Centennial: The Complete Series

At long last on DVD!! I recorded this series on vhs when it was being televised. It was a labor of love and I'm so excited that finally it is becoming available on DVD. This is HOW THE WEST WAS WON on steroids. It features an all star cast and follows the town of Centennial, Colorado from conception to present day. If you like the Michener historical novels, you will love this presentation. It has great detail and interesting twists to keep you on the edge of your seat...

Thank goodness Centennial will finally be available on DVD. My husband and I have put off buying the VHS in the hopes that it would eventually find its way to DVD. I recall vividly watching the original airing and the two of us fell in love with it. One of the catch phrases in our house is "Catch many beaver" as Pasquinel often said! My husband met Robert Conrad shortly after Centennial ran and they both joked about it. We're looking forward avidly to July 29!

I'm so happy that Centennial is finally being released on dvd. The only reason we still have a vcr is to watch the vhs version of this miniseries. James Michener is a master storyteller and this adaption of his novel is superb. I remember eagerly awaiting each new installment on NBC and fell in love with the characters. The story will draw you in and keep you glued to your seat. You will come to care for and never forget these characters, and Merle Haggard's song at the end of the movie is beautiful.

I saw this with my family when I was a kid in the '70s, when it first aired. Since the invention of the DVD, I've been waiting for this to get released, so I can show it to my kids. (Over the years, I've been able to tape most of the episodes from TV, but never got them all. I wanted to make sure I had the whole series before I showed it to my kids.)

The series is phenominal. The only way they could screw this up would be a bad video transfer to disk. Here's hoping they get it right!

BTW, one of the unique things about this is that several actors played opposite their stereotypes. Actors we love to hate played endearing roles in here (such as William Atherton who played an EPA agent in Ghostbusters makes a great "Jim Lloyd" in this series), and actors who play likable characters in other films make stunning villains in this, (such as Richard Crenna's "Skimmerhorn"). And, you just gotta love Robert Conrad's "Pasquinel", even though he IS a scoundrel.

Now, if they'd just release the three mini-series "How the West Was Won" starring James Arness....

I first saw Centennial around 1989 when Channel 56 out of Boston re-ran the series every Sunday night. I was hooked from the very first minute. From Pasquinel, McKeag, and Clay Basket, to Levi and Ellie and Lucinda, to Poteet and The Longhorns, The Skimmerhorns and the massacre, to Sheriff Dumire and the Wendells, to the present day, this series is full of memorable characters that will live in your mind long after it's over. It's been almost 20 years since I first saw it, and I can still remember scenes and lines from almost every episode.

I can't believe it's only $39. I always wanted to buy it on VHS, but I could never justify the expense. As much as I loved this series, I just couldn't see paying $200 to own any TV show. As we all now know, VHS doesn't hold up very well, so I'm glad I didn't spend the money before. But for $39? On DVD? It is SO worth it.

I can't wait to see The Longhorns again. That's probably my favorite episode of all. It's typical of this show, too, because it takes a very common story (a cattle drive) and makes it truly memorable. When I get this DVD I'll start from the beginning. Even knowing what's coming, it's the characters that I look forward to seeing again.