JUST FINISHED WATCHING: THE RESIDENCE (2025)

Inside the White House's staff residence and the lives workers share with the First Family.

TRIVIA: To recreate parts of the White House that are unphotographed and off-limits to the general public, the production design team consulted with former White House professional Haley O'Connor. She relied on memory to describe the basement, Chief Usher's office, staff stairwell, and more to the team.

Julian McMahon, the actor playing the role of the Australian Prime Minister, is the son of a former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon. Having been previously married to Danni Minogue, he is also the ex-brother in law of Kylie Minogue who here plays a fictionalized version of herself.

Episode titles are murder mysteries titles from film and literature.

The series is inspired by Kate Anderson Brower's 2015 nonfiction book, "The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House." While the book offers a factual account of White House staff, the show introduces a fictional murder mystery narrative.

Pastry chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot) is based on long-time White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier who served from 1990 until 2004. Although Mesnier is French versus Gotthard being Swiss, they both come from a French and German fine-dining background. They are also both known for being talented (if somewhat old fashioned) and very particular and stubborn.

MY VERDICT: I liked this show, I think in places it was a little repetitive, and could have been shorter without losing anything, but every performance was great and like a true who-dun-it, it kept you guessing right to the end.

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