You've Probably Never Heard of a "Designated Survivor," but It's One of the World's Most Powerful Jobs

ABC's new drama, Designated Survivor, premieres this week, and it's already received great reviews. The plot? Tom Kirkman, the secretary of housing and urban development played by Kiefer Sutherland, becomes president of the US after a terror attack kills all the top leaders during the State of the Union Address. Despite the show's fictional premise, it has some basis in reality. Watch the trailer for the show and then check out everything you need to know about the term "designated survivor."

A designated survivor is a natural-born cabinet member who skips the State of the Union Address and inauguration to watch from a secret location. In the event of an attack that kills the president and all of his or her successors (such as the vice president and speaker of the House), this person becomes president. The White House chief of staff selects a new survivor for every address or inauguration, and makes this information public on the day of. The practice "dates at least to the early 1960s and perhaps much earlier," according to the Senate website, but before the 1980s, the name of the designated survivor was kept private.

In 2016, the person was Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. In 2015, it was Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar earned the title in 2011 and told Mic, "It's a high privilege and an honor to serve in that capacity and you feel the responsibility with that position — but [you're] always hoping nothing happens. It's one of those evenings that will be stored in the memory bank forever." You can see a full list of designated survivors on the Senate's website. Only two women have been given the title in recorded history.

Designated survivors receive undisclosed training from Secret Service agents in the weeks leading up to the event, according to the LA Times. They're also accompanied by someone who carries a 45-pound briefcase known as "the football." Inside? A list of codes that can launch nuclear missiles.

You can catch Designated Survivor when it premieres on ABC on Sept. 21.