What is Designated Survivor's IQ Score?

Designated Survivor has an IQ Score of 120/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Competent tier. The score breaks down to 36/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 11/50 Educational Value, and 47/50 Craft & Quality.

Is Designated Survivor educational?

Designated Survivor is low on educational value, 11/50 on TVI's rubric. Watch for entertainment, not for learning.

How does TV Intelligentsia calculate IQ Score?

TV Intelligentsia's IQ Score is calculated as round((Cognitive Stimulation × 0.4 + Educational Value × 0.35 + Craft & Quality × 0.25) × 4), scoring titles from 0 to 200 across five tiers: Masterclass (≥160), Stimulating (≥130), Competent (≥100), Passive (≥70), and Numbing (<70). The framework is published at tvintelligentsia.com/methodology/.

Designated Survivor , IQ Score 120/200

Designated Survivor has an IQ Score of 120/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Competent tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MPH·Updated 2026-06-06·Methodology

political thrillerdrama

120/ 200

Competent

Engages without demanding much, watchable and reasonably crafted

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4) · How we score →

Saves to your browser. See your Personal IQ on My IQ →

Why you should trust this score

Methodology reviewed by Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician scientist. Master of Public Health, with substantial coursework in research methodology. Reviews the rubric and its application across the adult catalog.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

round(C × 0.40 + E × 0.35 + Q × 0.25) × 4

Database scale

2,324 titles, version-controlled

How we stay independent. We accept no studio money. We pay for our own streaming subscriptions. Our reviewers see no sponsor data, no affiliate revenue, and no screener access in exchange for coverage. More about how we work →

The TVI Take

David Guggenheim's ABC political drama anchored by Kiefer Sutherland as the HUD secretary thrust into the presidency after an attack kills the entire line of succession. The structural commitment, letting the policy-and-institutional-procedure work of suddenly running the federal government be the actual subject, is what made the first season's writing more substantive than the soapy thriller framing suggested.

Quality declined in subsequent seasons.

Where to Watch

Stream