It's an almost six-hour biopic of John F. Kennedy's presidency, particularly from the perspective of the extended Kennedy family. It covers from November 1960 to his assassination in November 1963, mainly in Washington, D. C., and Hyannisport, Massachusetts.
The series begins with the assassination as various members of the Kennedy family hear the news. It then shifts to election night in 1960 and the tight election with Richard Nixon. John Kennedy (Martin Sheen), Jackie Kennedy (Blair Brown), Robert Kennedy (John Shea), father Joseph Kennedy (E. G. Marshall), mother Rose Kennedy (Geraldine Fitzgerald), and Ted Kennedy (Kevin Conroy) are all present throughout and in character.
J. Edgar Hoover (Vincent Gardenia), Lyndon Johnson (Nesbitt Blaisdell), and Martin Luther King (Charles Brown) also have significant roles. There's a large cast, so all the important secondary characters like Robert MacNamara and Pierre Salinger are also present. The significant incidents are all covered--Bay of Pigs, Freedom Riders, the Cuban missile crisis, the battle with large steel companies, the beginnings of the Vietnam War, and the launch of the space race. The series ends with the assassination in Dallas until Kennedy is pronounced dead.
The perspective is of the Joseph Kennedy family seeing its role as running America for America's own good. Robert Kennedy is the pit bull that does all the heavy lifting for Jack on all challenging issues, including international ones that had nothing to do with Robert Kennedy's official position. Sheen and Shea reflect the close brothers exceptionally well, and their accents sound familiar. Vincent Gardenia is a scary J. Edgar Hoover; Charles Brown does not quite match the real MLK. Blair Brown plays Jackie Kennedy with more dignity than the public recognized then. The final scenes bring back many memories for those of us who were politically aware on November 22, 1963. The whole thing is a superficial but remarkably well-done trek down memory lane.
The series begins with the assassination as various members of the Kennedy family hear the news. It then shifts to election night in 1960 and the tight election with Richard Nixon. John Kennedy (Martin Sheen), Jackie Kennedy (Blair Brown), Robert Kennedy (John Shea), father Joseph Kennedy (E. G. Marshall), mother Rose Kennedy (Geraldine Fitzgerald), and Ted Kennedy (Kevin Conroy) are all present throughout and in character.
J. Edgar Hoover (Vincent Gardenia), Lyndon Johnson (Nesbitt Blaisdell), and Martin Luther King (Charles Brown) also have significant roles. There's a large cast, so all the important secondary characters like Robert MacNamara and Pierre Salinger are also present. The significant incidents are all covered--Bay of Pigs, Freedom Riders, the Cuban missile crisis, the battle with large steel companies, the beginnings of the Vietnam War, and the launch of the space race. The series ends with the assassination in Dallas until Kennedy is pronounced dead.
The perspective is of the Joseph Kennedy family seeing its role as running America for America's own good. Robert Kennedy is the pit bull that does all the heavy lifting for Jack on all challenging issues, including international ones that had nothing to do with Robert Kennedy's official position. Sheen and Shea reflect the close brothers exceptionally well, and their accents sound familiar. Vincent Gardenia is a scary J. Edgar Hoover; Charles Brown does not quite match the real MLK. Blair Brown plays Jackie Kennedy with more dignity than the public recognized then. The final scenes bring back many memories for those of us who were politically aware on November 22, 1963. The whole thing is a superficial but remarkably well-done trek down memory lane.