Designated Survivor (TV series) is a movie.
Designated Survivor is an American political drama television series created by David Guggenheim , starring Kiefer Sutherland , airing on ABC . The project skipped the pilot stage and was ordered straight to series on December 14 , 2015 , followed by a formal announcement on May 6 , 2016 . The first episode premiered on September 21 , 2016 , with a full season order coming eight days later . The series was renewed for a second season on May 11 , 2017 .