| DVD name | Release date | Region | Discs | Episodes | Bonus Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Series Criterion Collection |
October 5, 2004 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
|
The miniseries was produced and first broadcast on Home Box Office, scheduled irregularly over the real-life seven-month campaigning period from February through August 1988.
In 2004, the Sundance Channel rebroadcast the series, adding new one- to two-minute preludes created by Trudeau and Altman to each episode "in which the actors reflect, in character, on the '88 campaign from the perspective of the present day" That October Sundance produced a four episode sequel, Tanner on Tanner.
| # | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Dark Horse" | February 12, 1988 (1988-02-12) | 1A/1B |
| On the weekend before the New Hampshire primary, Congressman Jack Tanner and his daughter visit with potential voters, while his first campaign commercial is evaluated by a focus group. | |||
| 2 | "For Real" | March 14, 1988 (1988-03-14) | 2A |
| Tanner's passionate "For Real" commercial generates new interest in his campaign as he heads for Nashville. There, an apparent attempt on his life produces publicity and qualifies him for Secret Service protection. | |||
| 3 | "The Night of the Twinkies" | April 12, 1988 (1988-04-12) | 2B |
| Jack seeks the advice of an old friend, a civil rights activist, about how to reach African American voters. | |||
| 4 | "Moonwalker and Bookbag" | May 2, 1988 (1988-05-02) | 3A |
| After offending his friend, a Baptist minister, with an attempt at an impromptu press conference on the steps of the church, the campaign begins to freeze out media manager Stringer. At the same time, Tanner and his daughter must learn to cope with the constant protective presence of Secret Service agents and Berkoff interviews Tanner's father, exposing an unusual family dynamic. | |||
| 5 | "Bagels with Bruce" | May 16, 1988 (1988-05-16) | 3B |
| Tanner meets with fellow candidate Bruce Babbitt, who recently ended his campaign. Tired of being on the outs with the campaign, Stringer considers joining the Dukakis campaign where he discovers Tanner's girlfriend Joanna is a staff member. | |||
| 6 | "Child's Play" | June 6, 1988 (1988-06-06) | 4A |
| Tanner attends campaign events ranging from appearances at day care centers--where he talks to young children about tax abatements--and a Hollywood pool party. Afterward, a recently dismissed member of the Dukakis campaign approaches Tanner for a job, exposing Tanner's television and speech weaknesses. | |||
| 7 | "The Great Escape" | June 20, 1988 (1988-06-20) | 4B |
| Tanner attends a debate with Dukakis and Jesse Jackson where his comments about drugs become news. Mechanical troubles on the campaign plane lead to a stressful flight for everyone. Later, a reporter breaks the story on Tanner and Joanna's relationship, angering T.J., who did not know about it. | |||
| 8 | "The Girlfriend Factor" | July 11, 1988 (1988-07-11) | 5A |
| The campaign runs into problem after problem when they head to Detroit, including Tanner looking bad when "confronted" by a robot and looking bad kissing babies on camera. Meanwhile David Seidelman, the reporter who broke the Tanner/Joanna story, finds himself in the campaign's doghouse. Later, Tanner spends an afternoon at a Detroit community meeting speaking to people about drugs and America's future. | |||
| 9 | "Something Borrowed, Something New" | July 17, 1988 (1988-07-17) | 5B |
| Alex plans Jack and Joanna's wedding, stressing over the minutest of details, only to have them call it off after General Tanner makes an inappropriate speech and Deke Conners swoops over the proceedings in a helicopter. Afterward, despite his being nearly out of the race, the campaign reads an article speculating on Tanner's would-be cabinet appointments. | |||
| 10 | "The Boiler Room" | August 11, 1988 (1988-08-11) | 6A |
| Having both lost at the Democratic National Convention, the Jackson and Tanner campaigns try some last minute trickery, with T.J. calling in coordinator Billy Ridenour (Harry Anderson) to work some "backroom magic". Unfortunately, the Jackson campaign's need for plausible deniability prevents Ridenour from speaking directly to Jackson and winds up costing Tanner. | |||
| 11 | "The Reality Check" | August 22, 1988 (1988-08-22) | 6B |
| Despite not winning the Democratic nomination and his former campaign's finances now being audited, rumblings of Tanner running as third party circulate through what is left of the campaign. T.J. investigates the possibilities and the series ends with Jack not answering Joanna's query that it would be obvious for him to endorse Michael Dukakis and instead ruminates on his possibilities. |
Read more about this topic: Tanner '88
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