North & South

THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF "NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK I" (1985)

For many 粉丝 of the 电视 adaptations of John Jakes' NORTH AND SOUTH trilogy, the first miniseries, a 1985 电视 adaptation of the 1982 novel, is considered the best. If I must be honest, I share that opinion. However . . . "NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK I" is not perfect. Below are some of the reasons why:

*Journey to West Point - After their initial meeting during a brawl with workers at a New York City stage station, future West Point cadets George Hazard and Orry Main traveled to the U.S. Military Academy via the railroad. This mode...

"NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK II" (1986) - EPISODE FOUR "April-November 1864" Commentary

Episode Four of the 1986 miniseries, "NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK 2" picked up at least seven to eight months after Episode Three left off. The miniseries arrived at a point in which the Civil War began to embark upon its last year. And yet, the miniseries itself had reached its mid point. I found it odd that producer David Wolper, director Kevin Reynolds and the production’s screenwriters would portray the war’s last 年 (in reality, eleven months) within three episodes. Oh well.

The episode began with a strong...

"NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK I" (1985) - EPISODE ONE "1842-1844" Commentary

The 年 nineteen eighty-two saw the publication of "North and South", the first novel of John Jakes' trilogy about the United States before, during and after the U.S. Civil War. This first novel, set during the United States' Antebellum Era, was adapted into a six-part miniseries in 1985.

This first miniseries, "NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK I", told the story of two families during the years before the Civil War. The Hazards are a wealthy family that owns a successful iron foundry in Lehigh Station, Pennsylvania - not far from Philadelphia....

"NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK II" (1986) - EPISODE ONE "June-July 1861" Commentary

Judging from past 文章 I have written about the "NORTH AND SOUTH" Trilogy, one would surmise that of the three miniseries that have aired in the past decades (two in the 1980s and one in the 1990s) that I seemed to have the most problem with the 秒 miniseries in the trilogy, namely "BOOK II". And if I have to be honest, one would be right.

It is odd that I would choose the 秒 miniseries as the most problematic of the three. "BOOK II" is set during the four years of the Civil War – a historical conflict...

"HEAVEN AND HELL: NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK III" (1994) - EPISODE TWO Commentary

Despite the tragic ending of the last episode, Episode Two of "HEAVEN AND HELL: NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK III" proved to be even darker. Bent continued his crime spree 由 assaulting an Illinois farm girl and kidnapping Charles' son, Gus in St. Louis. Charles' decision to become an Army scout in order to hunt down Scar led to his breakup with Willa Parker. Worse, he witnessed the massacre of a peaceful Cheyenne village 由 U.S. troopers led 由 Captain Venable. Madeline's conflict with Cooper, Gettys LaMotte and the local Ku...

"HEAVEN AND HELL: NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK III" (1994) - EPISODE ONE Commentary

If there is one chapter in John Jakes' NORTH AND SOUTH saga that is reviled 由 the fans, it the 电视 adaptation of the third one, set after the American Civil War. First of all, the theme of post-war Reconstruction has never been that 流行的 with tales about the four-year war. 更多 importantly, 粉丝 of Jakes' saga seemed to have a low opinion of "HEAVEN AND HELL: NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK III", the 1994 adaptation of Jakes' third North and South novel, published back in 1987.

My opinion of the 1994 miniseries slightly...

"HEAVEN AND HELL: NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK III" (1994) - EPISODE THREE Commentary

"HEAVEN AND HELL: NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK III" ended on a solid note, thanks to John Jakes and Suzanne Clauser's screenplay for Episode Three. A good number of "NORTH AND SOUTH" 粉丝 have complained that the 1994 miniseries could have stretched into one 或者 two 更多 episodes. I have to disagree with that assessment. The 1987 novel was not as long as 1982's "North and South" 或者 1984's "Love and War".

Episode Three began Charles Main's confrontation with Scar and his discovery that the Cheyenne warrior was in no condition...