ada the leading man is my tpye

Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Per Johnsen When the Norwegian Broadcasting channel NRK sent Centennial back in 1978 or maybe 1979, there was no other TV channel in Norway. If there were, absolutely nothing could have kept me away from attending a new episode every Saturday evening. I was totally glued to the screen, waiting to see what happened to Pasquinel or McKeag, and perhaps most of all, to get a glimpse of Clay Basket, played by the beautiful Barbara Carrera. I believe many young boys were in love with Clay Basket, at least I was. In fact I was in love with the whole idea of getting such a large peace of American history into my life. Back then we were used to western series like Gunsmoke and Alias Smith & Jones, both popular and exciting but oh so romantic, still the basics for a common boy's play that we simply called - to play cowboy, mainly having a broad hat, a gun and a gun belt, shooting each other, and being dead while counting to a hundred. Besides that both many boys and girls read a popular cartoon called - Silver Arrow, a semi realistic western series about a young Kiowa chief and his friends, out on weekly adventures in an historical factually based, but still imaginary world.It was quite educational, and the Centennial came along. It set a very new standard to the historical basics. It really was a revolution, not only in the historical perspective, but the characters, the scenery, the coloring, it was like never seen before, and so true to cultural history. No silly headbands on fake Indians, but Arapaho, Pawnee, Cheyenne and Lakota people as they actually appeared, and top of it all, with a story told from their perspectives. It was more than what an eleven year old boy could ever ask for. It's both hard and easy now to imagine how it was without internet streaming, video - simply no other possibility to watch it than when sent on TV. Back then I carefully put all other things aside to follow a new episode, but later I have seen it at least twice on YouTube, and now also on DVD, borrowed from the library. Oh, how fantastic it is to see it once again, digitally restored and being able to rewind and really get to really the bottom of it all. With certain cultural changes in denominations and the necessity of using actual native language, Centennial in all matters has withstood the time since it was made. It could not have been made better, perhaps much because the TV version has been true to a remarkable original book, but also because it's epic film and TV historical drama at it's very very best.

rcshepherd Other postings have regarded this is the best film of all time. Notwithstanding that I have seen GWTW, How the West Was Won, and Ben Hur as original or re-releases in genuine movie houses, I think that's a little over the top. Centennial is an "over-the-top" Television mini-series. And it is a sincere attempt to be three films (all at once) delivered in that venue; which was a popular scheme of presentation, at that time in the history of film, on television.The 1970s were a time of "Movies of the Week", "The Weekend", "Complete Novels for Television"; and, one to three-night, presentations of highly successful theatrical releases, such as GWTW (those initials need no introduction), The Godfathers (I, and II), Exodus, The Bible; and, The Ten Commandments, to name just a few.Centennial was first and foremost an attempt to be; one of NBC's "The Complete Novel for Television". And as such, it must first be said that Centennial (the novel) was neither "The Godfather", nor GWTW. No one could possibly say that the book (even if faithfully transferred to film; which it was), was a work in which a vast reading (GWTW type) public; were anxiously awaiting the announcement of the film, and the selection of its cast and director. Without NBC's programming production decision (after which it went looking for novels), it is impossible to conclude that a film studio, or specialist producer/director (a Coppola say) would have attempted to meet popular demand for a theatrical interpretation of this work.The second type of film this was is a "documentary drama" of the "Roots" variety. The book and film didn't go so far as to suggest that they were chronicling the actual multi-generational life of real family, in an American historical context. It however, did start out from the premise that thru the lives of the fictional characters (acting in accord with the received historical narrative), an important historical and ultimately entertaining story could be related and enjoyably told.The third type of film this was was a television film, a television mini-series; chopped up in multiple blocks or portions, which are to be served up in a way to meet the scheduling requirements of the broadcast medium. And it is the combination of these three types of film that Centennial was, and results in what its rating should be.On that basis this well-made film is an average to below average television work. It is far too long for the story that it tells. The historical settlement of Colorado and or the West is not the American Civil War, or the American Revolution. It isn't even "War and Remembrance"(WAR). And tying up the loose-ends with a 1970s detective mystery looking for "who did it", is not the way that either "Roots" or WAR ended.

skyhouse5 The lead commentator here is absolutely on the mark. Again, belatedly, I opted for the DVD version, and, having accessed the first three disks, am here to join mikehess in proclaiming this James A. Michener opus a masterwork for all time. Indeed, less than halfway through a revisiting, this series has forecast the likes of Dubya, AND the sad FACT THAT THIS NATION HAS YET TO RISE TO THE FAINTEST GLIMMER OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF ITS OWN HUBRIS, ITS BOAST, ITS VAUNTED "SUPERIORITY." What FRANK Skimmerhorn did in the name of vengeance is no better and no worse than what we, today, are doing unto the entire globe, unto humanity itself, AND, more to the point OURSELVES. It isn't merely the land, or even the "people," it's our joined humanity. That is, if we recognize such an "ideology.",

raykilleen Absolutely the finest thing ever done on TV. Book was great, and mini-series beyond description it was so good. I teach American History and show parts of it from time to time during the year. My students love it! I have former students stop by once in awhile and one of the first things they ask is I still show CENTENNIAL. When I put it on the weekly agenda they get very excited. Great story and much of it is historically accurate (Rendevzous, French fur traders, Skimmerhorn's Raid {Sand Creek Massacre}, Jim Bridger, cattle drives just to name few. Robert Conrad, Richard Chamberlain, Sally Kellerman (gorgeous), etc. do a great job of acting. I am buying the DVD when it comes out as a gift for my grown son. He is 35 yrs old and loves it as much a I do.