From the Senior Executive Producer David Fanning

Eight years ago, FRONTLINE presented its first dual biography of the presidential candidates, recording the lives of Michael Dukakis and George Bush. The San Francisco Chronicle called "The Choice" the best single TV opportunity that voters have to examine the two men who would be president." Then in "The Choice '92," FRONTLINE offered comparative portraits of Bill Clinton and George Bush which the Philadelphia Inquirer cited as "must-viewing for every voter." Now, in "The Choice '96," airing Tuesday, October 8, FRONTLINE opens its fifteenth season on PBS by probing the life and character of Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton and Republican challenger Senator Bob Dole. The two-hour report explores the candidates' lives thematically, focusing on how they were shaped by their hometowns and landscapes, their mentors, their spiritual beliefs, their experiences with war, their victories and defeats, and lastly, their similarities. Airing at the moment in the presidential campaign when political sparring and image politics overtake election coverage, "The Choice `96" offers viewers the chance to see the candidates in a fresh light and to understand what kind of president each might be in the next four years. By lifting the labels and exposing the qualities of the men who hope to lead our nation into the 21st Century, FRONTLINE gives viewers the opportunity to stop and to look carefully at their attributes and abilities. As we begin our third school year with you, we hope to bring you more useful and enlightening information and activities to share with your students and to continue our partnership with America's classrooms.