Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977– )

The story of a power-hungry U.S. President, and the men he surrounds himself with in order to keep his hold on power. Based on John Ehrlichman's book about the Nixon administration.

Writer:

David W. Rintels (creator)

Stars:

Cliff Robertson, Jason Robards, Stefanie Powers

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 8 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Cliff Robertson	...	William Martin (6 episodes, 1977)
Jason Robards	...	President Richard Monckton (6 episodes, 1977)
Stefanie Powers	...	Sally Whalen (6 episodes, 1977)
Robert Vaughn	...	Frank Flaherty (6 episodes, 1977)
Lois Nettleton	...	Linda Martin (6 episodes, 1977)
Barry Nelson	...	Bob Bailey (6 episodes, 1977)
Harold Gould	...	Carl Tessler (6 episodes, 1977)
Tony Bill	...	Adam Gardiner (6 episodes, 1977)
Andy Griffith	...	Esker Scott Anderson (6 episodes, 1977)
John Houseman	...	Myron Dunn (6 episodes, 1977)
David Selby	...	Roger Castle (6 episodes, 1977)
Frances Lee McCain	...	Paula Stoner Gardiner (6 episodes, 1977)
Lara Parker	...	Wanda Elliott (6 episodes, 1977)
John Lehne	...	Tucker Tallford (6 episodes, 1977)
Nicholas Pryor	...	Hank Ferris (6 episodes, 1977)
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Simon Cappell (5 episodes, 1977)
Frank Marth	...	Lawrence Allison (5 episodes, 1977)
Meg Foster	...	Jennie Jamison (5 episodes, 1977)
Peter Coffield	...	Eli McGinn (5 episodes, 1977)
Diana Ewing	...	Kathy Ferris (5 episodes, 1977)
George Gaynes	...	Brewster Perry (4 episodes, 1977)
Phillip R. Allen	...	Walter Tulloch (4 episodes, 1977)
Barry Primus	...	Joe Wisnovsky (4 episodes, 1977)
Linden Chiles	...	Jack Atherton (3 episodes, 1977)
Thayer David	...	Elmer Morse (3 episodes, 1977)
Skip Homeier	...	Lars Haglund (3 episodes, 1977)
Borah Silver	...	Burt Saraceni (3 episodes, 1977)
Regis Cordic	...	TV Anchorman (3 episodes, 1977)
John Randolph	...	Bennett Lowman (2 episodes, 1977)
Madison Arnold	...	Harvey Bass (2 episodes, 1977)
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Mrs. Bailey (2 episodes, 1977)
Joseph Sirola	...	Ozymandias (2 episodes, 1977)

Storyline

The story of a power-hungry U.S. President, and the men he surrounds himself with in order to keep his hold on power. Based on John Ehrlichman's book about the Nixon administration.

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Plot Keywords:

u.s. president | president | washington d.c. | white house | government | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Washington a puertas cerradas

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

750 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Vaughn won an Emmy for playing Frank Flaherty. In his acceptance speech, he thanked director Gary Nelson for directing twelve and a half hours of television "by himself."

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Connections

Featured in The 30th Annual Emmy Awards (1978)

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Soundtracks

"American Nation Song"
Composed by Dominic Frontiere

User Reviews

Excellent Watergate-style dramatization

Though just a teenager when I saw this mini-series, I still remember how gripping the drama was. Considering how soon after Watergate it was made, Jason Robarts gave a surprisingly nuanced performance as the president brought down by corruption and dirty tricks. He was bad, but the master criminal was the Haldeman/Ehrlichman character played by Robert Vaughn, whose power increases the more he manages to isolate the president. I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when the president's long-time secretary is pushed aside and Vaughn stands in the doorway, icily refusing her access. His Emmy for this performance was well deserved. The spreading corruption in the White House is fascinating, with stronger characters struggling to break free and weaker ones sinking into panicky treachery. A masterful political drama, and one that should be on video.