CNN is bringing viewers inside some of the most tense moments between FBI Directors and the Presidents they served. The new documentary series Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia arrives next month, and it promises to pull back the curtain on moments when the relationship between the nation’s top law enforcement official and the commander-in-chief reached a breaking point.
The four-part series will premiere with two back-to-back episodes on Sunday, March 22, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. The remaining two episodes will air the following Sunday, March 29, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. For those who prefer streaming, episodes will be available on demand starting the day after they air for CNN streaming subscribers .
What ‘Standoff’ Is Really About
At its core, Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia examines the fragile and high-risk relationship between FBI Directors and the Presidents they answer to. The series focuses on specific moments when that balance of power was tested and pushed to the edge, with consequences that rippled far beyond Washington .
Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals, and creative development for CNN Worldwide, explained what viewers can expect. “Standoff delivers clear-eyed, deeply reported storytelling that cuts through power and politics,” Entelis said in a statement. “By examining moments when the FBI’s independence was tested at the highest levels of government, this series gives viewers vital context for understanding how American institutions function under pressure, and why those moments continue to resonate today” .
The series builds on CNN Originals’ track record of producing documentary programming about American political history. It joins a library that includes acclaimed projects like the “Decades Series” executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, as well as award-winning films such as Navalny and RBG .
The Clashes Featured in the Series
Each episode of Standoff centers on a defining confrontation between an FBI Director and a sitting President. The series uses archival footage, expert analysis, and firsthand accounts to reconstruct these pivotal moments .
James Comey and President Donald Trump
The series kicks off with a story still fresh in many memories: the clash between former FBI Director James Comey and President Donald Trump during his first term. Comey provides his own account of the events that led to his firing in May 2017, an episode that sparked a national conversation about the independence of the FBI and the pressures that can come from the Oval Office .
J. Edgar Hoover and President Richard Nixon
The series also reaches back to examine the long-simmering fracture between J. Edgar Hoover and President Richard Nixon. Hoover, who served as FBI Director for nearly five decades, built the bureau into a powerful force but also maintained a complicated and often tense relationship with the Presidents he served under. His dynamic with Nixon represented one of the most delicate balancing acts in the bureau’s history .
Louis Freeh and President Bill Clinton
Viewers will also learn about the strained relationship between President Bill Clinton and FBI Director Louis Freeh. Freeh served from 1993 to 2001, a period that included major investigations and growing tensions between the White House and the bureau over issues of jurisdiction and independence .
Robert Mueller and President George W. Bush
Not all the stories are about conflict. The series examines the post-9/11 alliance between President George W. Bush and FBI Director Robert Mueller. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Mueller worked closely with the Bush administration to transform the FBI into an agency with preventing terrorism as its top priority. This episode shows how crisis can sometimes forge cooperation between these two powerful positions .
Who Made the Series
Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia comes from the team behind many of CNN’s most respected documentary series. Executive producers are Amy Entelis, Katie Hinman, and Eric Johnson for CNN Original Series .
The production team built the series using deeply reported storytelling. They pulled from archival footage to show viewers the actual moments when these relationships played out in real time. Expert analysis helps provide context, while firsthand accounts from people who were there add a personal dimension to the history .
How and When to Watch
Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia premieres Sunday, March 22, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. The network will air the first two episodes back-to-back that night. The series continues the following Sunday, March 29, with the final two episodes airing at the same time .
For viewers who want to watch on their own schedule, here are the streaming details:
- Next-day streaming: Episodes will be available on demand starting Monday, March 23, for CNN streaming subscribers .
- Where to stream: Subscribers can access episodes via CNN.com, CNN connected TV apps, and mobile apps .
- Live streaming: Pay TV subscribers can stream the episodes live as they air on March 22 and March 29 through CNN.com and CNN apps .
This release strategy follows CNN’s pattern of making its original series available across multiple platforms, giving viewers flexibility in how they watch.
Why This Series Matters Now
The relationship between the FBI Director and the President has become a subject of intense public interest in recent years. Debates about the bureau’s independence, its role in American democracy, and its place in national security have moved from Washington insider conversations to dinner table discussions across the country .
By looking at multiple administrations across decades, Standoff places these current debates in historical context. The series shows that questions about power, loyalty, and the rule of law are not new. They have been part of the American system for generations, playing out differently depending on the personalities involved and the pressures of the moment .
The series also traces how personal loyalties, political pressure, and questions of power have shaped the FBI’s role in American democracy and national security over time. It shows how individual moments of confrontation or cooperation have helped define what the bureau is today .
For more entertainment and documentary news, keep checking VvipTimes for the latest updates on what to watch and what matters.
