Patrick Swayze And Jonathan Frakes Starred In A Civil War Western Series With An All-Star Cast
Patrick Swayze and Jonathan Frakes were just two of the many, many stars to appear in "North and South," a trilogy of miniseries about the Civil War that aired on ABC in the '80s and '90s.
Based on the book series by best-selling author John Jakes, "North and South" focused on two friends and their families after they found themselves on opposite sides of the American Civil War. Swayze played Orry Main, a member of a plantation-owning South Carolina family who goes to West Point and befriends George Hazard, a Northerner from a manufacturing family played by James Read. Frakes, who would make his debut as William Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" two years later, plays George's older brother Stanley Hazard, an irresponsible young man who causes an accident that ends with him losing control of the family business.
"Book I: North and South" aired in 1985 and became one of the highest-rated miniseries of all time, following Orry and George as they become friends, expand their families, and deal with plenty of drama (some of it melodramatic) while the country heads to war. "Book II: Love and War," which aired in 1986, had them on opposite sides while the conflict rages. "Book III: Heaven and Hell" aired in 1994 and took place after the war's end.
North and South was stacked with stars
When "North and South" first premiered, Patrick Swayze was not yet a major movie star. He'd been in "The Outsiders" and "Red Dawn," but "Dirty Dancing" wouldn't come out until two years later. The other lead, James Read, worked consistently, but is best-known for "North and South." (He also played Elle's father in "Legally Blonde.") Kirstie Alley, who would have a breakthrough role on "Cheers" in 1987, played George's abolitionist sister.
The rest of the cast was full of big names. Among the many notable guest stars across the full series run were Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Jimmy Stewart, Olivia de Havilland, Peter O'Toole, Forest Whitaker, David Carradine, Billy Dee Williams, Ann Dowd, Kyle Chandler, and Johnny Cash. Many of these were smaller roles or glorified cameos, though Hal Holbrook played Abraham Lincoln.
Despite the star-studded nature of the series, "North and South" is not especially well-remembered today. Part of that might be because the show's politics haven't aged especially well. Even back in 1985, a review of the first miniseries in The New York Times criticized the show for both-sidesing the Civil War.