TV
“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.
Last Episode Aired
2000-04-13
S1E10 — The Balance of Power
The final episode examines presidential leadership in an era of an increasingly divided government. The American presidency was conceived as one part of a larger system of institutions, and its effectiveness rests in part upon a good measure of cooperation among the branches. The presidents arrayed in this episode (James Madison, James Polk, William Howard Taft, Bill Clinton) suggest four different conceptions of governance within a constitutionally structured balancing act.
Billed Cast
Walter Cronkite
George Washington
Morley Safer
John Adams
Andrew Young
Thomas Jefferson
Dale Bumpers
James Madison
Robert MacNeil
James Monroe
George Will
John Quincy Adams
James Carville
Andrew Jackson
Mario Cuomo
Martin Van Buren
Lloyd Bentsen
William H. Harrison
Charlie Rose
John Tyler
Howard Baker
James K. Polk
Tim Russert
Millard Filmore
Check-In Log
Episode Watch Tracker
Check off episodes as you watch (saved in browser — sign in anytime to sync).
Loading season episodes...
Spoiler-Safe Screening Room
Episode & Series Discussions 0
Dedicated threads unlock on each episode's premiere day. Inline [spoiler] tags stay blurred until clicked.
Join the Screening Room
Sign in to post episode reactions, fan theories, and upvote community dispatches.
Loading discussion thread...
Audience Ledger
Community Micro-Reviews
Concise 1-sentence dispatches from DidItDrop members.
No micro-reviews yet — rate 1–4★ above and log the first 1-sentence take.
Double Feature
More Like This
Recommended titles paired with The American President.
