Tuesday 20 January 1981: outside the White House all was being made ready for the inauguration at noon of President Ronald Reagan. But inside the Oval Office Jimmy Carter and his closest advisers had been up all night in a desperate attempt to see the American hostages in Iran free at last before the time came to leave office.
A lone television cameraman was allowed into the Oval Office to capture these last hours, making a remarkably candid record of tension and frustrations building up as noon approached.
Piecing together the story Margaret Jay has also gathered recollections of these last hours from many of the people closely involved.
Producers KATYA krausova , TAM FRY executive producer JOHN REYNOLDS