"Scandal," ABC Political Drama With Kerry Washington When it began in 1999 "The West Wing" was an anomaly, a series that romanticized the presidency at a time when voter cynicism and distrust were at a high point. "Scandal," a sleek new series that starts on Thursday on ABC, is also steeped in Washington politics, but it's not nearly as contrarian. The Obama honeymoon didn't last long; this show by Shonda Rhimes ("Grey's Anatomy") is in sync with public disenchantment. In it the president and his top aides are deceitful opportunists and worse. "Scandal" reserves its admiration for the high-price image makers and consultants who help their clients contain scandals and conceal their true selves. And while that seems illogical, it makes sense. Even the most apolitical of viewers are savvy about the packaging and puppeteering that goes on behind the scenes to keep public figures aloft. In a culture where presidents, celebrities and products alike are assessed as brands, it's perfectly natural to be more fascinated by the people shaping the image than the ones who merely claim it in public. That voyeurism is also what drives the coming "Veep," an HBO comedy that stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a self-centered vice president. The story focuses on the aides and advisers who compete to make the boss look important. ("Mint!" a White House aide exclaims as the vice president's team deliberates over what flavor of frozen yogurt she should order at an ice cream parlor. "It implies freshness, trust and traditional values.") "Scandal" takes Washington machinations seriously; "Veep" offers a very funny and knowing send-up of Washington that won't shock many viewers. Fashion magazines and reality shows glorify stylists, personal trainers and hairdressers. Political tell-alls focus on the help. "Game Change," an HBO series about the 2008 campaign, was told from the view of the candidates" aides. Even outdoor-minded cable channels have caught the insider's bug. A major Discovery documentary scheduled for 2013 called "The Gatekeepers" bypasses the presidents to focus on their chiefs of staff. The consultant is the new cowboy, and business, like politics, is the Wild West. The Showtime series "House of Lies" is terrible, but it stars Don Cheadle as a disaffected management consultant who does whatever it takes to win an account or bamboozle a client. So do the security experts on "Breaking In," a Fox comedy that is even worse. "Scandal," on the other hand, isn't in the least cynical about consultants. This is "The West Wing" as seen by Ms. Rhimes, not Aaron Sorkin. Instead of witty banter and wonky politics this drama offers meaningful monologues and lots of sex and romance. Health care is not a big issue, nor is the deficit. Like so many ABC series, from "Desperate Housewives" to "Revenge," this is escapist fare with a feminine bent. And while there are moments that are downright laughable, "Scandal" has flair and even sophistication. Like "The Good Wife" on CBS, it's a suspenseful, juicy romp that holds attention better than many a more high-minded show. Kerry Washington plays Olivia Pope, a Washington fixer who is based, loosely, on Judy Smith, a consultant who represented Monica Lewinsky during that Clinton-era scandal. Olivia was instrumental in helping President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) win office, and she inspires awe and fear throughout the capital and even inside the Oval Office. And she can be quite scary. Olivia talks to people in admonitory, staccato sentences that at times make her sound like a salesman in "Glengarry Glen Ross." "Always be closing." She is a keeper of secrets, but she also has some doozies of her own, including a dangerous White House liaison. Olivia has a team of devoted operatives, and most of them, like her, are lawyers by training who call themselves "gladiators in suits" and have adopted their mentor's relentless mien. "We're fixers, crisis managers, " a team member explains. "We make our clients" problems, big or small, go away. It's not about solving a crime. It's not about justice. It's about our client. Of course Olivia Pope & Associates does punish villains and reward the deserving. As with "The Good Wife" and "The Firm" (NBC) each episode covers a new case, but there is a central underlying plot that develops from week to week. On a show called "Scandal" that can only be a White House cover-up. Olivia has to grapple with that looming disaster while advising clients like diplomats seeking their kidnapped child or a C.E.O."s son accused of date rape. "Scandal" is a procedural that is less about solving crime than about protecting reputations. And in Washington there is no higher calling. Scandal ABC, Thursday nights at 10, Eastern and Pacific times; 9, Central time. Produced by ABC Studios. Written by Shonda Rhimes; directed by Paul McGuigan; Ms. Rhimes and Betsy Beers, executive producers; Judy Smith, co-executive producer. WITH: Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope), Henry Ian Cusick (Stephen Finch), Columbus Short (Harrison Wright), Guillermo Diaz (Huck), Darby Stanchfield (Abby Whelan), Katie Lowes (Quinn Perkins), Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald Grant) and Jeff Perry (Cyrus Beene).