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| A poster for producer John Wilder's Centennial |
QUICK REVIEW:
Centennial is one of the most important American TV-series to this day, based on James A. Michener's (Tales of the South Pacific (1947)) book of the same name, it is a historical epic, and also in turn a western, a romance, a drama, a thriller and an adventure. It was a monolithic production, with an (at the time) unheard of 25 mil. $ budget, over 100 speaking parts and a story-span of more than two hundred years. The NBC TV mini-series can be seen as the 12 movie-length episodes it was originally broadcast as, or in 26 45 minute-episodes, arranged for the DVD release. (The series is cut up in natural halves and thirds, as the first and last episode was originally 3 hours long, with commercials.)
The following will contain SPOILERS.
Centennial becomes the name of the (fictional) Colorado town, which is first for many years simply known as 'Zendt's Farm' after the merchant Levi Zendt (Gregory Harrison (Logan's Run (1977-78))), who settles there. The name's similarity to 'century' hints at the grand, epic ambitions of the story and series, which are an ode to the Midwest through some two centuries, often educational at its heart, but never didactic.
The camera work, by Duke Callaghan (Miami Vice (1984-85)) and 3 colleagues, is very mobile and innovative to begin with, as the series' narrator David Janssen (The Fugitive (1963-67)) zooms in right from the creation of the Rocky Mountains to the time around the middle of the 18th century, when the Frenchman Pasquinel (Robert Conrad (The Lady in Red (1979)) plays the silly and arrogant role) arrives to the country and meets the Indian chief Lame Beaver (Syrian actor Michael Ansara (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-80)).
Richard Chamberlain (Shogun (1980)) adds a most likely unintended homo-eroticism to his character, the refined Scot McKeag and his friendly relationship with Pasquinel. Lame Beaver gets shot with gold bullets, which makes Pasquinel turn to gold-hunting, - with two wives and kids all over the place, but he's not a man who lets himself get bound by moral obligations.
His off-spring create troubles in the time to come with their 'unpure' blood, (since Pasquinel had them with an Indian.) Pasquinel dies just as he discovers his gold, and McKeag 'inherit' his Indian family beautifully, - despite the problems of this, just the series' first storyline.
The second storyline begins in 1845 with the falsely rape-accused Levi Zendt, who flees Pennsylvania with his girlfriend Elly (Stephanie Zimbalist (The Awakening (1980))). Both Harrison as Zendt and Timothy Dalton (The Living Daylights (1987)) as Oliver Seccombe, who becomes a big cattle ranch owner, play very well in Centennial.
Elly gets bitten by a snake and dies, and Zendt takes an Indian wife instead, but as strife between the cultures heats up, this creates serious troubles, and particularly their red-clad daughter Clemma (Adrienne Larussa (Charlie's Angels (1979), TV-series)) gets a miserable life as a result.
The Civil War is not a part of the series, but the Indian massacre of 1861 under the command of Colonel Skimmerhorn (Richard Crenna (First Blood (1982)) is phenomenal as the blood-thirsty fanatic, who is based on John Chivington, an ex-Methodist minister who led the infamous Sand Creek massacre in Kiowa County, Colorado in 1864) by Rattlesnake Hill is portrayed with force and integrity in all its horror. Skimmerhorn's son turns against his father, and along with, among others, 'potato' Brumbaugh (Alex Karras (Blazing Saddles (1974)), he becomes one of the new faces in the town. In the following great cattle-run episode, The Longhorns (6), John Addison's (Torn Curtain (1966)) epic score really comes into its own.
In 1876, Colorado becomes the 38th state in the US-of-A on its hundred year anniversary, and the town that is the core of Centennial gets its titular name for this reason. The Union Pacific railroad now connects the country, and bar fights and new kinds of immigrants (like Japanese and Mexicans) arrive with rapidity. Seccombe hires assassins to protect his interests. In the end it turns out that his accounts have been kept somewhat too creatively, and in recognizing his dependency upon the land, he shoots himself in despair.
In a terrible blizzard, old Zendt and a lot of cattle die, among others, and afterwards, the Wendell family arrive in Centennial: A theatrical family, who cheat their way to everything. Sheriff Dumire (Brian Keith (The Brian Keith Show (1972-74))) has got his eye on them, but he cannot prove their guilt, when a business man with 5,500 $ suddenly disappears. Here, great suspense enters the series, and young Philip Wendell (Doug McKeon (On Golden Pond (1981))) only confess his family's guilt on the sheriff's deathbed. Anthony Zerbe (The Death Zone (1983)) has a memorable time as the devious Wendell patriarch.
Hereafter follows more depression and less adventure, as America and Centennial become increasingly civilized: The Mexican revolution, racism and more fraud from the town's new matador, Wendell, lead up into the 1930's, where monetary and psychological depression, sandstorms, suicides and murder sweep the parched land.
After Charlotte Seccombe (Lynn Redgrave (Gods and Monsters (1998))) ends up concluding that 'Only the land lives forever', (reminiscent of Scarlet O'Hara's final realization in the classic Gone With the Wind (1939)), Centennial should probably have ended.
Instead, in the pathetically elongated, last episode, The Scream of the Eagles, we fast-forward to the 1970's and a local election, in which the choice 'today' (at the time) stands between industry or respect for nature. - Fairly glum and with far too many flashbacks pasted in, as we also see at many other times of Centennial.
Despite this last, acidic reservation, Centennial must still remain the most pure, epic western TV-series created. Although the intros are visually boring, they firmly impress the sweepingly epic quality which is Centennial's regal garment again and again. The fantasy of the cowboy, his horse and his heard is recreated fantastically here.
The series goes at it with sometimes exaggerated bravado spirit, and almost always, unfortunately, with quite poor aging make-up jobs. It holds great supporting role performances from stars like Pernell Roberts (Bonanza (1959-65)), Donald Pleasence (Phenomena (1985)) and Clint Walker (Cheyenne (1955-62)).
It is produced by co-writer John Wilder (Peyton Place (1965-68), writer) and directed by, in different episodes, Virgil W. Vogel (The Streets of San Francisco (1973-76)), Paul Krasny (Mannix (1969-74)), Harry Falk (The Streets of San Francisco (1974-77)) and Bernard McEveety (Trapper John, M.D. (1979-83)).
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| Brian Keith as Sheriff Dumire in producer John Wilder's Centennial |
Best episode:
6: The Longhorns
About the driving of 3,000 Longhorns to Colorado from Texas through the dessert with cattle thieves, Indians and other dangers lurking at every corner around the camaraderie among the men.
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| A beautiful VHS collection of the entire series |
In lieu of a trailer, (which isn't on Youtube), here is the great opening credits of Centennial with John Addison's magnificent music - play it while you read
Cost: 25 mil. $
What do you think of Centennial?
Do you know of any other TV series of American history that can rival it?
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