Hail to the new TV chief!

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — When Geena Davis was offered the lead in ABC's new fall series "Commander In Chief," she didn't hesitate to accept.

"I have to say I leapt at the chance," Davis said. "When my agents said that I had been approached to play the president on this show, I said, 'So do I have to read it first or will you just say yes now?'

"I did have to go through this whole reading-it thing."

It's not like Davis hasn't already done a wide variety of roles in movies like "Thelma & Louise," "Stuart Little," "The Fly," "A League of Their Own," "Beetlejuice," "Earth Girls are Easy" and "The Accidental Tourist," for which she won a best-supporting actress Oscar.

"I consider myself incredibly fortunate in that I play so many different kinds of parts and in virtually every drama from period to comedy, drama, action — pretty much everything," Davis said. "I will be eternally grateful for that. I loved that I went straight from being an incredibly deadly assassin in 'Long Kiss Goodnight' to the mother of a mouse {in 'Stuart Little'.} I thought that was fabulous.

"And I think it's equally interesting to go from that to the leader of the free world."

In "Chief," which premieres Sept. 27, Davis plays Mackenzie Allen, an independent elected vice president on the ticket with a Republican. His sudden death leaves her in the Oval Office despite a complete lack of support from GOP leaders.

It may seem a bit out there, but then again, maybe not.

"I just read that 81 percent of Americans are ready to vote for a woman," Davis said. "I mean, it sounds like America is ready."

Not that her political views — or those of series creator/executive producer/writer Rod Lurie ("The Contender") — a Democrat — will come into play on the series. At least that's what they're promising.

As for Davis' own political views, "I am very involved right now in the politics of making sure that ABC and Touchstone are very happy with this show," she said. "I'm not ashamed that this is my political bent."

Aw, c'mon. You're a ... ?

"Oh, I'm a Democrat as well," Davis said, adding, "I don't really base my characterization on anybody. I don't really work that way when I play a role. I really more find the parts of myself that the character has. So I believe we all have everything within us — the ability to be a killer or the girlfriend of an insect."

And she's finding it within herself to be the president of the United States.