''Alpha House'' is an American

political satire Political satire is satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where Political discourse analysis, political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing ...

television series produced by Amazon Studios. The show starred

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, an ...

Clark Johnson Clark Johnson (born September 10, 1954), is an American-Canadian actor and director who has worked in both television and film. He is best known for his roles as David Jefferson in ''Night Heat'' (1985–1988), Clark Roberts in ''E.N.G.'' (1989� ...

, Matt Malloy, and Mark Consuelos as four Republican U.S. Senators who share a house in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

It was created by ''

Doonesbury ''Doonesbury'' is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States The president ...

'' creator

Garry Trudeau Garretson Beekman Trudeau (born July 21, 1948) is an American cartoonist, best known for creating the ''Doonesbury'' comic strip. Trudeau is also the creator and executive producer of the Amazon Studios political comedy series ''Alpha House''. ...

. The show premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 19, 2013. The series is inspired by several real Democratic Senators who share a row house in Washington D.C. The series has a number of cameos from celebrities such as Bill Murray (as Senator Vernon Smits) and politicians such as Chuck Schumer as himself. Amazon Studios offered the first three episodes of ''Alpha House'' for free, with each subsequent episode released weekly thereafter for

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...

members on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...

. On February 11, 2014, the series was renewed for a second season and the production for the second season began filming in July 2014. The entire second season became available on

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

on October 24, 2014. The series was canceled after the second season.

Cast

Starring

as Gil John Biggs, a Republican U.S. Senator from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and former basketball coach of the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...

. *

as Robert Bettencourt, a Republican U.S. Senator from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who is currently eighth in seniority. * Matt Malloy as Louis Laffer, a Republican U.S. Senator from

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

who owns the house where the four Senators live. * Mark Consuelos as Andy Guzman, a Republican U.S. Senator from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and candidate for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

. * Yara Martinez as Adriana de Portago, Andy's girlfriend and Cuban-American heiress who runs a super PAC that assists Republican campaigns. *

Alicia Sable Alicia Sable is an American actress. She is known for playing Tammy Stackhouse in the Amazon television series ''Alpha House'' (2013–14), and Goldie Page in the film ''The Notorious Bettie Page'' (2005). Biography Sable was born in Giles Coun ...

as Tammy Stackhouse, a legislative assistant to Senator Biggs. * Julie White as Maddie Biggs, Gil John's demanding wife.

Recurring

* Bill Murray as Senator Vernon Smits, the Senators' fifth roommate who is arrested in the pilot episode for multiple scandals (3 episodes, 2013–14) *

Haley Joel Osment Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an American actor and voice actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film '' Forrest Gump'' (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psyc ...

as Shelby Mellman, a reporter from

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

(12 episodes, 2013–14) * Amy Sedaris as Louise Laffer, Louis's wife (14 episodes, 2013–14) *

Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on ''The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertainm ...

as Senator Rosalyn DuPeche, the Senators' next-door neighbor from Illinois and the Democratic Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee (14 episodes, 2013–14) *

Brooke Bloom Brooke Bloom is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as ''Ronah'' in the drama film ''She's Lost Control (film), She's Lost Control'' (2014). Career Her first on-screen appearance was a role as Grunge Girl in the episod ...

as Julie Carrell, Louis's Chief of Staff (18 episodes, 2013–14) *

Kobi Libii Kobi Libii is an American comedian and actor from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was a cast member on ''the Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a news satire television series that aired on Comedy Central. On the show, Libii was billed as a "citizen journa ...

as Aaron Stimson, Robert's legislative aide (7 episodes, 2013–14) * Ben Rameaka as James Whippy, Louis's social media aide (17 episodes, 2013–14) * Bjorn Dupaty as Hakeem Agabi, body man to Gil John and one of his former players (5 episodes, 2013) *

