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FDR

FDR

2023–Ongoing1 season3 episodesTV-PGMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

The new documentary event will provide an epic portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, unpacking how his own fight with polio prepared him for the challenges of leading the United States through the Great Depression and World War II. Based upon Goodwin's New York Times bestseller, Leadership: In Turbulent Times, viewers will experience a most harrowing, yet heroic time in history when through grit, commitment and shared sacrifice FDR was the right man at the right time to lead the U.S. and the allied nations, projecting confidence in himself and America.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch FDR?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists FDR streaming on Curiosity University via Prime Video, Disney+, HISTORY Vault via The Roku Channel, Hulu, Netflix, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free).

Highlights

What stands out about FDR?

FDR earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Rousing.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is FDR worth watching?

FDR's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all shows, from 756 ratings across 2 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of shows

80th percentile among Documentary89th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)78th
Approval (how many liked it)88th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

77 /100

78th percentile of all shows

68th percentile among Documentary81st percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

87% liked it

88th percentile of all shows

84th percentile among Documentary90th percentile among 2020s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

51st percentile

749 ratings across platforms

76th percentile among Documentary50th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 17% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The reenacted scenes with actors are the weakest link, with both camps noting the casting and performance issues.

Fans praised

  • Blend of archival footage, historian commentary, and reenactments
  • Educational depth on FDR's life, career, and personal struggles
  • Compelling soundtrack and vivid period atmosphere

Detractors panned

  • Casting and acting in reenactments feel miscast and stiff
  • Some historical topics (e.g., internment, Holocaust) get short shrift

What stands out

Plot and storyDivisive70

Well-chosen events and narrative arc, but some gaps in historical coverage

CharactersDivisive55

Historical figures presented with some depth, but detractors feel they become lifeless icons

ActingDivisive35

Reenactment acting widely criticized as stiff, miscast, particularly FDR

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2023 · 3 episodes

  • S1E1

    Nothing to Fear

    May 29, 202385 min
  • S1E2

    Rendezvous With Destiny

    May 30, 202387 min
  • S1E3

    Arsenal Of Democracy

    May 31, 202386 minFinale

Watch experience

What is FDR like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you fired up.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Episodic · 11% of shows: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe documentary treats its subject with reverential warmth, blending archival footage and measured re-enactments to emphasize Roosevelt's legacy and resilience.
The rideA measured, reflective series that becomes more weighty as it approaches the war and FDR's declining health.
StructureThe three-part miniseries tells Roosevelt's life in chronological episodes, each covering a distinct period.
Episode formatEach episode continues the same biographical narrative, forming a continuous story across three parts.
Season formatThe miniseries is a single season telling one complete story from FDR's early life to his death.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Rousing · 9% of showsHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers feeling inspired by Roosevelt's resolve and hopeful about the potential of principled leadership.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe series is a documentary chronicling FDR's life; it does not follow a narrative plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfDutyMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3% (this title)
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Duty · 2% of showsAmbition · 14% of showsLegacy · 3% of shows
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores Roosevelt's sense of obligation to lead the nation through Depression and war, alongside his personal drive and concern for his historical legacy.
StanceThe series treats Roosevelt's life as a story of duty and achievement, affirming his leadership and legacy.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Giovanni Rios
SettingThe White House, Hyde Park, and the corridors of American power from the 1920s to 1945
MusicA score that frames major historical moments with traditional gravitas.

Content guide

Is FDR okay for kids?

TV-PG

FDR is rated TV-PG. As of July 31, 2025, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does FDR have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in FDR?

Cast

Christian McKay
as Franklin D. Roosevelt
Alice Bounsall
as Eleanor Roosevelt
Pierre Malherbe
as Louis Howe
Amy Louise Wilson
as Missy LeHand
Anthony C. Hyde
as Harry Hopkins
Ben Albertyn
as Jimmy Roosevelt
Aubrey Shelton
as Harold Ickes
Wayne Harrison
as Steve Early
David Bennie
as Jim Farley
Jacques Adriaanse
as Secret Service Agent

Crew

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What are shows like FDR?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like FDR include The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014), The World at War (1973) and WWII in HD (2009).

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421 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: docudrama. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.