I've got to hand it to History Channel. It wanted to go big. And it did.
History's five-part, 10-hour "television event" miniseries Texas Rising is the channel's latest attempt to pair big-name actors with a sweeping story to produce must-see TV. The saga kicks off at 8 p.m. Monday. See below for the schedule.
Viewers will recall 2012's ambitious three-part Hatfields & McCoys starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. That effort, History Channel's first scripted drama, earned 16 Emmy nominations, winning best miniseries actor for Costner and best supporting actor for Tom Berenger.
Encouraged by that, and by the success of its 2013 miniseries The Bible, History Channel has turned to the Texas Revolution for its next offering.
Unfortunately, they tried too hard. Frequently awash in pontificating bloviation and histrionic monologues, the miniseries drifts between set pieces of scene-chewing introspection by the stars, especially Paxton, who has returned to History Channel as Gen. Sam Houston.
Does this ruin the series? No. It's still a romping, action-packed adventure that covers the grisly aftermath of the Battle of the Alamo and runs through the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto. It just could have been better stitched together, and some characters eliminated, especially the two intrusive young Rangers (Dillon Lane, Adam Hicks) meant for comic relief.
Here's the rundown.
Most everyone is familiar with what happened at the Alamo. Naturally, that defeat was only the beginning of the Lone Star story. Texas Rising details what followed the Alamo in the Texas Revolution and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers.
Texas was a rough place in 1836. History Channel notes, "With colliding cultures all fighting for stakes to this territory, no one was safe. But this was a time of bravery, a time to die for what you believed in, and a time to stand tall against the fierce Mexican General Santa Anna and his forces."
Olivier Martinez turns in a satisfyingly sinister performance as the supercilious Santa Anna.
It is against this dramatic background that Houston, the ragtag, nascent Texas Rangers and the legendary "Yellow Rose of Texas" (Emily West, portrayed by Cynthia Addai-Robinson) play out this tale "of the human will to fight for independence despite nearly insurmountable odds and to claim a piece of history for all eternity."
Having the comely Addai-Robinson portray the mixed-race West, "a free woman and unabashed courtesan," adds a touch of femme fatale sex appeal to this testosterone-heavy series.
Other veteran actors in the cast are Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Thomas Jane, Christopher McDonald, Jeremy Davies, Chad Michael Murray, Max Thieriot, Robert Knepper, Rhys Coiro, Crispin Glover, Jeff Fahey, Rob Morrow and Trevor Donovan. Kris Kristofferson has a cameo as President Andrew Jackson.
The miniseries is directed by two-time Oscar-nominated Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission).
Each lushly photographed two-hour episode begins at 8 p.m., with the two-night premiere Monday and Tuesday. The remaining three episodes follow on subsequent Mondays. The series is rated TV-14 for plenty of sanguinary violence and (thanks to the Yellow Rose) highly suggestive sexual situations.
Here's the episodic breakdown.
• Monday: Emerging victorious at the Alamo, Santa Anna plans to smash the Texian (that's what they were called) bid for independence by destroying Houston's army. But he will soon find that being outnumbered won't stop the Texians and Rangers in their fight for freedom.
• Tuesday: Close to mutiny, the Texians under Col. James Fannin (Morrow) are surrounded by the Mexican Army and are forced to surrender. After Santa Anna orders the prisoners executed, Houston's Texians unite to fight even harder.
Meanwhile, ensconced in the Mexican camp, West is using all her impressive powers of seduction to gain vital intelligence in the fight against Santa Anna.
• June 1: With his leadership in question, Houston orders his army south to force a final battle with Santa Anna. Meanwhile in Victoria, empresario (Spanish for entrepreneur) Buckley (Knepper), the self-appointed sheriff, defends the town against Comanches.
• June 8: Houston and his Rangers launch a surprise attack on the Mexican Army in the decisive battle of San Jacinto. But before their struggle is over, they must ride out to rescue West, in what could be the final mission for legendary Ranger "Deaf" Smith (Morgan).
• June 15: After the Rangers rescue West from the Mexican Army, Houston arrives in Victoria to celebrate Texas' victory. The Rangers and Texans now must recover from the war and attempt to pull together what is left of their lives. Houston is persuaded to lead the newly independent Texas.
Style on 05/24/2015