In today’s world of 500 cable channels, the television documentary has become very common. Few, however, rival the consistent quality of “The American Experience” on PBS. Now, with the release of “The Presidents” on DVD, some of the best documentaries from this series are available in one collection. This award-winning series includes documentaries of the following presidents: FDR, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The series is comprised of 52 hours of broadcast programming detailing the lives of these men. There are several interesting omissions, one being John F. Kennedy. The series never included a documentary that just covered JFK, instead doing one on the Kennedys, hence the omission. Also, the Ike episode was also not included. Each documentary provides an intensely personal portrait of the person, not just a chronology of their presidencies. Most of these men were very complex figures, and each documentary digs deeply into their triumphs and failures. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves history, and it’s an excellent resource for young people who want to learn about the history of America in the 20th century.
