Best TV Show of the Fall: The Roosevelts on PBS

Posted on September 8, 2014 at 3:25 pm

Passion, betrayal, unprecedented power, triumph, failure, devastating loss, personal and professional turmoil, and triumph again, played out against the most tumultuous events of the 20th century — that is the real-life story of the Roosevelts, especially the two who served as President, Theodore and Franklin, and Franklin’s cousin, wife, and first lady, Eleanor. Ken Burns, the foremost documentary historian of all time, has produced “The Roosevelts,” premiering on PBS September 14, 2014, featuring the voices of Meryl Streep, Edward Herrmann (who memorably played Franklin Roosevelt in two made-for TV movies),Paul Giamatti, and Peter Coyote. Three fascinating personalities who shaped our era are portrayed in seven mesmerizing episodes, covering the creation of National Parks, the digging of the Panama Canal, the passage of innovative New Deal programs, the defeat of Hitler, and the postwar struggles for civil rights at home and human rights abroad.

A sickly boy became the essence of vigor and energy. No one ever engaged in the world with more passionate, joyous intensity.

A brash young father struggles to recover from the devastating effects of polio.

These were three aristocrats who fought for the people.

Make time to watch this with your family. It’s the best series of the fall. Next week, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History will also be available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The Real Story: Franklin Roosevelt and His Cousin Daisy

Posted on December 11, 2012 at 3:59 pm

This week’s release, “Hyde Park on Hudson,” tells the story of the visit by King George V (“The King’s Speech” king) and Queen Elizabeth (the parents of the present queen) to the home of President Franklin Roosevelt, played by Bill Murray. And it is told from the point of view of FDR’s quiet cousin Margaret “Daisy” Suckley (pronounced “sook-lee”), the President’s distant cousin, played by Laura Linney. The true nature of their relationship was only revealed after Daisy died at age 99 and her treasure trove of correspondence with the President was found in a suitcase under her bed. The story is told in Closest Companion: The Unknown Story of the Intimate Friendship Between Franklin Roosevelt and Margaret Suckley by historian Geoffrey Ward, and there is more information in Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life. The only man to be elected President four times and one of the towering historical figures of the 20th century, Roosevelt has been portrayed in movies like Sunrise At Campobello and Eleanor and Franklin.

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