Tags: centennial

Ten Favorite OLD WEST Movies and Miniseries



Below is a list of my favorite movies and television miniseries set during the Old West: Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Twelve "The Scream of Eagles" Commentary






"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Twelve "The Scream of Eagles" Commentary

In my article about the penultimate episode of "CENTENNIAL", I briefly commented on my displeasure at the idea of watching the miniseries finale, "The Scream of Eagles". And after watching this episode, it is clear to me that it could have been an interesting and entertaining ninety minutes or so. But producer and screenwriter John Wilder made it impossible. Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Eleven "The Winds of Death" Commentary




"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Eleven "The Winds of Death" Commentary

A recent critic of "CENTENNIAL" once complained that the miniseries had failed to breach the topic of land environmental issues in an effective manner. Author James Michener allowed this subject to dominate his 1973 novel. But this critic seemed to hint that producer John Wilder had more or less dropped the ball on this topic in the television adaptation. Collapse )

Top Favorite HISTORICAL NOVELS



Below is a current list of my top favorite historical novels: Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Ten "The Winds of Fortune" Commentary

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"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Ten "The Winds of Fortune" Commentary

This tenth episode of "CENTENNIAL" called "The Winds of Fortune" marked the last one set in the 19th century. The episode also featured the end of several story lines - the troubles with the Pettis gang, Axel Dumire's suspicions of the Wendell family, Hans Brumbaugh's labor problems and Jim Lloyd's romantic problems with Charlotte Seccombe and Clemma Zendt. Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Nine "The Crime" Commentary





"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Nine "The Crime" Commentary

The ninth episode of "CENTENNIAL" proved to be an improvement over the last installment. Picking up a few months after "The Storm", "The Crime" proved to be an intriguing episode that featured a blossoming romance, psychological warfare and two shocking events. Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Eight "The Storm" Commentary




"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Eight "The Storm" Commentary

The eighth episode of "CENTENNIAL" is a bit of a conundrum for me. Of the eight episodes so far, it seemed to be the only one in which the time span struck me as rather confusing. Which is a pity, because I found it rather interesting. Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Seven "The Shepherds" Commentary




"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Seven "The Shepherds" Commentary

The seventh episode of "CENTENNIAL" is set thirteen years after Episode Six. And it is a doozy. Although I would not consider this episode to be the best of the miniseries, I definitely believe it is one of the better ones.Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) Photo Gallery

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Below are images from "CENTENNIAL", the 1978-79 television miniseries adaptation of James Michner's 1973 novel. Produced by John Wilder, the miniseries starred Robert Conrad, Richard Chamberlain, Gregory Harrison, Christina Raines, William Atherton, Lynn Redgrave and David Janssen: Collapse )

"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Six "The Longhorns" Commentary

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"CENTENNIAL" (1978-79) - Episode Six "The Longhorns" Commentary

After the bleak narrative of "The Massacre", the fifth episode of "CENTENNIAL", the following episode is almost a joy to watch. I can state with absolute certainty that "The Longhorns" is one of my favorite episodes of the series. Collapse )