Hail (and farewell) to the chiefs -- on TV dramas

This has not been a good year for the president of the United States. As portrayed on television anyway.

Take President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) on Fox’s “24.” He was shot dead by an assassin in the first episode of the season.

We don’t know how things will turn out exactly for his successor, President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), but last we saw of him in the season finale previews he was staring down the barrel of a gun held by a yelling Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). Jack was very, very mad, and we all know what happens when Jack is ticked off.

On Sunday, the nation said goodbye to one of its most beloved television leaders, President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet (Martin Sheen), as his second term came to a close and “The West Wing” came to an end.

Then on the season finale of “Prison Break” on Monday, in a Machiavellian bid for career enhancement, the vice president of the United States (Patricia Wettig) poisoned the president. Even sadder is that we never even knew his name.

On Tuesday, ABC announced that “Commander in Chief” has been canceled. But it wasn’t President Mackenzie Allen’s (Geena Davis) fault. The producers just couldn’t get it together. They might try for a two-hour movie, said Steve McPherson, ABC president of prime-time entertainment, but as a series, it’s over.

So, sure, President Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) is recently inaugurated. He should be counting his lucky “West Wing” stars. But he’ll serve his term without a viewing audience.