Only the rocks live forever

I don't have a lot of movies or TV shows in my collection related to the Revolutionary War so I decided this morning to go a different route while eating breakfast and drinking my fresh-ground Maui coffee: James Michener's "Centennial".

Some of the youngsters on the board may not even know of this mini-series. I only remember it airing once but was impressed with it. It's standard Michener fare, a multi-generational saga following families in a specific area as the pace of history rolls past them -- in this case, the juncture of the South Platte and Cache la Poudre rivers. Some of it was shot here in Colorado, albeit not in the current town known as Centennial. It's similar in vein to "How the West Was Won" but centered for the most part (some of it takes place in late 18th- and early 19th-century St. Louis) around a single location rather than moving westward.

While it takes place after the Revolution, "Centennial" is as much a story of our country and how it grew and its seemingly eternal (at least, until recently) quest for freedom as any story about Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson or George Washington. I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for something different this Independence Day as I was.

I think the last segment showed a fly-over of Highlands Ranch before all the building started.

Man...I think I saw that when it came out in like 1980. Must've been a year or two before because I remember discussing it in high school history class. If I recall correctly there were some big stars of the day in that mini-series.

How about Robert Conrad in the role of Pasquinel?

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So, a 1980's tv take on Howard Fast's "The Immigrants" style series and set in Colorado? Interesting. Are you aware if it's available online at all?

There are a few names in the series:

Its cast included Michael Ansara, Raymond Burr, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Conrad, Barbara Carrera, Richard Crenna, Timothy Dalton, Sharon Gless, Andy Griffith, Mark Harmon, Gregory Harrison, David Janssen, Alex Karras, Brian Keith, Sally Kellerman, Stephen McHattie, Lois Nettleton, Donald Pleasence, Adrienne La Russa, Lynn Redgrave, Clive Revill, Pernell Roberts, Robert Vaughn, Dennis Weaver, Anthony Zerbe and Stephanie Zimbalist.

It aired on NBC from October 1978 to February 1979.

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Originally Posted by sroz

I think the last segment showed a fly-over of Highlands Ranch before all the building started.

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Yes, the "modern" segment was filmed in Highlands Ranch. I think they even named a street after the fictional Venneford Mansion.

Yep. They filmed some scenes at the Mansion and you are correct about Venneford. I have it on DVD and watched it last year for the first time since it originally aired. I didn't realize at the time that I would eventually move out here. I think they filmed a few scenes in Castle Rock also.

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Originally Posted by CavSct1983

So, a 1980's tv take on Howard Fast's "The Immigrants" style series and set in Colorado? Interesting. Are you aware if it's available online at all?

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Its all here I think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsgpN213Npk

If you do a search for "Centennial miniseries" you will get several returns. There are several different complete series downloaded.

Loved it! Saw the first run in my country in 1980. At that point, colorado was on top of themlist of places i wanted to visit.

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Originally Posted by CavSct1983

So, a 1980's tv take on Howard Fast's "The Immigrants" style series and set in Colorado? Interesting. ?

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Michener's novel "Centennial" was first published in 1974. "The Immigrants" wasn't published until 1977.

I just re-read the book Centennial a few months ago. Long, but enjoyable as historical fiction goes.

I remember the era of the TV mini-series. I recall Roots being one of the first.

My first visit to Colorado was in 1978. Never thought I'd live here, but you never can tell where life may take you or when opportunities will present themselves.

I will have to check out a copy of the TV show just to see how close it is to the book and see if I recognize any of the scenery.

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Originally Posted by SAnd

Michener's novel "Centennial" was first published in 1974. "The Immigrants" wasn't published until 1977.

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Ah. But same vein of story type?