Saints & Strangers
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
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| alt_name =
| genre = Historical drama
| creator =
| based_on =
| developer =
| writer = Seth Fisher
| director = Paul A. Edwards
| creative_director =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Ray Stevenson
- Vincent Kartheiser
- Brían F. O'Byrne
- Barry Sloane
- Anna Camp
- Raoul Trujillo
- Michael Jibson
- Kalani Queypo
- Michael Greyeyes
- Del Zamora
- Tatanka Means
- Natascha McElhone
- Ron Livingston}}
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Hans Zimmer (executive music producer)
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_episodes = 2
| executive_producer = Teri Weinberg
Seth Fisher
Eric Overmyer
Gina Matthews
Grant Scharbo
| producer = Peter McAleese
| location = South Africa, Africa
| cinematography = Balazs Bolygo
| editor = Steven Kemper
Steve Polivka
| camera =
| runtime = 192 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
| first_aired = {{Start date|2015|11|22}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2015|11|23}}
| related =
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| channel = National Geographic Channel
}}
Saints & Strangers is an American drama television two-part miniseries. It tells the story of the Mayflower voyage and chronicles the Pilgrims' first year in America and the first Thanksgiving in 1621. The program aired on the National Geographic Channel{{cite news |title=NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL ANNOUNCES CAST OF FOUR-HOUR MOVIE EVENT SAINTS & STRANGERS |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/07/06/national-geographic-channel-announces-cast-of-movie-event-saints-strangers-including-anna-camp-vincent-kartheiser/427270/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707210615/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/07/06/national-geographic-channel-announces-cast-of-movie-event-saints-strangers-including-anna-camp-vincent-kartheiser/427270/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 7, 2015 |accessdate=August 23, 2015 |work=Zap2It |date=July 6, 2015}} and premiered on November 22, 2015.{{cite news |title='Saints & Strangers' Cast on Bringing Early American Settlers to Life|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/video-saints-strangers-nat-geo-vincent-kartheiser-ray-stevenson-1201629223/ |accessdate=October 29, 2015 |work=Variety |date=October 29, 2015}}
Plot
The miniseries chronicles the real story of the Pilgrims: their harrowing voyage from England to America aboard the Mayflower and settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts; vying to survive in the harsh climate; their struggles with the local tribes, and celebrating their first Thanksgiving with the natives, the Pokanoket people, in 1621.
Production
The Indigenous characters in the miniseries speak Western Abenaki, a language similar to but distinct from that which would have been spoken by the Wampanoag of the time. National Geographic employed a dialect coach to teach the language to the actors.{{cite news|last1=Landry|first1=Alysa|title=How 'Saints & Strangers' Got It Wrong: A Wampanoag Primer|url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/11/25/how-saints-strangers-got-it-wrong-wampanoag-primer-162566|accessdate=21 April 2016|work=Indian Country Today Media Network.com|date=November 25, 2015}} The miniseries was shot at the Cape Town Film Studios in South Africa.{{cite news|last1=Ryan|first1=Maureen|title=TV Review: 'Saints & Strangers'|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/saints-and-strangers-vincent-kartheiser-review-natgeo-1201638374/|accessdate=21 April 2016|work=Variety|date=November 19, 2015|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.capetownfilmstudios.co.za/images/media/CTFS%20-%20Productions%20Hosted.pdf |title=Productions Hosted |publisher=Cape Town Film Studios |date=2018 |access-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108203309/https://www.capetownfilmstudios.co.za/images/media/CTFS%20-%20Productions%20Hosted.pdf |archive-date=8 January 2021 |url-status=live}}
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Ray Stevenson as Stephen Hopkins
- Anna Camp as Dorothy Bradford
- Michael Jibson as Myles Standish
- Vincent Kartheiser as William Bradford
- Ron Livingston as John Carver
- Natascha McElhone as Elizabeth Hopkins
- Tatanka Means as Hobbamock
- Brían F. O'Byrne as John Billington, Sr.
