Backstairs at the White House

This mini-series needs to be shown in all schools as well as homes during family viewing.

This was one of the BEST shows ever done and I can not wait until November when it gets released on DVD.

It would be nice to have commentaries by the actors who are still living included in the set.

After this series, there never has been another one that is even close to the class of Backstairs at the White House. This series was so fantastic on so many levels and yet, you never got bored ... on the contrary, you couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

Spanning fifty years and eight administrations, -Backstairs at the White House- is the story of the servants, mainly Americans of African descent, who work behind the scenes in the most famous household in the land. The story centers around two maids, mother Maggie and daughter Lillian, who literally spend their lives cleaning, polishing, and mending for the ever-changing employers. Their stories, intermingled with those of the other permanent staff as well as the first family, run the gamut from warmth, high comedy, to deep tragedy, with surprising moments of humanity glimpsed even through those who are most aloof. Like -Roots-, this miniseries is a glimpse at a long span of Americana rarely shown and mostly forgotten, rendered with intelligence, warmth, dignity, and a sense of character that are all too rare on television these days. If you can't see the miniseries, get Bagni/Dubov tie-in novel. It is well worth it.

I think I lost this the first time.

I am so delighted that this terrific mini series is finally available.

My mother gave the the book that it is based on many years ago. The mini is quite faithful to that book. (By the way),unless i am mistaken, Lillian Rogers Parks lived to be almost 100 years old, and was a consultant on the film.

This series has one of the best ensemble cast ever assembled. Leslie Uggams and Olivia Cole as Lillian and Maggie are superb, although Uggams may be too tall...Remember Lillian was crippled by polio at a very young age, and was less than 5 feet tall, but why quibble. Robert Hooks and Louis Gossett are great as Maggie and Lillian's friends, Mays and Mercer.

The Presidents and their first ladies represent the best from Television, film and Broadway. One of the best sequences in the film involves Calvin Coolidge(well played by Ed Flanders)taking on the head housekeeper, Mrs Jaffray( A wonderful Cloris Leachman.. shades of Frau Blucher!), when she attempts to tell everyone to stop tracking up "her" floor(They are trying to shore up the roof). President Coolidge says, "Mrs Jaffray, wouldn't you be happier in Buckingham Palace??

Julie Harris as Nellie Taft is splendid in this film,especially when Maggie and President Taft(A rotund Victor Buono) help her learn to speak after a stroke. Also effective are Celeste Holm and George Kennedy as the Hardings.(Can we say scandal). Estelle Parsons, Harry Morgan and Nancy Morgan are also in top form. Robert Vaughn and Claire Bloom are very effective as the Wilsons.

Because they come along late in the story, Andrew Duggand and Barbara Barrie seem to get short shrift as the Eisenhowers.

(In a recent episode of the Food Channel's White House, reference is made to serving hotdogs to the British Royal family. According to Lillian, this really did happen at is a humorous bit when she tells the visiting royalty's staff.... you just try one with all the fixin's.

An excellent history lesson very well played out by a brilliant cast!

Believe it or not, I just called Borders on a whim, and they actually had a copy. I ran down, bought it, and watched the whole thing that same night. This miniseries was even better than I had remembered. (Of course, I was 9 or so the first time, and watched it with my mommy.) Younger viewers, such as my roommate, have a difficult time looking past the sets, which don't look anything like "The West Wing", but I quickly began to ignore him, and just sat there and soaked it all in.

I feel like there could have been a better attempt to clean up the film from the original airing, but it still was absolutely enjoyable.

All in all, worth the seven and a half hours I spent in front of the TV last Tuesday night!!

Veteran Television Music Composer Morton Stevens, ("Hawaii Five-O", "Police Woman") wrote an outstanding music score for this fine TV mini-series. It featured a beautiful main title theme that really set the tone for each episode. I join the other comments here in hoping that there will be a video release soon of this wonderful show.