Geena Davis knew she would have a tough television year, but it got a lot tougher than she anticipated.

After doing several sitcoms, the Oscar winner for "The Accidental Tourist" was braced for the extra demands of starring in an hourlong drama. "Commander In Chief" raced out of the gate as one of last fall's most successful new shows, but creative changes ultimately kept it sidelined for large chunks of the season. Now on its third executive producer, the ABC series has resumed Thursdays with new episodes.

"My worst fears have been realized," Davis says. "It's a grueling schedule, but that's just the reality of it. It's also worth it. This is a show with meaning and importance, and I get to play the part of a lifetime. We feel very supported and valued by the network and by the studio, and I think we're making some good shows. We had one shutdown back in October, and we've been barreling through ever since. There have been those periods of episodes not airing, but as far as doing the work, we've just kept toting that bale of hay."

The first executive producer, series creator Rod Lurie, was replaced over concerns that episodes weren't being finished in sufficient time to make their airdates. Television veteran Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue") was then brought in to run the show, but he has since been replaced by Dee Johnson ("Melrose Place"), a member of the program's original writing-producing team.

The show's supporting cast, which includes Kyle Secor as the president's husband and Donald Sutherland as ever-contentious Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton, remains intact. However, throughout the tweaking that's been done, Davis believes she has stayed true to her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of President Mackenzie Allen.

"The character was pretty well-defined from the beginning," she says. "We've always known what her ethics and her strengths are, and those have remained consistent.

"It was set up, very intentionally, that she would have a lot of challenges to face ... not only because she's the first woman president, but also because of the way she came into office. The previous administration had made certain to keep her out of the loop. Her presence was something to glamorize their ticket, rather than their thinking of her as a true potential replacement. By taking office, she immediately incurred the wrath of quite a few people, and it's been a hard slog for her."

Davis attributes that in part to President Allen being an independent. "That has an incredible upside," she says, "because you don't have to adhere to any particular party platform. You don't have one. There really isn't a constituency to please.

"On the other hand, the practical reality is how you get things done when you don't have a party, when both sides of Congress aren't necessarily going to back your agenda. Every day is difficult and tricky to maneuver, but we know she's going to do the right thing. That's what I think people love about the character."

Thus far, Davis admits, feedback on the show from inside the Beltway has been rare. "I had one trip to Washington for a Ford's Theatre benefit last summer, and I met a number of politicians, but the show hadn't been on yet. I haven't really been able to pick the brains of those folks, but I'm fascinated by the idea that some of them are watching the show, no doubt. I'm wondering what they think."

With NBC's "The West Wing" soon to end, "Commander In Chief" could inherit more of that kind of attention if it's renewed. For now, Davis doesn't think "each of us is stealing the other's thunder. That's such an incredible show; it's sad that it's going off."

One of the brightest spots of the "Commander In Chief" season has been Davis' Golden Globe victory, which she capped with an acceptance speech about a little girl telling her she was the child's inspiration to possibly become president some day. After receiving a chorus of "Awwww!" from the audience, Davis confessed, "That didn't really happen. But it could have!"

Davis recalls making the speech as fun ("I was glad it got such a big laugh," she says), but it wasn't exactly off the cuff. She had tried it out on her husband, Dr. Reza Jarrahy, before the ceremony "as a joke. He said, 'Oh, you should do it. It's really funny.' I said, 'Really? Well, OK. I'll try it.' Everybody had such a big reaction before they understood it was a joke, I thought, 'Oh, gosh. Should I burst their balloon?' And of course, I did."

As for this summer, Davis has no plans yet, since they largely hinge on whether "Commander In Chief" wins a second television term.

"We're definitely going to do a little relaxing," she says. "If the show gets picked up, I'll really only have about two months off, so I'm frankly not anxious to jam other work in there."