The Newest Entry in the Acclaimed AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Presidents Collection Profiles the 42nd President
Part 1 premieres Monday, February 20, 2012
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. on WTVP-HD
Part 2 premieres Tuesday, February 21, 2012
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET on WTVP-HD
From draft dodging to the Dayton Accords, from Monica
Lewinsky to a balanced budget, the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton veered between sordid scandal and grand
achievement. In Clinton,
the latest installment in the critically acclaimed and successful collection of presidential biographies,
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
explores the fascinating story of an American president who rose from a turbulent childhood in Arkansas to become
one of the most successful politicians in modern American history and one of the most complex and conflicted
characters ever to stride across the public stage. It recounts a career full of accomplishment and rife with scandal,
a marriage that would make history and create controversy, and a presidency that would define the crucial and
transformative period between the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11. It follows Clinton across his two terms as he
confronted some of the key forces that would shape the future, including partisan political warfare and domestic
and international terrorism, and struggled, with uneven success, to define the role of American power in a post-Cold
War world. Most memorably, it explores how Clinton’s conflicted character made history, even as it enraged his enemies
and confounded his friends. From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director Barak Goodman (My Lai), the four-hour
Clinton will premiere in two parts on PBS. Part 1 premieres on Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 20,
2012 from 8-10:00 p.m., and Part 2 premieres on Tuesday, February 21 from 7–9:00 p.m.
Clinton features unprecedented access to scores of Clinton insiders including
White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum, former White House Chief of
Staff Leon Panetta (current Secretary of Defense), former Senator Trent Lott, Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes,
as well as interviews with dozens of journalists, members of the Republican opposition, childhood friends,
staffers from Clinton’s years as Governor of Arkansas, and biographers.
“William Jefferson Clinton is a lightning rod in American history,” says Mark Samels, executive
producer of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. “It’s hard to find anyone who is neutral about the man or his presidency.
The complex dynamic between his public accomplishments and his personal foibles makes him endlessly fascinating.
At AMERICAN EXPERIENCE we like to explore the people who have shaped the times in which they live and Bill
Clinton, both charismatic and confounding, certainly had a profound effect on the country during his presidency.”
Clinton is the 16th episode in the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Presidents series. Programs
in the series have won dozens of awards including Emmys, Peabodys, and duPont-Columbia Journalism Awards. Previous
programs include LBJ, Nixon, FDR, Jimmy Carter, Reagan and George H.W.
Bush.
Episode Descriptions
Part 1: “The Comeback Kid”
“The Comeback Kid” follows Bill Clinton’s bumpy road to the 1992 presidential victory, an amazing triumph over repeated
scandals and setbacks, through the first two years of his presidency.
From the political backwaters of Arkansas, Bill Clinton emerges as a political force unlike any seen on
the national stage in a generation. Overcoming a troubled upbringing marred by alcoholism and violence, Clinton is
determined from the start to succeed, first in Arkansas, then at Georgetown, Oxford and finally Yale. There he meets a
young woman named Hillary Rodham who shares his intellect and idealism. Together they forge a marriage and political
partnership that takes them to the Arkansas governor’s mansion and ultimately the White House, an election Clinton wins
despite a campaign repeatedly under siege by allegations ranging from draft dodging to womanizing.
Although they have won the presidency, the Clintons have not yet won the country. Despite all of their
education and experience, the Clintons are unprepared for politics in Washington, which quickly descends into open
warfare with the Republican establishment and much of the media. The tumultuous first two years of the Clinton presidency
see the beginning of the Whitewater scandal, the shocking death of Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster, and the
humiliating defeat of Hillary’s healthcare bill. Although the administration has its domestic successes, troubles brewing
in the remote countries of Somalia and Rwanda and the arrival of a new and formidable rival named Newt Gingrich threaten
to derail the Clinton presidency before it ever gets off the ground. When Republicans gain control of Congress in the
midterm elections, the entire political landscape shifts to the right, leaving Clinton seemingly bereft of power.
