Product Description

Journey to the Wild West in the sweeping sensational epic drama Centennial: The Complete Series! Relive the grand hopes dreams loves and adventures of generations of residents in Centennial Colorado - from their risky attempts to establish a settlement in 1795 through the politics and power plays of the 20th century. With over 26 TV hours of content on DVD for the first time this incredible set gives fans the opportunity to own the complete chronicle that showcases one of the finest casts ever assembled including Richard Chamberlain Robert Conrad Timothy Dalton Mark Harmon Andy Griffith Raymond Burr Dennis Weaver Lynn Redgrave Sharon Gless Stephanie Zimbalist Sally Kellerman and many more. Based on James Michener s best-selling novel this Primetime Emmy®Award-nominated saga is a captivating look at the intertwining lives of the brave men and women in a fictional American town that endured the growing pains of a nation on the rise.System Requirements:Running Time: 1252 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 025195031776 Manufacturer No: 61103921

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34 in DVD
• Brand: CENTENNIAL: THE COMPLETE SERIES (DVD MOVIE)
• Released on: 2008-07-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: .90 pounds
• Running time: 1252 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

Centennial
Very excited that Centennial is finally on DVD. Great miniseries and quick service. Thanks.

Finally on DVD--about time
I love this mini series. I read the book every few years and watched the series on TV whenever I could catch it. Finally I got the VHS set on a popular auction site a few years ago. Paid a pretty penny for it, but it was out of print at the time.

I set up email alert with Amazon years ago for Centennial. So a few months ago, Amazon emailed me to let me know it was coming out on DVD. I pre-ordered. Got a really good price, and free shipping. I sold my VHS set at a garage sale a few weeks ago, go a pretty good price for it, almost enough to pay for the DVD set.

I am watching the series tonite. Quality is pretty good--no obvious foibles and the sound is crisp and clean. I am thrilled to be watching this in DVD format.

I love this story. James Michener's characters are real and believable. None so heroic and perfect that they couldn't be real, but the good guys are the guys you'd like to know yourself or be like.

If you have never read the book, read it! I really suggest reading the book before watching the videos, but the video is pretty close to the book without lots of important differences.

missing episodes
Having seen the original series on t.v. I was disappointed that several episodes are missing from the dvd I bought. For example, at the gathering of fur traders, it's McKeag who must remove the arrow tip from Pasquinel's back. Very little is mentioned about the relationship between Pasquinel and Clay Basket, including 2 sons who aren't mentioned until much later when they are grown men.
Further on in the story, a cattle drive from Texas to Centennial is missing along with all the characters involved.

There are many more things missing so I couldn't give this series 5 stars. Perhaps when the title of a dvd contains the word"complete" series, it should contain the COMPLETE series.