Discovery History (Sky 535/Virgin 222) has announced that The Preident’s Gatekeepers, a four-hour documentary which looks at the position of White House Chief of Staff, will receive it UK premiere on Monday November 11th at 8pm.
From French filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet (best known for their 9/11 documentary which originally followed rookie firefighter Tony Benetatos and would end up immortalising the events of that day as they happened through the eyes of the FDNY), The President’s Gatekeepers is a four-hour documentary that explores that position of White House Chief of Staff, a position which has been described as the second toughest job in Washington. This documentary looks at nine administration and the key moments, the quiet conversations, back room bargains and heated debates that made history and have never been heard before until now. Amongst those interviewed are former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush and former chiefs of staff Rahm Emanuel, Donald Rumsfeld, Leon Panetta, Dick Cheney, James A. Baker III, John Sununu and Mack McLarty.
The President’s Gatekeepers explores many untold stories, including how Reagan’s chiefs James Baker and Ken Duberstein handled the demands of Nancy Reagan’s infamous astrologer; what experience as White House Chief of Staff does Dick Cheney blame for bringing on his first heart attack; why Rahm Emanuel was so apprehensive about taking the job; what moment of crisis under Lyndon Johnson, unknown to the public, brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war; whether or no Jimmy Carter would have avoided the disastrous mission to rescue the American hostages in Iran – if only he’d asked his Chief of Staff Jack Watson; and which 25-year-old Chief of Staff was put in charge of reviewing J. Edgar Hoover’s infamous FBI files before forwarding them to the president.
TVWise’s UK Premiere Dates page has been updated with this new information.
