White House Revealed on DVD

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

The White House is the best-known residence in the world. Besides being the home of the first family, it is also the office of the President of The Unites States. And it serves as a tourist destination for millions of visitors as well as functions as an official setting for State Dinners.  There are over 90 staffers who actually run the iconic building and keep it functioning. Martin Sheen narrates White House Revealed, an interesting show about what it takes to actually run the White House.

 

The permanent White House staff serves the First Family from one administration to the next. They do not leave when a new president moves in. Their political leanings stay private as they work to maintain consistency from one First Family to the next. But they also have to learn the preferences of each family. As pointed out in this film, there are major changes from one family to the next. While some “residents” prefer the staff to be invisible, others befriend those who run the residence. Which presidents and first families are the friendliest to the staff? Some of them are revealed in this documentary.

The Chief Usher manages the White House staff. It was the Chief Usher who gave the instructions to lower the flag to half-staff when the official word came through from Dallas that President Kennedy was dead. It also came down to the Chief Usher to decide what to do after the attacks on 9/11. The White House lawn was filled with tables for an upcoming official event. Knowing that that was not going to happen because of the attacks, and also knowing that the president’s helicopter had to land on the lawn, while most of the staff evacuated the grounds in anticipation of another attack, several dedicated members stayed behind to clear the lawn for the return of Marine One.

 

Stories like this and many others are part of this documentary. The White House is a mix of public and private activities, and it takes a large staff to keep things running smoothly. They need to know not only the personal living preferences of the First Family, but also their dietary needs, allergies, and yes, favorite desserts. That’s not all, however. They also must be keenly aware of the First Pets! Whether they are cats or dogs, these furry little animals are also part of the First Family.

 

White House Revealed is an interesting look at what it takes to manage the most iconic residence on the planet. It’s rated TV G for everyone.