Part 2: “The Survivor”
Shattered by the 1994 Republican victory, Clinton begins to sideline his most trusted advisors in favor of an
aggressive political consultant named Dick Morris, who uses extensive polling to diagnose the administration’s
weaknesses and develop strategies to correct them. The Republican “Contract with America” is riding high and by spring
of 1995, Gingrich and his allies select the ground on which to wage their war: a plan to eliminate the federal budget
deficit by drastically cutting Medicare and Medicaid. The plan leads to a government shutdown and slowly the tide
begins to turn toward the president, who reclaims the political center with a stream of new initiatives that will curb
big government and appeal to middle class families. Clinton wins the 1996 election in a landslide, pulling off one of
the greatest turnarounds in political history. But events have been set in motion that will soon divide the country and
nearly destroy Clinton's presidency.
Clinton sails buoyantly into his second term: times are good, the economy is booming, and American
prestige and power internationally are at an all-time high. Clinton’s dream of repairing the breach with Republicans
seems within reach. But Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky — a White House intern —becomes public after she confides
in a co-worker named Linda Tripp. The ensuing scandal gives Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr the ammunition he needs
to recharge his stalled investigation of the Whitewater affair. Congress initiates impeachment hearings, but the Republican
leadership fails to remove Clinton from office. And when Starr’s damning report is finally released, the ire of the
American public is focused more on the independent counsel than the president. Although Clinton survives the ordeal,
confounding both his enemies and friends, he fails to reclaim the drive and zeal with which he began his presidency.
The Participants, in alphabetical order
Jonathan Alter is a journalist and author. Christiane Amanpour is a journalist. Kofi Annan served as the U.N. Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. Don Baer was one of President Clinton’s senior advisors from 1994 to 1997, serving as assistant to
the president and White House Director of Strategic Planning and Communications. Prior positions included
Director of Speechwriting and Research, and Chief White House Speechwriter. He currently serves on the PBS
Board of Directors and the PBS Foundation Board. Peter Baker is an author and journalist who covered the Clinton White House for The Washington Post.
His book based on his coverage is entitled The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson
Clinton. Samuel Berger served as U.S. National Security Advisor from 1997 to 2001. Tony Blankley is a political commentator and columnist who was Press Secretary to former Speaker of
the House Newt Gingrich. Sidney Blumenthal, assistant and senior advisor to President Clinton from 1997 to 2001, is the author
of The Clinton Wars. Max Brantley is editor of the Arkansas Times and former reporter for the Arkansas Gazette. John Brummett is an Arkansas journalist and columnist for the Arkansas Times. James Carville led Clinton’s successful “War Room” bid for the 1992 presidency. William Chafe is Alice Mary Baldwin Professor of History at Duke University. Gen. Wesley K. Clark is a retired U.S. Army general who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander
Europe and led Operation Allied Force in Kosovo from 1997 to 2000. Richard A. Clarke was National Security Coordinator during the Clinton administration. Marla Crider was a congressional campaign aide to Bill Clinton. Sen. Tom Daschle was leader of the Democratic Party and a U.S. Senator from South Dakota from 1987 to
2005. Ernie Dumas is an Arkansas journalist and columnist for the Arkansas Times. James Fisher served as an attorney for clerical worker Paula Jones, who accused President Clinton of
assaulting her in the early 1980s. Paul Fray was campaign manager for Clinton’s unsuccessful run for Congress in 1974. David Gergen, a political journalist and analyst, was a counselor on domestic and foreign affairs to
President Clinton and his Secretary of State William Christopher. Lucianne Goldberg is a literary agent who helped Linda Tripp bring the Monica Lewinsky scandal to the
attention of the media. Ken Gormley is Professor of Law at Duquesne University and author of The Death of American Virtue:
Clinton vs. Starr. Stanley Greenberg is a campaign strategist who advised Bill Clinton. Nigel Hamilton is the author of Bill Clinton: An American Journey and Bill Clinton: Mastering the
Presidency. John Harris, Editor-in-Chief of Politico, is a journalist and author of The Survivor. Harold Ickes was White House Deputy Chief of Staff for President Clinton from 1993 to 1996. Michael Isikoff is a journalist and author of Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter’s Story. Chris Jennings served in the White House as Senior Health Care Advisor to President Clinton at the
Domestic Policy and National Economic Councils from 1994 to 2001. Rep. Peter King is a Republican Congressman from New York. Joe Klein is a journalist and the author of Primary Colors. Sen. Trent Lott is a former U.S. Senator from Mississippi. David Maraniss is a journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his Washington Post stories about the
