Pick of the day
C5 9pm
IT’S the most famous address in America and the scene of some of the most iconic moments in history.
It’s a workplace, a family home and a museum, hosting thousands of visitors every single day, including many household names. And it has been blown up by nasty aliens and taken over by terrorists (well, in films anyway).
Yes, The White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, is one of the most impressive and recognisable buildings on the planet.
And this fascinating documentary tells the story of its origins in the 1790s through to the present day. It features interviews with some of its most famous inhabitants, including the current POTUS and FLOTUS – Barack and Michelle Obama – plus former first families, staff, high-profile journalists and TV news anchors.
As Michelle Obama mentioned in her recent speech, much of the original White House was built using slave labour, before Abraham Lincoln signed the abolition bill in his office in that very building. There are contributions from people who were right at the heart of some of the biggest moments in American history, from the moment President Franklin D Roosevelt heard about Pearl Harbour to the day JFK’s body was brought home.
And we see Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office, behind the desk which had originally been a gift from Queen Victoria.