This was a tv mini series that made a great impact on me when it was aired in the 1970s, though in the UK it wasn't the success i thought it should have been.
it covered 200-yrs of American History in Colorado starting off with The Arapaho's. then we saw the arrival of two mountain men played by Robert Conrad and Richard Chamberlin, Conrad a Frenchman and Chamberlin a Scot.
as the show progressed it seemed to suggest the west was won by European immigrants. Gregory Harrison played a wrongly disgrace Dutch Armish, who after being widowed, marry's Chamberlin's half Indian step-daughter (who was actually Conrad's daughter before his death), played by Christina Raines.
The Brits also got involved with Timothy Dalton as a ranch manager, who marries the much younger boss' daughter Lynn Redgrave, who though from a privilaged background proved herself to be as tough as old boots. After her husband's suicide, she returns to England, but only briefly. she returns and causes raised eyebrows by marrying the younger ranch foreman William Atherton and for the most part living happilly ever after.
the series was updated to the 1970s with David Jannsen playing redgrave's grandson (though i don't think that was the case in the book)
as with Roots every so often a character would tell the younger generation of what life was like in the old days, telling of the legends that made Centennial great
Denis Weaver, Cliff De Young, Robert Vaughan, Brian Keith and Richard Crenna also played key roles in the series
Centenial
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movieman1957
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We've chatted about this series and it is generally well liked. I would love to have a copy of it.
I thought it was really good about until about the 1930's segment. There it seemed to run out of gas a little. With nearly everyone who was anyone in Hollywood television, as well as the nearly unheard of Mr. Dalton, it was a fun "name that star" way to spend 26 hours.
Great television. With only HBO still making a series of any type (it seems) on this scale, we may not have the likes of this one again.
I thought it was really good about until about the 1930's segment. There it seemed to run out of gas a little. With nearly everyone who was anyone in Hollywood television, as well as the nearly unheard of Mr. Dalton, it was a fun "name that star" way to spend 26 hours.
Great television. With only HBO still making a series of any type (it seems) on this scale, we may not have the likes of this one again.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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movieman1957
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- Posts: 5522
- Joined: April 15th, 2007, 3:50 pm
- Location: MD
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movieman1957
- Administrator
- Posts: 5522
- Joined: April 15th, 2007, 3:50 pm
- Location: MD
We recently finished the series. As good as the first time. I still have a problem with the last chapter. Too much preaching and moralizing. A good bit of it is review told in a historical context.
There is only one small extra. It is an interview with a few of the stars, mainly Carrera and Conrad but it is interesting. They sure did spend a lot of time in makeup.
Carolann wants to start it again.
There is only one small extra. It is an interview with a few of the stars, mainly Carrera and Conrad but it is interesting. They sure did spend a lot of time in makeup.
Carolann wants to start it again.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."