Centennial: The Complete Series |  | Directors: Bernard McEveety, Harry Falk, Paul Krasny, Virgil W. Vogel
Actors: Raymond Burr, Barbara Carrera, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Conrad, Richard Crenna
Studio: Universal Studios
List Price: $59.98
Buy New: $22.49
as of 11/22/2009 01:56 CST details
You Save: $37.49 (63%)
New (35) Used (14) from $19.89
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  383 reviews
Sales Rank: 340
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 6
Running Time: 1252 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 6 x 1.4
MPN: 61103921
UPC: 025195031776
EAN: 0025195031776
ASIN: B0018RKEQO
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Movie DVD
Amazon.com
A remarkably ambitious and engrossing project, this 1978 television miniseries ran 26-and-a-half hours, cost a then-enormous $25 million, and involved 4 directors, 5 cinematographers, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 speaking parts. Based on James Michener's panoramic bestseller about the settling of the American West--as reflected in the history of a fictional town called Centennial, Colorado--the story begins in the late 18th century and ends with a typical 20th century conflict over land usage. Centennial, however, largely concentrates on various memorable frontiersmen, trappers, Indians, ranchers, cowboys, and farmers from long ago. Richard Chamberlain shines as the pioneer Alexander McKeag, Robert Conrad does some of his best work as French-Canadian Pasquinel, and performances by Alex Karras, Chad Everett, Sally Kellerman, Raymond Burr, Richard Crenna, David Janssen, and Dennis Weaver effectively add to a tapestry of adventure, tragedy, violence, and dubious Western progress. Produced at a time when TV networks were in the throes of acknowledging America's history of racial injustice, the program paints a starkly villainous portrait of opportunists exploiting and destroying Indians in the name of manifest destiny. While the project's great length might make one wary of diving in, Centennial is the sort of carefully paced drama that makes one care about the intertwined destinies of unique characters and how they illuminate America's past. --Tom Keogh
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 383
Introduces A New Genre To Televison: Historical Fiction November 17, 2009
Zachary Koenig (Fergus Falls, MN)
Most entertainment material is separated into two categories...fiction and non-fiction. Either the story is basically true, or comes straight from the imagination of the mind conceiving it. However, author James Michener (whose epic novel this TV series was based on) introduced the public (or at least perfected the genre) to a new kind of entertainment: Historical fiction. In this type of story-telling, the characters themselves may not be real, but (after careful and much-absorbing research) the places, events, and stories they become involved in could very well have happened. Essentially, it is a telling of history through stories based on detailed research of a certain historical era.
Centennial focuses on the development of the American West. From fur trappers and traders Pasquinel and McQueg, to the Indian Wars fought by ruthless men like Col. Skimmerhorn, to the settling of the West (thanks to settlers like Levi Zendt, farmers like Hans "Potatoes" Broombaugh and cattlemen like R.J. Poteet and Jim Lloyd), and finally to the present-day, this TV miniseries follows the development of the American West in a way that very likely transpired. The names are all fictional, of course, but you will easily find yourself wrapped up in the stories of the types of men and women who braved the New Frontier.
To review all 20+ hours of this epic series would be a monumental task, but suffice it to say that each new "episode" brings with it a new and interesting perspective as the West chronologically moves forward. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the whole series, though, is how each part harkens back to the one before it in order to create a chain of events. It's not just one story followed by another...each tale both naturally springs forth from the one preceding it, as well as leads into the next tale. For example, even in the final part of the show set in modern-day "Centennial", the influence of such names as Pasquinel, Lloyd, and Wendell (among others) is just as strong as ever despite those characters having been dead and buried for many years.
About the only negative aspect of the series is that it loses a bit of its incredible momentum toward the later episodes. Whether that is due to the Pasquinel/McQueg story arc being probably Michener's most inspired work (so nothing can live up to that original story), or the fact that the show underwent severe production changes after the first few episodes is unknown, but even then it is still very watchable.
Thus, I highly recommend this series to any student of history (or those who want to become one!) for its ability to show with reasonable certainty what the American West once looked like. You are almost sure to become endeared to many of the show's classic characters, as they are all very well-acted and bring something a bit different to the table, each and every one. It might take you a while to get through this collection, but I assure you that it is well worth the time spent...in fact, you may even be wishing for more!
Great Miniseries November 15, 2009
S. Osiecki (East Texas, USA)
We are so pleased that this was available on DVD. James Michener is a great writer and the series held true to the book. Pioneer life stories at it's best.
Great series November 11, 2009
Tony L. Rice (Fort Smith, AR)
Didn't see the original series, but it sure is a good story. Haven't watched all of it yet, but so far we love it.
 Not a bad mini series November 3, 2009
W. D. Baker (Indiana)
You have to keep two things in mind when watching this 6 disc series:
1. It was filmed in the late 1970's. Technology, make up, and acting are different now.
2. It is not the book. It has to take a lot of short cuts to fit on 6 discs.
That said. It is a solid effort to capture Michener's book, which I have read twice. The first disc does drag a bit and Robert Conrad's fake french accent is annoying at best. The woman playing his white wife is simply terrible and overly melodramatic. But then again her lines are usually awful. But at least the story is interesting and a good setup for the next several discs and the heart of the story.
Up until the last disc the story moves along pretty well. It established several main characters whom you become involved with. Action and writing is pretty good. Yeah, some hokey dialogue and bad aging make up. But I can accept those as 70's film making.
The last disc is simply atrocious. They zip through the 20th century in a rush. I lost track of who was who and found that I didn't really care because the characters were so poorly developed. Decades and generations of people are simply ignored. Then they plop us down into 1976 and I am basically lost.
Andy Griffith, David Janssen, Merle Haggard,and whomever plays the blond reporter are all terrible in their parts. Fifty percent of the last episode is recap which I had to fast forward through. Then it abruptly ends with Merle Haggard singing and more flashbacks. That's the best part of the last episode.
There are some funny and dated moments reminding some of us of what TV quality consisted of in the 70's. Melodramatic acting, over acting, really unconvincing aging as far as makeup and acting, awful acting by several people who have heart attacks, non sensible time jumps. But in all, a pretty fun series. Just do yourself a favor and skip the last disc.
centennial dvd October 18, 2009
Michael L. Kramer (columbus,ohio)
great movie , great price, and the delivery was very fast. this movie is for any age who likes the history of the making of a our
country purchased from amazon.com
Showing reviews 1-5 of 383
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