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The White House: Inside Story is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
About the Show
The White House is one of America’s most iconic buildings; it is a symbol of shared national history and is home to the most powerful person on Earth. Here, the president charts the course for the country, and the First Family lives in the spotlight. It's a home, an office, and a museum. It's a bunker in times of war, a backdrop for command performances or state visits, and the heart of the American body politic.
In this two-hour presentation, "The White House: Inside Story" takes viewers behind-the-scenes to meet those who keep the house running smoothly, supporting the president and guarding the First Family’s privacy.
We’ll see how the building has evolved over 200 years, changing with the currents of history and the tastes of its occupants. At the epicenter of global politics, in the heart of the nation’s capital, the story of the White House is the story of America itself.
We’ll join the chief usher as she oversees butlers, groundskeepers, kitchen staff, and florists in preparation for a state dinner. Former staff members reflect on the daily chaos – and the unmatched thrills – of working at the White House.
Curator Bill Allman shares the demands of maintaining a museum that is also a working office and a family home. Historians Doris Kearns Goodwin, William Seale, Hari Jones, Mark Updegrove, Doug Wead, and Richard Norton Smith bring the story of “the people's house” alive, recounting events from the days of Washington and Adams to the most recent administrations.
First Children Lynda Johnson Robb, Susan Ford Bales, and Jenna Bush Hagar, recall what it was like growing up in the White House. The Carters recount the story of daughter Amy roller-skating through the East Room. Barbara Bush and Michelle Obama share how they managed to make the White House a home for their families.
President Jimmy Carter marvels at the power of the Oval Office and how he used its aura to negotiate with other world leaders, while President Obama invites us in for a moment of reflection as he reads letters from American citizens.
Laura Bush and former staff members remember how the White House struggled to remain the nation’s calm center, despite the imminent threat of a terrorist attack.
Through original footage and archival film and photos, the President’s home is opened as never before, revealing moments of majesty and intimacy inside the White House.
Producer
- Partisan Pictures