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Manions of America

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| alt_name =

| image =Manions_of_America.png

| creator = Agnes Nixon

| starring = Pierce Brosnan
Kate Mulgrew
Steve Forrest

| screenplay = Rosemary Anne Sisson

| story = Agnes Nixon and
Rosemary Anne Sisson

| director = Joseph Sargent
Charles S. Dubin

| editor = Michael Brown

| cinematography = Hector Figuera

| executive_producer = Roger Gimbel
Tony Converse

| runtime = 4h 50m

| network = ABC

| composer = Morton Stevens

| country = United States

| language = English

| company = Roger Gimbel Productions
EMI Television

| num_episodes = 3

| first_aired = {{start date|1981|9|30}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1981|10|2}}

}}

The Manions of America is a miniseries for American television made in 1981, which was broadcast over six hours on ABC. The subject of the series were Irish immigrants to the United States during the Great Famine of the mid-19th century. It was directed by Joseph Sargent and created by Agnes Nixon, creator of All My Children. British dramatist Rosemary Anne Sisson joined Nixon as co-writer.

Manions was the first American role for actor Pierce Brosnan and co-starred Kate Mulgrew, David Soul, Linda Purl and Steve Forrest.{{cite news |last1=Reichardt |first1=Nancy M. |title=Manions of America traces Irish heritage |work=The News of Cumberland County |agency=UPI |date=September 30, 1981 |page=27}}

Plot

A six hour television miniseries about an Irish farmer who comes to the United States. He's worn tired of repression in England and the Great Famine. After arriving in America, he takes a job in a gunpowder factory, which he eventually becomes the manager of. He is also reunited with a woman from England he fell in love with a long time ago. Then the American Civil War breaks out.

Cast

Reception

Judy Flanders from The Morning Call panned the series, calling it a "lugubrious lump of trash, as rotten as the potatoes that caused the Irish famine of 1845 from which this series was sprung".{{cite news |last1=Flanders |first1=Judy |title=Manions of America, a soaper that's been dubbed O'Roots |work=The Morning Call |date=September 30, 1981 |page=D4}} William Hickey of The Plain Dealer wasn't impressed with the miniseries either, saying it "is the kind of work that will be most appreciated by 'Bicycle Irish', the ones who wear shamrocks on their sleeves and root their heads off each Saturday autumn afternoon for the Fighting Slovenians who play football for Notre Dame".{{cite news |last1=Hickey |first1=William |title=Networks previewing shows to lure viewer |work=The Plain Dealer |date=September 30, 1981 |page=10E}}

In his review for The Orlando Sentinel, John O'Connor opined that the series is "less an exploration than a construction, jumping to a panting bed scene whenever the more violent actions subside temporarily". He did find the cast to be "competent" with Pierce Brosnan and Kate Mulgrew "managing to be sympathetic and believable despite the generally wooden dialogue". He also noted that the production "was good" and "occasionally the plot machinations generate a perverse interest of their own, however, the only thing lacking is substance".{{cite news |last1=O'Connor |first1=John J. |title=Manions of America lacks only substance |work=The Orlando Sentinel |date=September 30, 1981 |page=12B}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{IMDb title|id=0081899}}
  • [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_manions_of_america The Manions of America] at Rotten Tomatoes
  • [http://pbfiles.net/mini-series/articles-manions.html?i=1 Articles & Reviews: The Manions Of America]

{{Joseph Sargent}}

Category:1981 American television series debuts

Category:1981 American television series endings

Category:1980s American television miniseries

Category:American Broadcasting Company television dramas