Presidents' Homes

Even though the modulated happy talk voiceover repeatedly refers to this program as covering the presidents' original homes, four of the five abodes toured are homes acquired by presidents Reagan, Franklin Roosevelt, Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Theodore Roosevelt in adulthood. FDR stands out for more than being the only Democrat in this bunch by actually having been born and raised in his featured home, Springwood, the family mansion in Hyde Park, NY. This subdued yet upbeat Travel Channel-aired documentary treats viewers to folksy trivia (macaroni and cheese is one of Reagan's favorite foods), while pointing out, say, a desk where this or that treaty was signed, but by and large this is a hushed and rather bland homage to presidential domesticity. Those with an abiding interest in where the nations leaders hung their hats will be served, if only superficially, by Presidents' Homes, but it's really little more than a Robin Leach-level overview. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (M. Tribby)