The President and Sec. of State are killed when a building collapses, and the Vice President had had a stroke a month earlier, so the Oval office falls to a token black staffmember (played by James Earl Jones). This coincidence seems even more plausible today considering recent terrorism and the health of current Vice President Cheney. Serling's unsentimental script (based on Irving Wallace's book) includes intrigue and plot twists, and the amazing confluence of recognizable character actors under effective direction transcend the usual TV movie standards, making this one of the better TV movies I've ever seen. Put another way, the film doesn't feel dated at all, except for todays increased racial visibility in political offices. The film is also a mirror image of Serling's "Seven days in May," and represents the only way a good guy (a true Washington outsider) could get catapulted to power (except for the Prisoner of Zenda-esque comedy "Dave").
Ironically, while it was probably a sensation to see the portrayal of a black president in the 1970's, today's audiences aren't surprised to see James Earl Jones in the CIA/White House in the Tom Clancy movies.
Ironically, while it was probably a sensation to see the portrayal of a black president in the 1970's, today's audiences aren't surprised to see James Earl Jones in the CIA/White House in the Tom Clancy movies.