Watching this miniseries now, after nearly 25+ years with all these 70's and 80's stars......The dialog is SO cheesy and pace is SO slow! Was this a hit when it first aired?
And what's with the actress trying to play a Scarlett O'Hara type (ASHTON)? Why didn't they actually get a 16 year old to play her? That's the age she's suppose to be, right?
Genie Francis looks like Genie Francis in Civil War attire. So campy!
-Jane
Yes, the dialogue is a bit cheesey, but its made up by the plot, characters, and acting. I never felt it was slow.
DON'T put Ashton in the same category as Scarlett. Scarlett never did the things Ashton did (like whoring or planning murder out of spite). And it would be illegal to cast a 16-year-old to play a sexual vixen, making all her sex scenes be considered child porn.
It was a ratings hit in November 1985.
[deleted]
LOL, I know what you mean. I had watched this series back in the 1980s and had not seen it since. Kind of a shock to see how it stands up 25+ years later. I'm enjoying the walk down memory lane, but I have to admit it's mostly out of curiosity rather than simple enjoyment.
I'll take The Blue and the Gray over this, easily.
It moves at the pace of a soap opera...too slow for today's TV audiences.
-Jane
It is a slower pace but most people didn't have 600 channels of cable choice or entire video libraries on demand when it came out. Or, for that matter, personal computers or portable video devices of any kind, it WAS cheesy/campy when it came out (Ashton was high camp) but it was one of the most fun things on tv at the time.
It's not great literature but it was very engrossing at the time. And as to whether it holds up to the faster paced shows today, I think in 25 years some of the current favorites won't hold up nearly as well.
For the record, murder she wrote, dynasty, Cosby, family ties, Dallas and Miami Vice were top ten Tv shows at the time this came out.
>> I think in 25 years some of the current favorites won't hold up nearly as well. <<
EllenOlenska - I have to agree. Even my favorite TV show, the X Files, is SO hard to watch now because the pace is incredibly slow. Thank goodness I didn't drop $200 for the entire series on DVD. I couldn't make it through 3 episodes. LOL.
-Jane
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I wasn't referring to the pace. I actually like a slower pace. (My favorite things to watch are vintage miniseries adapted from classic English literature.)
One cannot deny the cheesiness. Yikes, the lines, the plot, the ott scenes. lol
It's not trying to be Masterpiece Theatre. It was fun to watch in the 80's and it's stil fun to watch now.
shareI know what it is and what it isn't. That doesn't mean I can't mention its faults.
shareWhy complain that it's silly or cheesy? This is designed to be "Dynasty" meets history.
shareBecause this thread is titled: "So cheesy." If you don't want to read posts on this topic you don't have to click on the thread.
Lighten up. Try and use your sense of humor...
I'm also responding to the thread subject. My opinion is just different than yours. Now you lighten up Francis.
share"Because this thread is titled: "So cheesy." If you don't want to read posts on this topic you don't have to click on the thread."
What???? I thought we were allowed to "click" on any thread and share our veiws. I don't agree with the OP but I respect the opinion. That dosen't mean that a person can't "click" on and discuss their feelings on the subject.
It's ok, randommovies. You are also allowed to "click" on any thread...even if you do not share the same views as the OP....
Oh, go ahead! You may discover a whole new world!
"Fasten your seat belts!
It's going to be a bumpy night!"
"It moves at the pace of a soap opera...too slow for today's TV audiences."
What would you like? A Reader's Digest version? Let's see....
Two guys meet at West Point about 20 years before the Civil War. One is from the South. One is from the North. Between the problems brought on by their love lives, their families and the war, they still manage to remain close freinds. The End...
You say that it moves at the pace of a soap opera. It should! We are watching not one, but three books made into miniseries.
Frankly, I can't imagine what you would want to cut in order to make it shorter.
As for "cheesy", I guess it is all a matter of opinion.
"Fasten your seat belts!
It's going to be a bumpy night!"
I have always called North & South 'Dynasty With Historical Roots'. If you ever watched Dynasty you would know what I mean. The similarities are there. The cheesy drama, the costumes, the music, the art direction. It even had the puffy 80's hair.
shareby Jane2005
» Tue Feb 5 2013 18:25:05
(...) pace is SO slow! (...)
by Jane2005
» Fri Feb 8 2013 20:37:24
(...) Even my favorite TV show, the X Files, is SO hard to watch now because the pace is incredibly slow. Thank goodness I didn't drop $200 for the entire series on DVD. I couldn't make it through 3 episodes. LOL.