Title: Into The
West: TNT & DreamWorks Television Miniseries
Episodes: “Wheel
To The Stars”, “Manifest Destiny”, “Dreams & Schemes”
Stars: Sean Astin,
Simon R. Baker, Irene Bedard, Tom Berenger, Beau Bridges, Josh Brolin, Gary
Busey, Jessica Capshaw, Tonantzin Carmelo, Keith Carradine, Tyler Christopher,
Rachael Leigh Cook, Balthazar Getty, Daniel Gillies, Joanna Going, Graham
Greene, Lance Henriksen, Christian Kane, George Leach, Zahn McClarnon, Russell
Means, Matthew Modine, Will Patton, Tyler Posey, Francesco Quinn, Judge
Reinhold, Keri Russell, Craig Sheffer, Eric Schweig, Matthew Settle, Michael
Spears, Chaske Spencer, Wes Studi, Jay Tavare, John Terry, Sheila Tousey, Alan
Tudyk, and Skeet Ulrich
Writer: William
Mastrosimone, Cyrus Nowrasteh, and Craig Storper
Based on a Story
by: William Mastrosimone
Directors: Robert
Dornhelm, Simon Wincer, and Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Executive
Producer: Steven Spielberg
Running Time: 120
minutes per installment with commercials
Media: TNT and
DreamWorks Television Original Miniseries (NTSC DVD Screeners)
“Wheel To The
Stars” World Premiere: Friday, June 10, 2005, at 8pm (ET/PT)
“Manifest
Destiny” World Premiere: Friday, June 17, 2005, at 8pm (ET/PT)
“Dreams &
Schemes” World Premiere: Friday, June 24, 2005, at 8pm (ET/PT)
Network: Turner
Network Television (Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating:
TV-14-L-V
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
As he has demonstrated for decades on the big screen, Steven Spielberg has also become perhaps one of the biggest driving forces behind the traditional television miniseries’ resurgence as a popular form of entertainment outside of the Hallmark productions produced by Robert Halmi Sr. and Jr. on both network and cable television. Whether it is the HBO miniseries “Band Of Brothers” or the SCI FI Channel miniseries “Taken,” Steven Spielberg has brought back an epic quality to television storytelling that I would argue has not really been seen since the 1970s and early 1980s. With “Into The West” Spielberg attempts to tell on a grand scale the story of two cultures clashing as one form of life gives away to another in the nineteenth century. The two families of focus are members of The Lakota Tribe and The Wheeler Family. However if I were to take the first three parts of “Into The West” and chip away all of the secondary characters and guest stars, I would say this is the story of the Lakota Indian “Loved By The Buffalo” (Simon R. Baker), who is haunted by visions of a grim fate for his people and seeks to find salvation in the face of the ever encroaching white settlers. I would then add that this is also the story of Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle), a Virginian born into the family trade of literally outfitting wheels for carriages and so forth, but whose desire and curiosity to know what lies beyond the boundaries of his family’s town eventually takes him on a great quest that is both spiritual and life changing. In fact both of these men have profound impacts on their families and their descendents and ultimately they become a part of each other’s larger family as bloodlines intertwine through triumph and tragedy.
These two characters are the driving forces that set the story in motion and you can even argue that from a cinematic standpoint they are more than distant brothers. They are doubles of each other. Not since the miniseries adaptations of John Jakes’ Kent Family Chronicles - “The Bastard,” “The Rebels,” and “The Seekers,” has there been a miniseries about family told with such an epic backdrop in American history. Some of the guest stars appear all too briefly and if there is one flaw in the miniseries that I can find from seeing what I have so far, I would say it is the fact that there are so many secondary characters coming in and out of the story it is easy to get confused over who is who. However this is truly engrossing television that leaves the viewer wanting more and yet it also gives one a certain sense of perspective if not introspection into the roots of our own families and what has occurred to bring us where we are today not only individually, but as a nation too.
I am very hopeful that the remaining three parts of this miniseries will be made available for review so I can be more definitive in my observations, but I will say that in a way I did get a sense of closure from watching the third installment “Dreams & Schemes” as we are clearly introduced by the end of the episode to the next generation of characters on both sides as we say goodbye to those who we have grown attached to already. The third episode appears to set up the concluding half of “Into The West” as if they were two volumes of a larger text.
The way these
episodes are being shown is that each weekend a new installment will air at 8pm
(ET/PT) on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with encores that follow. There will
be a short break then during the fourth of July weekend and then the concluding
three installments will air from Friday, July 8, 2005 to Friday, July 22, 2005.
Below is the play pattern in which the episodes are scheduled. Please remember
that broadcast schedules can be subject to change so check your local cable or
satellite listings for additional information or visit www.intothewest.com
for more information. Thank you.
All
Times (ET/PT)
Episode
1
Three-Play
Weekend:
Friday,
June 10, 2005, at 8pm
Saturday,
June 11, 2005, at 8pm
Sunday,
June 12, 2005, at 8pm
Encores:
Friday,
June 10, at 10pm
Sunday,
June 12, at 10pm
Monday,
June 12, at 12am
Sunday,
June 19, at 6pm
Monday,
July 4, at 2pm
Episode
2
Three-Play
Weekend:
Friday,
June 17, 2005, at 8pm
Saturday,
June 18, 2005, at 8pm
Sunday,
June 19, 2005, at 8pm
Encores:
Friday,
June 17, at 10pm
Sunday,
June 19, at 10pm
Sunday,
June 26, at 6pm
Monday,
July 4, at 4pm
Episode
3
Three-Play
Weekend:
Friday
June 24, 2005, at 8pm
Saturday,
June 25, 2005, at 8pm
Sunday,
June 26, 2005, at 8pm
Encores:
Friday,
June 24, at 10pm
Sunday,
June 26, at 10pm
Monday,
July 4, at 6pm
Sunday,
July 10, at 6pm
Episode
4
Three-Play
Weekend
Friday,
July 8, 2005, at 8pm
Saturday,
July 9, 2005, at 8pm
Sunday,
July 10, 2005, at 6pm
Encores:
Friday,
July 8, at 10pm
Sunday,
July 10, at 10pm
Sunday,
July 17, at 6pm
Episode
5
Three-Play
Weekend:
Friday,
July 15, 2005 at 8pm
Saturday,
July 16, 2005, at 8pm
Sunday,
July 17, 2005, at 8pm
Encores:
Friday,
July 15, at 10pm
Sunday,
July 17, at 10pm
Sunday,
July 24, at 6pm
Episode
6
Three-Play
Weekend:
Friday,
July 22, 2005, at 8pm
Saturday,
July 23, 2005, at 8pm
Sunday,
July 24, 2005, at 8pm
Encores:
Friday,
July 22, at 10pm
Sunday,
July 24, at 10pm
© Copyright 2005
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.