It covers major world events during this period and their effects on two American families, the Henry’s and the Jastow’s. The Winds of War – Herman Wouk’s writing was the basis for this one as it details the years leading up to the entrance of the United States into World War II. The miniseries was filled with Japanese actors and Richard Chamberlain. After the wreck, he makes enemies and friends while trying to adjust to a different culture. However, I know that the main character is an Englishman named John Blackthorne, and he finds himself shipwrecked off the coast of Japan. Don’t know who he is? Don’t worry, I don’t know either. Shogun – James Clavell’s novel was a fictionalized account of the life of William Adams. Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte played the brothers, but it did not star Richard Chamberlain. Obviously, one became wealthy, although not by selling fashionable jeans, and the other one struggled to get by. Based on a novel by Irwin Shaw, it followed the differing paths of the Jordache brothers. This one came early in the miniseries experiment and lasted seven weeks. Rich Man, Poor Man – I always thought that was a cool title. It had a bevy of well-known stars, including Richard Chamberlain.

This causes her problems for obvious reasons. It is set in Australia and follows a woman who is in love with a priest. Admittedly, I did not watch this one, and I am not sure my parents did either. The Thorn Birds – Based on a novel by Colleen McCullough, it was the second highest rated miniseries of all time. It seemed to star every African-American actor of the day but did not include Richard Chamberlain. After this success, Haley was sued for plagiarism and admitted that some parts of his work were lifted from another source. Over 100 million people watched it finale, and it spawned two sequels.

Roots – The granddaddy of them all, this miniseries was based on the work of Alex Haley, a fellow Tennessean, as he traced his family’s history through slavery. It seemed to star every television personality of the day, including Richard Chamberlain. It was fictional but had some real history mixed in. It traced the history of a western town from the arrival of the first trapper until the 1970s and took viewers into the lives of the people who played a role in the history of the area. The following are the ones that I remember the most.Ĭentennial – The one I am currently watching was based on a James Michener novel and lasted over 26 hours. As I have watched it, I have remember how millions of people got caught up in these shows, and it seemed as if the world stopped to see what would happen. This topic has entered my mind because I am in the middle of rewatching one of my favorites. That’s also why television from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s was dominated by miniseries – dramas, usually based on popular novels, that spanned a few nights. That’s why a few years ago we had dozens of game shows with contestants trying to become millionaires. That’s why the airwaves are currently filled with reality shows and crime lab dramas. Have you ever noticed that television is filled with copycats? Let one show succeed, and the networks clamor with a plethora of similar shows.

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