TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

twwilson-1 I remember seeing this series and liking it though I don't remember a lot of the content. One scene I do recall was an officer sitting on a horse writing a dispatch and asking another character how to spell "pizen" and when he said poison the officer asked incredulously " p-O-i"?!As I recall it was a well done series. I was just starting out as a re-enactor during the centennial and getting a uniform and attended my first reenactment that year at Phillipi, WV in June, after the last episode of the series had been shown in May. It would be nice if the series is released on DVD for the sesquicentennial and the 50th anniversary of the series.

bilbreycats I was just 13 years old but I vividly remember absolutely loving this series. I was very interested in the Civil War and this show helped to spur my interest even more. Darryl Hickman and Dick Davalos were wonderful actors. It's a shame the series didn't last longer than it did. At the time, I also watched Darryl's brother Dwayne's series - Dobie Gillis - and loved it for its comedic effect. But for all-round historic interest and dramatic effect, The Americans was 'way ahead of its time. Unfortunately, in 1961, I guess that wasn't what most American viewers wanted and its demise was inevitable. But I will always have fond feelings for this show and will never forget the anticipation I felt every week of waiting for it to appear on the television (in black and white, of course). Viewers today who are saturated with reality shows and DVRs and TIVOs will never be able appreciate the simplicity and honesty of this type of show.

bkoganbing I still remember as a kid seeing this shortlived, but highly acclaimed series that didn't find an audience.The premise was the two Canfield Brothers, living in a border state, having an opposite political view of the issues that were shortly to divide America. When their father, John McIntire, is killed. Darryl Hickman responds to Father Abraham's call for men while Richard Davalos opts for the newly formed Confederacy.It was like that in a whole lot of families back then. The famous Kentucky statesman John Crittenden saw two of his sons become generals in the opposing armies. Though Ben and Jeff Canfield never got to be higher than corporal in the series short run, the idea is the same. Each week the story alternated with a Union story involving Ben and a Confederate story involving Jeff. Kind of like the Maverick brothers.This was obviously planned for a long term run, though not as long as MASH which lasted three times as long as the actual Korean War itself. It also treated the issues and incidents of the time with seriousness.Those thirteen episodes dealt with some of the events and people of 1861. Dick Davalos got himself involved with the notorious Confederate spy, Rose Greenhow in an episode. Darryl Hickman did a stretch in Libby Prison when he was captured.Besides the pilot the episode I remember best was the last where Ben Canfield testifies at a Congressional hearing. The Radical Republicans had a committee that oversaw Lincoln's conduct of the war and his critics in Congress used it as a vehicle for their own ambitions. It concerned the Battle of Ball's Bluff where a personal friend of Lincoln's, Edward Baker was killed leading his men in a charge. Robert Middleton played Senator Ben Wade of Ohio who has not come down in history with a sterling reputation. In fact Wade almost became president when Andrew Johnson fell one vote shy of impeachment. But that's another story.Had this gone on for five years, The Americans would have been a remarkable educational tool and been frequently revived. Think of all the Civil War history that could have been made comprehensible and entertaining for the young. We had to wait 30 years for Ken Burns.As with so many flop series, good and bad, The Americans if the tapes of the shows still exist is gathering dust somewhere. Pity.

Kirasjeri 1961 was the much-promoted Centennial of the Civil War. There were all sorts of specials, and docu-series, and articles in LIFE magazine, etc. This TV drama was excellent with a brother against brother theme. The fact that it lasted one year says a lot about the audience rather than the show. This was quality TV - and cross-reference "Arrest and Trial" (the precursor of "Law and Order") to see how long some quality shows last. I even remember in grade school trying to get classmates to watch "The Americans" with no luck. Their loss. And in this age of gutter, juvenile, and vicious humor a thoughtful drama like this won't ever be rerun or even on video. Too bad. With the right marketing there are enough Civil War enthusiasts to make video sales feasible. It was a memorable series showing how the war tore America apart.