Willa Fitzgerald Willa Fitzgerald (born January 17, 1991) is an American actress. She is known for her starring role as Emma Duval in MTV's ''Scream''. She has played cheer coach Colette French in the USA Network's television drama series '' Dare Me'' and offic ...

as Lola Laffer, Louis's daughter (12 episodes, 2013–14) *

Lila Newman Lila Newman (born in New York City, New York) is an American actress, writer, comedian, humorist, singer and musician. She is known for her work on ''Alpha House'' (2014) written by Garry Trudeau, playing opposite John Goodman and Julie White. Fr ...

as Charlotte "Cee" Biggs, Gil John's daughter (6 episodes, 2014) *

Natalie Gold Natalie Gold is an American actress who has appeared in film, television, and stage productions, including on Broadway. She is best known for playing Rava Roy on the TV show '' Succession'' and Julia Harwell on the TV show ''Rubicon'', as well as ...

as Katherine Sims, Andy's Chief of Staff (15 episodes, 2013–14) * Sofiya Akilova as Marta Stjepanovi-Majdandzic, the Senators' Croatian housekeeper and Andy's mistress (7 episodes, 2013–14) *

Tony Plana José Antonio Plana (born April 19, 1952) is a Cuban actor and director. He is known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC television show ''Ugly Betty'' and for voicing Manuel "Manny" Calavera in the video game ''Grim ...

as Benito "Benny" López, Adriana's aide (6 episodes, 2013–14) * Richard Cox as Graydon Talbot, a spin doctor counseling Andy (9 episodes, 2013–14) * Owen Campbell as Dilly DeSantis, loosely based on the young data scientists that worked on the Barack Obama presidential campaign in 2012 (3 episodes, 2013–14) * Molly Kate Bernard as Angie Sullivan, a videographer working for the Republican Party Chair (4 episodes, 2013–14) * Lee Tergesen as Col. Eugene Drake, a gay army commander who intrigues Louis (3 episodes, 2014) * William Thomas Evans as Senator Lamar Farkus, a Republican from Delaware (9 episodes, 2013–14) * Cynthia Nixon as Senator Carly Armiston, a New York Democrat and the chair of the Senate Ethics Committee (6 episodes, 2013) * Kenneth Tigar as Senator Paul Mower, an Idaho Republican (5 episodes, 2013–14) * Marylouise Burke as Senator Betty Mower, Paul's widow, who takes his position following his death. (4 episodes, 2013–14) *

Janel Moloney Janel Moloney is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Donna Moss on the television series ''The West Wing'', a role for which she received nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series ...

as Senator Peg Stanchion, a North Dakota Libertarian activist and member of the Tea Party (4 episodes, 2014) * Bianca Amato as Senator Alice Graves, a Republican from Maine (2 episodes, 2014) * Bob Balaban as Senator Elliot Robeson, a Democrat from California (2 episodes, 2014) *

Lucy DeVito Lucy Chet DeVito (born March 11, 1983) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Stephanie in '' Melissa and Joey'' (2010–2012). Early life DeVito was born on March 11, 1983, in Los Angeles, the daughter of actors Danny DeVito ...

as Charity Robeson, Elliot's daughter (4 episodes, 2014) * Anita Petry as Camila Perez, a Spanish Professor visiting from Barcelona (3 episodes, 2013) *

Chance Kelly Chance Kelly is an American film and television actor who portrayed NFL Coach Mike Martz in the film American Underdog (2021). He also played Detective Ed Cutler on the NBC series ''Aquarius''. He is also known for starring as Lt. Col. "Godfathe ...

as Bo Carthage, the CEO of a private military contractor (2 episodes, 2013) * Matty Blake as Captain Brandon Carshaw, Ret. (2 episodes, 2013) *

Wendy Makkena Wendy Rosenberg Makkena (born October 4, 1958) is an American actress best known for playing Sister Mary Robert in the film ''Sister Act'' (1992) and its sequel '' Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit'' (1993) and numerous other roles in film and tel ...

