Television writers are having a hard time topping the drama of real-life Washington, D.C.

A Netflix employee promotes a character from House of Cards outside a polling station.
(Image credit: MICHAEL OWEN BAKER/AFP/Getty Images)

As a sharp American social critic once said, "truth is stranger than fiction." Television writers are learning that the hard way, though, as the real-life drama in Washington, D.C., dominates — and entertains — the nation. "I'm very jealous," Veep showrunner David Mandel jokingly confessed to The Associated Press. "We work very hard on our scripts. They seem to be better at the job than I am."

"We are in extremely unusual times," agreed Homeland executive producer Alex Gansa, “and sometimes it feels like nothing we dramatize on Homeland can be nearly as scary as what's actually happening on the world stage."

House of Cards showrunner Frank Pugliese said: "Our job is to research and explore what's possible, then take it to the extreme to entertain and grab attention," adding: "But it's concerning when a politician feels they have to do the same thing for themselves." Melissa James Gibson, also a House of Cards showrunner, noted that watching Washington "engenders a sick impulse — 'what's he going to do today?' — where we're looking for our drama from the real-life president, as if THAT were a show."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

You can't say Mark Twain didn't warn us: "Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities," he explained. "Truth isn't."

Explore More
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.