One of the first television trends to emerge in the early months of Donald Trump’s administration was the rise of military series.
This fall, the television networks will announce three such offerings, of which CBS’s SEAL Team is one. But despite the supposed reason for the recent surge in patriotic programming, the producers behind the upcoming hour-long series insist there is nothing overtly political.
“Their sense of duty and honor transcends partisan politics,” executive producer Sarah Timberman told reporters Tuesday at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour.
Added executive producer and series creator Benjamin Cavell: “They do that job regardless of who is in the White House and whether they vote for them or not.”
SEAL Team, scheduled to premiere Wednesday, September 27, at 9pm ET/PT, follows the personal and professional lives of the most elite Navy SEAL unit as they train, Plan and execute our most dangerous, high-stakes missions. The country can claim them
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While some military shows were in the mix before Trump’s surprising presidential victory (see: USA Network’s Shooting and History), several shows were put into development on broadcast networks after he was sworn in as the Big Four network tried to reach the middle of the nation that may have previously been overlooked.
“As we developed this feature, it was anyone’s guess where we were going politically,” Timberman said. “I don’t think the show is about the current moment in politics.”
If anything, she points to real-life military members she met while working on the SEAL Teams who did not support the war in Iraq but still helped fight it in various ways. “People who put their lives on the line and fulfill their obligations when they may not even agree with a goal — have the opportunity to consider all of that,” Timberman said. “We will reflect the geopolitical reality of the world we live in.”
On the creative team behind SEAL Team, “We come from different parts of the political spectrum, but what unites us is a deep respect for the people we have met in the seal community, ” she continued. “I think we learned a lot from them.”
The series boasts a number of technical advisors who previously served at Level 1, just like the main characters on the show. In addition to keeping details authentic and true, consultants also told producers how much (or in this case, how little) politics played in the series overall.