- Kalani Queypo as Squanto
- Michael Greyeyes as Canonicus
- Barry Sloane as Edward Winslow
- Raoul Trujillo as Massasoit
- Del Zamora as Aspinet
- Vere Tindale as John Howland
- Chris Fisher as John Alden
}}
Episodes
Note: The miniseries was aired in two parts consisting of two-hour episodes; however, the credits list four parts with four different writers.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:75%; background:#fff; margin:auto;" |
| style="background:#B30713; width:5%;"|Ep. #
!style="background:#B30713; width:20%;"|Title !style="background:#B30713; width:20%;"|Director !style="background:#B30713; width:20%;"|Writer !style="background:#B30713; width:20%;"|Original airdate !style="background:#B30713; width:10%;"|Viewers {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber= 1.1 |Title=Part 1 |DirectedBy=Paul A. Edwards |WrittenBy={{StoryTeleplay|s= Eric Overmyer and Chip Johannessen|t= Chip Johannessen, Walon Green and Eric Overmyer}} |OriginalAirDate= {{start date|2015|11|22}} |ShortSummary= |Viewers=N/A |LineColor=B30713 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber= 1.2 |Title=Part 2 |DirectedBy=Paul A. Edwards |WrittenBy=Seth Fisher |OriginalAirDate= {{start date|2015|11|22}} |ShortSummary= |Viewers=N/A |LineColor=B30713 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber= 1.3 |Title=Part 3 |DirectedBy=Paul A Edwards |WrittenBy=Seth Fisher |OriginalAirDate= {{start date|2015|11|23}} |ShortSummary= |Viewers=N/A |LineColor=B30713 }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber= 1.4 |Title=Part 4 |DirectedBy=Paul A. Edwards |WrittenBy=Eric Overmyer |OriginalAirDate= {{start date|2015|11|23}} |ShortSummary= |Viewers=N/A |LineColor=B30713 }} |
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==Reception==
Saints & Strangers received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the season a rating of 80%, based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's consensus states, "Saints & Strangers presents an immersive, action-fueled portrait of early American settler life, although it's slightly hampered by its somewhat shallow, didactic approach."{{Cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/saints-and-strangers/s01/|title = Saints & Strangers| website=Rotten Tomatoes }}
Metacritic gives the miniseries a score of 70 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/saints-strangers|title=Saints & Strangers|website=Metacritic }}
Critics give the miniseries mixed reviews. Keith Uhlich of The Hollywood Reporter writes, "Not quite a turkey, pilgrim. Nat Geo's two-night miniseries about the first Thanksgiving is admirable in parts, though bland overall."{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/saints-strangers-tv-review-842059|title = 'Saints & Strangers': TV Review| website=The Hollywood Reporter |date = 18 November 2015}} Maureen Ryan of Variety writes, "The serious intent of "Saints" trips it up at times; many characters remain one-dimensional, and some sequences are plodding or repetitive. That said, the mini features nuanced work in a number of the Native Americans portrayals—often the best-developed characters on the screen."
Wampanoag tribal representatives said that National Geographic asked them for linguistic assistance but severed their relationship when they asked to consult on their tribe's portrayal, instead writing the script with the distantly related language of West Abenaki. They objected to the portrayal of their tribe as violent and murderous, saying the incidents portrayed were at odds with documented historical facts.{{cite news |title=How 'Saints & Strangers' Got It Wrong: A Wampanoag Primer - Indian Country Media Network |work=Indian County Media Network |date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202063722/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/how-saints-strangers-got-it-wrong-a-wampanoag-primer/ |archive-date=2017-02-02|url=https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/how-saints-strangers-got-it-wrong-a-wampanoag-primer/}}
Saints & Strangers received three Critics Choice Award Nominations as well as a WGA Award nomination for Best Television Original Long Form for which it won.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/saints-and-strangers/}}
- {{IMDb title|tt4705002}}
{{National Geographic TV}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saints and Strangers}}
Category:2010s American drama television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:National Geographic (American TV channel) original programming
Category:Thanksgiving television specials
Category:Television series set in the 17th century