Series synopsis
The American President is an American documentary television series that premiered on PBS on April 9, 2000. It ended on April 13, 2000. It stars Walter Cronkite, Morley Safer, Andrew Young and Dale Bumpers.
“The American President” is a series that aired on PBS in 2000 profiling 41 U.S. chief executives, using exclusive interviews with Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, and Carter. Well known figures lend their voice to presidents of the past who lived before sound recordings, including: Colin Powell, Bob Dole, Walter Cronkite, Ben Bradlee, John Glenn, James Carville, Andrew Young, and the Rev. Billy Graham. Narrated by Hugh Sidey.
Premise
“The American President” is a series that aired on PBS in 2000 profiling 41 U.S. chief executives, using exclusive interviews with Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, and Carter. Well known figures lend their voice to presidents of the past who lived before sound recordings, including: Colin Powell, Bob Dole, Walter Cronkite, Ben Bradlee, John Glenn, James Carville, Andrew Young, and the Rev. Billy Graham. Narrated by Hugh Sidey.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Walter Cronkite as George Washington
- Morley Safer as John Adams
- Andrew Young as Thomas Jefferson
- Dale Bumpers as James Madison
- Robert MacNeil as James Monroe
- George Will as John Quincy Adams
- James Carville as Andrew Jackson
- Mario Cuomo as Martin Van Buren
Supporting cast
- Lloyd Bentsen as William H. Harrison
- Charlie Rose as John Tyler
- Howard Baker as James K. Polk
- Tim Russert as Millard Filmore
- Sargent Shriver as Franklin Pierce
- David Gergen as James Buchanan
- Paul Simon as Abraham Lincoln
- Don Imus as Andrew Johnson
- Norman Schwarzkopf as Ulysses S. Grant
- John Glenn as Rutherford B. Hayes
- Billy Graham as James Garfield
- Dan Rostenkowski as Chester A. Arthur
Guest cast
- Tom Wicker as Zachary Taylor (voice)
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 10 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | April 9, 2000 | April 13, 2000 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Family Ties The last thing that the Founding Fathers envisioned was a hereditary chief executive. After all, they had fought a war in part to rid themselves of a king. Yet power inevitably passes from generation to generation, and several families have returned to the White House as though born to it. The stories of these four men profiled in this episode (John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Harrison, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy) reveal both the blessings and the curses of inherited power. Two of them were ill-at-ease with their lofty legacies and struggled as president, while the remaining two flourished in the exercise of power. |
April 9, 2000 |
| 2 |
Happenstance Nearly one in six American presidents has died in office. The vice presidents who succeeded them were often chosen because they provided some electoral advantage (John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, Harry Truman). What happens when such a man takes office – frequently facing widespread conviction that he is unworthy of the powers he inherits? |
April 9, 2000 |
| 3 |
An Independent Cast of Mind Is an independent cast of mind the best approach to the presidency? The four men profiled in this hour (John Adams, Zachary Taylor, Rutherford B. Hayes and Jimmy Carter) pursued a course that took little account of political affiliation, becoming presidents, in essence, without being politicians. Taken together, they present a cautionary tale: all had difficult presidencies, and neither of the two who sought a second term was granted one. |
April 10, 2000 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 9, 2000 |
| Last aired | April 13, 2000 |
| Runtime | 53 minutes |
| Status | Ended |