Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV
Based on More Perfect’s groundbreaking In Pursuit initiative — a curated series of essays by leading American public figures and scholars distilling one leadership lesson from each American president and several first ladies — the film weaves together new interviews and archival material with documentary storytelling to explore what we can learn from the past to inform a more perfect union.
The In Pursuit essay series — published weekly on Substack throughout 2026 — features contributions from three former Presidents, three former First Ladies, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and seven Pulitzer Prize winners, including President Barack Obama on Abraham Lincoln, President George W. Bush on George Washington, President Bill Clinton on Theodore Roosevelt, Michelle Obama on Jacqueline Kennedy, Hillary Clinton on Eleanor Roosevelt, Laura Bush on Lady Bird Johnson, and Ken Burns and Geoffrey Ward on Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Drawing from these essays and original interviews with the authors, the Retro Report special brings their reflections on presidential leadership, character, and democratic ideals to a national television audience.
“Public media plays an important role in helping audiences better understand the stories that have shaped our nation,” said Margaret Ebrahim, Senior Director, Programming & Development, at PBS. “'In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership' brings history to life through the voices of respected leaders, scholars, and historians, inviting viewers to reflect on the leadership that continues to shape our country.”
“At this moment of reflection in our nation’s history, we’re honored to be introducing these dynamic stories of leadership that have shaped our democracy to a television and digital audience,” said Kyra Darnton, Executive Producer of Retro Report’s IN PURSUIT: LESSONS OF AMERICAN LEADERSHIP.
“Presidents and First Ladies provide an accessible window into American history,” said Colleen Shogan, CEO of In Pursuit and former Archivist of the United States. “This film brings those lessons to life in a way that is both entertaining and deeply relevant. As we celebrate our 250th anniversary, we hope it sparks a national conversation about what we can learn from the past to write the history of America’s future.”
“We call it the ‘American Experiment,’ but we could do far more to learn from our past to improve our country’s future,” said John Bridgeland, Founder and CEO of More Perfect. “These essays and this film share powerful lessons relevant to leadership, democracy, and character, and can serve as guides to a more perfect union.”
The special and digital series feature segments inspired by the essays and interviews of some of the nation’s most respected voices, including: retired General Stanley McChrystal reflects on Ulysses S. Grant as a model of leadership grounded in service rather than personal ambition. Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch considers Martin Van Buren’s role in building the modern American political system. And documentary filmmaker Ken Burns reflects on Franklin Roosevelt’s empathetic leadership during the Great Depression and World War II.
Additional insights feature Chief Justice John Roberts on William Howard Taft, Judy Woodruff on Rosalynn Carter, Douglas Brinkley on Barack Obama, David Brooks on Ronald Reagan, Anita McBride on Bess Truman, Sean Wilentz on Bill Clinton, and Lindsay Chervinsky on John Quincy Adams.
In addition to the broadcast special and digital series, Retro Report has developed free educational resources tied to the In Pursuit project, available at retroreport.org, designed to bring civic learning into classrooms nationwide. The In Pursuit essay series is accompanied by a companion podcast, “In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan,” produced by PRX and available on all major podcast platforms.
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Credits: A Retro Report production for PBS, based on In Pursuit by More Perfect. The Director is Bonnie Bertram. Executive Producers are Kyra Darnton and Chris Buck. Executive in Charge for PBS is Margaret Ebrahim.
IN PURSUIT is part of PBS America @ 250, a multiyear celebration of U.S. history, culture, and programming marking America’s Semiquincentennial.
