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Series · 2014 · Documentary

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

★7.8 2014 1 Season Ken Burns TV-MA

Chronicles the lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of the most prominent and influential family in American politics. It is the first time in a major documentary television series that their individual stories have been interwoven into a single narrative. This seven-part, fourteen hour film follows the Roosevelts for more than a century, from Theodore’s birth in 1858 to Eleanor’s death in 1962.

Seasons & episodes

1 season · 7 episodes

Get Action (1858-1901)

Episode 01

Get Action (1858-1901)

Sep 14, 2014 · 115 min

A frail, asthmatic young Theodore Roosevelt transforms himself into a champion of the strenuous life, loses one great love and finds another, leads men into battle and then rises like a rocket to become the youngest president in American history at 42. Meanwhile, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, brought up as the pampered only child of adoring parents, follows his older cousin’s career with fascination.

In the Arena (1901-1910)

Episode 02

In the Arena (1901-1910)

Sep 15, 2014 · 117 min

Murder brings Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency, but in the seven years that follow, he transforms the office and makes himself perhaps the best-loved of all presidents, battling corporate greed, preserving American wilderness, carrying the message of American might around the world. FDR weds Eleanor Roosevelt, and jumps at the chance to run for the New York state senate.

The Fire of Life (1910-1919)

Episode 03

The Fire of Life (1910-1919)

Sep 16, 2014 · 117 min

Theodore Roosevelt leads a Progressive crusade that splits his own party, campaigns for American entry into World War I — and pays a terrible personal price. Franklin masters wartime Washington as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, while Eleanor finds personal salvation in war work. Her discovery of Franklin’s romance with another woman transforms their marriage into a largely political partnership.

The Storm (1920-1933)

Episode 04

The Storm (1920-1933)

Sep 17, 2014 · 117 min

Franklin Roosevelt runs for vice president in 1920 and seems assured of a still brighter future until polio devastates him. He spends seven years struggling without success to walk again, while Eleanor builds her own personal and political life of. FDR returns to politics in 1928 and acts with such vigor during the first years of the Great Depression that the Democrats nominate him for president.

The Rising Road (1933-1939)

Episode 05

The Rising Road (1933-1939)

Sep 18, 2014 · 117 min

FDR brings the same optimism and energy to the White House that his cousin Theodore displayed. Aimed at ending the Depression, his sweeping New Deal restores the people’s self-confidence and transforms the relationship between them and their government. Eleanor rejects the traditional role of first lady, becomes her husband’s liberal conscience and a sometimes controversial political force.

The Common Cause (1939-1944)

Episode 06

The Common Cause (1939-1944)

Sep 19, 2014 · 116 min

FDR shatters the third-term tradition, struggles to prepare a reluctant country to enter World War II and, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, helps set the course toward Allied victory. Meanwhile, Eleanor struggles to keep New Deal reforms alive in wartime and travels the Pacific to comfort wounded servicemen.

A Strong and Active Faith (1944-1962)

Episode 07

A Strong and Active Faith (1944-1962)

Sep 20, 2014 · 112 min

Frail and failing but determined to see the war through to victory, FDR wins re-election and begins planning for a peaceful postwar world, but a cerebral hemorrhage kills him at 63. After her husband’s death, Eleanor Roosevelt proves herself a shrewd politician and a skilled negotiator in her own right, as well as a champion of civil rights, civil liberties and the United Nations.

About the series

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History poster
Audience score
★ 7.8 /10

based on 39 votes

Synopsis

Chronicles the lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of the most prominent and influential family in American politics. It is the first time in a major documentary television series that their individual stories have been interwoven into a single narrative. This seven-part, fourteen hour film follows the Roosevelts for more than a century, from Theodore’s birth in 1858 to Eleanor’s death in 1962.

DocumentaryHistoryWar & Politics

Cast

8 principal cast

Peter Coyote

Peter Coyote

Narrator (voice)

David McCullough

David McCullough

Self - Historian

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep

Eleanor Roosevelt (voice)

Edward Herrmann

Edward Herrmann

Franklin Roosevelt (voice)

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti

Theodore Roosevelt (voice)

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Self (archive footage)

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Self - Historian

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Self (archive footage)

Where to watch The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History is available to stream on Flicksy via 6 verified sources, aggregated from publicly available embed providers. The documentary from Ken Burns has 1 season and 7 total episodes, rated 7.8/10 by 39 viewers.

Frequently asked

How many seasons does The Roosevelts: An Intimate History have?

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History has 1 season with 7 episodes in total.

Is The Roosevelts: An Intimate History still on the air?

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History has ended and is no longer in production.

What network airs The Roosevelts: An Intimate History?

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History airs on PBS.

When did The Roosevelts: An Intimate History first air?

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History first aired on September 14, 2014.

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