American Idol - Reagan

Image for American Idol - ReaganNot currently available on BBC iPlayer

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Documentary which examines the enigmatic career of screen star and two-term US president Ronald Reagan.

He has been heralded as one of the architects of the modern world and since his death many Americans have been working to cement his legacy. To some he has come to define contemporary conservatism and has increasingly become a standard-bearer for American statecraft. So phenomenal has his legacy become that both Republican and Democratic politicians today continue to invoke his name to win votes.

But some critics argue that the aftershocks of Reaganomics continue to crumble economies the world over and that the hubris of Reagan's foreign policy continues to propel America into a cycle of overseas ventures. To such critics Reagan is an ominous figure who did more harm than good.

But who was Ronald Reagan, and how did he come to shape world politics in the way he did? Featuring in-depth interviews with those who worked with him and knew him best, this film provides a definitive and penetrating look at Reaganism.

  • BBC News: Challenger disaster

    BBC News: Challenger disaster

    Watch Ronald Reagan's tribute to the crew of the Challenger shuttle on the night of the disaster.

    Watch Ronald Reagan's tribute on BBC News
  • BBC World Service: Reagan's farewell

    BBC World Service: Reagan's farewell

    Listen to President Ronald Reagan from 1989, as after eight years in office, he prepares to leave the White House.

    Listen to BBC World Service: Reagan's farewell
  • BBC Learning Zone Broadband: Ronald Reagan

    BBC Learning Zone Broadband: Ronald Reagan

    Watch video clips relating to President Ronald Reagan, aimed for use by teachers in the classroom.

    Watch video clips from Learning Zone Broadband
  • Photo: Ronald Reagan as a young lifeguard (circa 1928)

    Photo: Ronald Reagan as a young lifeguard (circa 1928)

    Reagan's first job was in 1926 as a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park, near Dixon, Illinois. Reagan performed 77 rescues as a lifeguard, noting that he notched a mark on a wooden log for every life he saved.

  • Photo: Ronald Reagan during his Governorship of California

    Photo: Ronald Reagan during his Governorship of California

    Reagan was sworn in on January 3, 1967, defeating two-term governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. He left office in 1975.

Credits

Series Editor
Nick Fraser
Director
Eugene Jarecki

Broadcasts

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