An ambitious, old-school TV epic that aims for the sweep of a novel and often achieves it, especially if you like historical saga, frontier drama, and big ensemble storytelling. It can feel sprawling and uneven by modern standards, but the scale, period detail, and sense of American expansion give it real appeal… Read more
42% ★★☆☆☆ (4,127)
Centennial
Where to watch: Buy
TV Show · Action & Adventure · Drama
1978 · ★ 42% (4.1K)
Their Passion Blazed Across Seven Generations
Created by: John Wilder
Starring: Robert Conrad, Richard Chamberlain, Raymond Burr
Overview
The economic and cultural growth of town of Centennial, Colorado, through the intertwining lives of the brave men and women inhabiting it. Spanning two centuries from the settling of the area in the 1700s, to the late 1970s.
Created by
John Wilder
Production
Universal Television, Universal Television Entertainment
Cast
Robert Conrad, Richard Chamberlain, Raymond Burr, Sally Kellerman, Barbara Carrera, Richard Crenna, Donald Pleasence, Alex Karras, Lynn Redgrave, Chad Everett, Stephanie Zimbalist, Brian Keith, Dennis Weaver, Mark Harmon, Cliff DeYoung, Gregory Harrison, Pernell Roberts, Timothy Dalton, Andy Griffith, David Janssen
Curator Review
Verdict
An ambitious, old-school TV epic that aims for the sweep of a novel and often achieves it, especially if you like historical saga, frontier drama, and big ensemble storytelling. It can feel sprawling and uneven by modern standards, but the scale, period detail, and sense of American expansion give it real appeal for viewers who enjoy classic miniseries-era television.
Best for
fans of historical sagas and frontier epics
viewers who like sprawling ensemble dramas
people interested in 1970s prestige TV and classic network miniseries
audiences who enjoy Western-adjacent American history
Skip if
you want a tight, fast-paced series
you prefer modern production values and polished pacing
you are looking for a purely action-driven Western
you dislike long-form, episodic historical storytelling
Overview
Centennial is one of those big, earnest late-1970s television projects that tries to map the making of a place across generations, and it has the scale to justify the ambition. It blends frontier hardship, settlement drama, family lineage, and civic growth into a broad American saga, with a cast that gives the material a sturdy, old-network-TV confidence.
Worth noting
What makes it worth considering is the sheer scope: it is less a conventional Western than a historical chronicle that moves from the early frontier into the modern era. That gives it a distinctive identity, and the production’s commitment to place and period gives the series a lasting sense of texture even when the storytelling is leisurely.
Bottom line
Its limitations are also part of its era. The pacing can be heavy, the structure can feel diffuse, and some viewers will find the melodrama and TV-movie sensibility dated. But for viewers who appreciate classic miniseries storytelling and expansive American history on television, it remains a notable and rewarding artifact.
1989 · ★ 84% (30.6K) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Fandango at Home Free, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, Tubi TV
A benchmark Western miniseries with similar sweep, strong character work, and a classic TV epic feel.