1992 campaign of Bill Clinton. He is the author of First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton and The
Clinton Enigma. Mike McCurry was White House Press Secretary from 1994 to 1998; he succeeded Dee Dee Myers. Robert McNeely was White House Photographer during the Clinton administration and is the author of
The Clinton Years: The Photographs of Robert McNeely. Dick Morris was a friend and advisor to Bill Clinton during his term as Governor of Arkansas and later
became a political consultant to the Clinton White House. Dee Dee Myers was the first woman to be named White House Press Secretary and served in the Clinton
administration from 1993 to 1994. Bernard Nussbaum was White House Counsel in 1994, advising President Clinton during Whitewater. Lawrence O’Donnell worked as a key legislative aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan during the Clinton
administration. Leon Panetta, current Secretary of Defense, served as Clinton White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to
1997. Mark Penn served as pollster and strategist for the Clinton administration from 1994 to 2000. John Podesta was White House Chief of Staff from 1998 to 2001. Joe Purvis is a childhood friend of Bill Clinton. Robert Reich served as Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration from 1993 to 1997. Bobby Roberts was a senior legislative assistant to Governor Clinton. Robert Rubin served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1995 to 1999. Gail Sheehy is a writer and the author of Hillary’s Choice. Carolyn Staley is an Arkansas friend of the Clintons. Ken Starr was appointed as Independent Counsel to investigate the Whitewater real estate investments of
the Clintons; his inquiry eventually expanded to include the alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky. Harry Thomason is an Arkansas-born television and film producer (Designing Women) and longtime
friend of the Clintons. He produced the Clinton biographical film The Man From Hope, which was shown at
the Democratic National Convention in 1992. Jeffrey Toobin is a lawyer, journalist and author of A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex
Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President. Michael Waldman was Director of Speechwriting for President Clinton from 1995 to 1999 and the author of
POTUS Speaks: Finding the Words that Defined the Clinton Presidency. Carol Willis was a campaign aide during the Clinton administration. Betsey Wright served as Chief of Staff to Governor Clinton from 1982 to 1989 and was Deputy Chair of the
1992 Clinton presidential campaign.
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About the Filmmakers
Produced by Barak Goodman and Chris Durrance
Written and Directed by Barak Goodman
Co-Produced by Jamila Ephron
Edited by Nancy Novack and George O’Donnell
Director of Photography Stephen McCarthy
Composer Joel Goodman
Additional Editing by Jenna Dini Bliss
Narrated by Campbell Scott
BARAK GOODMAN (Producer) has been writing, producing, and directing documentaries for more
than fifteen years. His most recent film for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE was My Lai, winner of both the
Peabody Award and the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Direction. Other AMERICAN EXPERIENCE projects include
The Boy in the Bubble (2007), The Lobotomist (2008), The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (2009),
and Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Goodman’s additional credits
include A Hidden Life and The Persuaders for PBS’s FRONTLINE and Einstein’s Letter for
the History Channel’s 10 Days that Changed the World. In addition to the awards previously mentioned, he is the
recipient of the duPont-Columbia Award, the RFK Journalism Prize, and has twice been invited to premiere his films at
the Sundance Film Festival. With wife and filmmakerRachel Dretzin, Goodman is co-founder of Ark Media, based in
Brooklyn, NY.
AboutAMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Television’s most-watched history series, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE has been hailed as “peerless” (Wall Street
Journal), “the most consistently enriching program on television” (Chicago Tribune), and “a beacon of
intelligence and purpose” (Houston Chronicle). On air and online, the series brings to life the incredible
characters and epic stories that have shaped America’s past and present. Acclaimed by viewers and critics alike,
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE documentaries have been honored with every major broadcast award, including 14 George Foster
Peabody Awards, four duPont-Columbia Awards, and 30 Emmy Awards, including, most recently, Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction
Filmmaking for Freedom Riders.
Exclusive corporate funding for AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is provided by Liberty Mutual. Major funding
provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is produced for PBS by WGBH Boston.
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For further information contact Linda Miller, WTVP Vice President of
Programming,
at (309) 495-0591 or linda.miller@wtvp.org
