"Centennial" (1978) TV mini-series 1978-1979

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Writer:

James Michener (novel)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 October 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | Western

Plot:

The economic and cultural growth of Colorado spanning two centuries from the mid-1700s to the late-1970s.

Plot Keywords:

Colorado | Sheriff | TV Mini-Series | Beaver Pelt | False Accusation

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Raymond Burr	...	Herman Bockweiss (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Barbara Carrera	...	Clay Basket (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Richard Chamberlain	...	Alexander McKeag (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Robert Conrad	...	Pasquinel (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Richard Crenna	...	Colonel Frank Skimmerhorn (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Chad Everett	...	Major Maxwell Mercy (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Alex Karras	...	Hans Brumbaugh (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Brian Keith	...	Sheriff Axel Dumire (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Sally Kellerman	...	Lise Bockweiss (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Donald Pleasence	...	Sam Purchas (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lynn Redgrave	...	Charlotte Buckland Seccombe (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Dennis Weaver	...	R.J. Poteet (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Stephen McHattie	...	Jacques 'Jake' Pasquinel (11 episodes, 1978-1979)
William Atherton	...	Jim Lloyd (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Timothy Dalton	...	Oliver Seccombe (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Cliff De Young	...	John Skimmerhorn (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Andy Griffith	...	Professor Lewis Venor (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Gregory Harrison	...	Levi Zendt (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
David Janssen	...	Narrator / ... (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lois Nettleton	...	Maude Wendell (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Cristina Raines	...	Lucinda McKeag Zendt (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Robert Vaughn	...	Morgan Wendell (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Anthony Zerbe	...	Mervin Wendell (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jesse Vint	...	Amos Calendar (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Sharon Gless	...	Sidney Endermann (5 episodes, 1979)
Les Lannom	...	Bufe Coker (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Kario Salem	...	Marcel 'Mike' Pasquinel (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Michael LeClair	...	Young Jim Lloyd (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Glynn Turman	...	Nate Person (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Gloria McMillan	...	Mrs. Brumbaugh (5 episodes, 1978-1979)

Runtime:

1256 min (12 episodes) (excluding commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

A young George Clooney is one of the village extras in the Raymond Burr episode.

Goofs:

Continuity: McKeag drops his gun on some rocks and breaks the butt of the rifle. Pasquinel fixes it with a rawhide patch. A bit later, they encounter three Ute Indians and as McKeag raises his gun to fire at them, the rawhide patch is gone and the gun is as good as new.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Walter Matthau (#4.7)" (1978)

The most memorable miniseries ever

When looking up what Timothy Dalton had done over the years I saw Centennial in the list... immediately it brought back a lot of memories. I saw the series when I was 12 years old and I was very impressed with it. The way Pasquinel ventured out alone into the unknown and made a living by trading beaver skins, the way he meets his indian wife, the friendship he develops with Alexander McKeag, The honest Levi Zendt, the great cattle drive... after all those years those things are still in my memory and I recommend this series to everyone who has a chance of seeing it.

I hope they put it on DVD because this is one series I would really like to show to my children, I am sure they would love it just as much as I did back then.