as Molly P. Andresun (2 episodes, 2014) * Tracy Howe as Colonel Wozniak (2 episodes, 2013) * Ted King as Al Hickok, a Tea Party activist running for Senator Laffer's seat during the primaries (2 episodes, 2013) *

Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured ...

as a fictionalized version of himself, running as the Democratic candidate for Louis's Senate seat (5 episodes, 2014) * Ed Rendell as a fictionalized version of himself, running as the Democratic candidate for Robert's Senate seat (2 episodes, 2014) *

Matthew Humphreys Matthew Humphreys (born January 22, 1974) is an American actor, producer, and co founder of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting for Film, Television, Voice-overs, & Commercials ''(FTVC)'' at Pace University. He is known for his work in ''Bar Karma, ...

as Colonel Leland Grimmel, a war hero and former basketball player running as the Democratic candidate for Gil John's Seat (4 episodes, 2014) * Todd Susman and Lee Wilkof as the Watt Brothers, wealthy casino owners and businessmen from Nevada funding Louis and Gil John (4 episodes, 2013–14) *

Tamara Tunie Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1987–1995, 2000–2007, 2009 ...

as Eve Bettencourt, Robert's divorced wife (2 episodes, 2014)

Cameos

* Stephen Colbert *

Chris Matthews Christopher John Matthews (born December 17, 1945) is an American political commentator, retired talk show host, and author. Matthews hosted his weeknight hour-long talk show, ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'', on America's Talking and later on M ...

* Joe Scarborough * Mika Brzezinski * Michael Steele * Chuck Schumer * Dick Morris *

Anthony Weiner Anthony David Weiner (; born September 4, 1964) is an American former politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 until his resignation in 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he consistently carried the district with at l ...

* Grover Norquist * Tom Brokaw * Chris Jansing * Matt Lauer *

Jane Pauley Margaret Jane Pauley (born October 31, 1950) is an American television host, and author, active in news reporting since 1972. Pauley first became widely known as Barbara Walters's successor on the NBC morning show ''Today'', beginning at the age ...

* Kelly Ripa * Michael Strahan *

Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne Maddow (, ; born April 1, 1973) is an American television news program host and liberal political commentator. Maddow hosts ''The Rachel Maddow Show'', a weekly television show on MSNBC, and serves as the cable network's special eve ...

* Jon Ralston *

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

* David Axelrod * Bradley Whitford * Jake Tapper * Andy Cohen

Episodes

Season 1 (2013–14)

Season 2 (2014)

On February 11, 2014, the series was renewed for a second season. Production for the second season began filming in July 2014, and the entire season premiered on

on October 24, 2014.

Production

Filming took place on stages at

Kaufman Astoria Studios The Kaufman Astoria Studios is a film studio located in the Astoria section of the New York City borough of Queens. The studio was constructed for Famous Players-Lasky in 1920, since it was close to Manhattan's Broadway theater district. The pr ...

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. ADR recording was done at

Cherry Beach Sound Cherry Beach Sound is a recording studio in the Port Lands of Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 33 Villiers Street. It is located in Toronto's growing film district and is also a successful audio post-production house; TV, radio, and film commercials an ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Broadcast

In Australia, where Prime Video was not yet available, the series premiered on

SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

on July 14, 2014, and returned for season two on February 26, 2015.

Reception

Reaction to ''Alpha House'' has been generally positive.

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

gives season 1 an average rating of 68/100 based on reviews from 21 critics.

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

gives season 1 a score of 76% based on reviews from 38 critics.

gives season 2 a score of 83% based on reviews from 6 critics.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
''Alpha House''
on

{{Amazon Video original series 2010s American political comedy television series 2010s American satirical television series 2010s American workplace comedy television series 2013 American television series debuts 2014 American television series endings Amazon Prime Video original programming American English-language television shows Television shows filmed in New York City Television shows set in Washington, D.C. Television series by Amazon Studios