Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

WONDERFUL MOVIE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. I remember watching this movie on TV, when it originally aired on TV in 1979 when I was a little girl. It had such a great impact on me that I never forgot it years later as a grown woman. I had searched everywhere for this movie. I finally came across it at a public library. Our entire family have enjoyed this movie thoroughly. It is very accurate to history. The actors for the roles were superb. Mr.Gosset and Ms. Uggams and Cole were great. Enjoyed watching all these actors in Roots and enjoyed their performances just as much if not more in this movie. I used this as an educational movie for my children. Kids do not get a lot of US history in schools today like we used to get in the 70's. The only part of the movie that I recall has bad language is in the last disc, which depicts President Truman and as I understand was true to history. However, these few words are mild today compared to other movies with inappropriate language. By the way, did you know that the producer of this movie was also associated with the Little House on the Prairie TV series? Please make more movies like these.

This mini-series needs to be shown in all schools as well as homes during family viewing. This was one of the BEST shows ever done and I can not wait until November when it gets released on DVD. It would be nice to have commentaries by the actors who are still living included in the set. After this series, there never has been another one that is even close to the class of Backstairs at the White House. This series was so fantastic on so many levels and yet, you never got bored ... on the contrary, you couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

I, too, wish this was available on videotape! In 1979, I was teaching a Special Education class in rural Ohio when this series was aired. My students all arrived the following day of the first installment excited, asking many questions about what the first part had shown. They asked to "study history" just like the other regular classroom students. I borrowed eighth grade American History textbooks from one of the other regular classroom teachers, and we began an adventure that lasted for the remainder of the school year. My students rode the school bus carrying a regular textbook for the first time ever! Self-esteem soared, and we all had fun!

Veteran Television Music Composer Morton Stevens, ("Hawaii Five-O", "Police Woman") wrote an outstanding music score for this fine TV mini-series. It featured a beautiful main title theme that really set the tone for each episode. I join the other comments here in hoping that there will be a video release soon of this wonderful show.