The series got off to a strong start in September, securing a full-season order just eight days after the premiere. "Designated Survivor" returns from hiatus Wednesday, March 8, on ABC.

The series title refers to an actual person in the presidential line of succession, who is selected to ensure that, in the catastrophic event that the president and the rest of the officials in the line of succession are all killed, someone remains to run the country. It's unlikely that anyone would ever actually take office this way -- it hasn't happened yet -- but at State of the Union addresses, presidential inaugurations and other events that bring together the president, vice-president and high-ranking Cabinet members in a single location, the designated survivor remains in a secure and undisclosed place far away from the rest of the nation's top leaders.

In "Designated Survivor," the highly improbable scenario is carried out in full. In the dramatic first episode, a terrorist attack on the Capitol during the State of the Union address claims the lives of the president, vice-president and all Cabinet members except the designated survivor, Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland, "24"). In the blink of an eye, the secretary of Housing and Development (who was all but fired that very morning) finds himself being sworn in to the most powerful position in the world, clad in jeans and a hoodie.

Now, the low-level Cabinet member-turned-POTUS must not only navigate the U.S. through a state of war, but convince a terrified country that didn't vote for him (and, for the most part, doesn't have a clue who he is) that he's the right man for the job. He's also working with a federal government that's being built from scratch, and most of its members, understandably, think Tom has no business being in charge.

The members of his new team, for their part, are also busy figuring out their sudden new positions. Advising Tom is White House Chief of Staff Aaron Shore (Adan Canto, "X-Men: Days of Future Past," 2014), who's been bumped up from deputy chief of staff. Emily Rhodes (Italia Ricci, "Chasing Life") is Tom's former chief of staff and a friend of the family, who becomes his special adviser, and Mike Ritter (LaMonica Garrett, "The Last Ship") is the Secret Service agent in charge of keeping the new president safe.

Italia Ricci as seen in "Designated Survivor"

One of the more vocal skeptics on staff is White House Press Secretary Seth Wright (Kal Penn, "House"), a former speechwriter who puts his doubts aside to become one of the president's closest advisers. As it happens, Penn actually worked in the White House during Obama's presidency, and has been instrumental in making the show as authentic as possible. Maggie Q ("Nikita") plays Hannah Wells, an FBI agent who suspects that the attack on the Capitol is just the first of many.

The series follows Tom as he juggles the everyday challenges of his new position with the stream of issues that arise in the aftermath of the bombing. It's drawn comparisons to several different politics-based shows, and, as executive producer Jon Harmon Feldman sees it, examines the subject matter from a number of angles.

"There are a few tones at play in the show," he said during the Television Critics Association fall previews. "There is a 'West Wing' component of a man governing and his team governing our nation at this critical time. It's also the 'Homeland' aspect of investigating the conspiracy. It also has a 'House of Cards' component, which is the characters and the business of government through the eyes of these characters."

Before the show went on hiatus in December, we were left with a cliffhanger when a member of the conspiracy behind the Capitol bombing attempted to assassinate Kirkman. The shot was deflected, thanks to Agent Wells, but someone else took the bullet, and we don't yet know who.

More than 10 million people tuned in to the premiere in September, and broke records with an additional 7.7 million watching in the week following the initial airing. With DVR becoming an ever more commonly used way of watching TV, it's that second number that really matters, and the show continues to draw big numbers in the Live 7 category. With a full 22-episode season already ordered, the show is one of this season's top new contenders.

Check out the political drama that has people talking. "Designated Survivor" returns with a new episode airing Wednesday, March 8, on ABC.