North and South (Parts 1 & 2)



Most people fell in love with Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing and James Read in Remington Steele. Not me! My mom was glued to this miniseries when it first aired, and I watched with her. I thought these two men were so good-looking and romantic. This miniseries is what jump-started my interest in American history. I already loved Ancient history, but this drew my attention to a much more recent era.

The sheer breadth and scope of this series is breathtaking. Two families, one from Pennsylvania and one from South Carolina, are shown during the antebellum period up through the end of the War Between the States. It shows these two families interacting with each other and with the important figures of the era to tell the story of biggest, most tragic division ever faced by the United States. It is full of drama and romance.

This period of American history is such a vital, tragic, and pivotal time. Obviously no show, series, or book could possibly cover everything, but this series really attempts to show the basic history of the time - dramatized and sometimes over the top obviously, but still a better attempt than most.

The sets, locations, and costumes are fabulous! There is an apparent attempt to be as true as possible to the time. The show first aired in 1985, and included an all-star cast. Not only Swayze and Read, but Lesley-Anne Down, Kirstie Alley, Genie Francis, Jonathon Frakes, David Carradin, Morgan Fairchild, Jean Simmons, David Ogden Stiers, Forest Whitaker, Elizabeth Taylor, Lee Horsley, Jimmy Stewart, Linda Evans, Olivia DeHavilland, Hal Holbrook, Anthony Zerbe, Robert Guillaume, Johnny Cash, & Lloyd Bridges.

If you enjoy sweeping epics, dramatic storylines, and romance, then this series is for you.