Product Details

• Actors: Andrew Stevens, Tom Bosley, Kim Cattrall, Buddy Ebsen, Lorne Greene
• Directors: Lee H. Katzin
• Writers: Guerdon Trueblood, John Jakes
• Producers: Joe Byrne, John Wilder, Susan Lichtwardt
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: MCA Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302262488
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,150 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Kent Family Chronicles - expected more?, December 30, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Munich, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bastard: Part 1 of the Kent Family Chronicles [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Well, thats it. The first mini series of one of John Jake`s best selling sagas ever: The Kent Family Chronicles. For a German viewer like me, it was an experience because this series was never shown on German television. Spoiled by the fascinating North and South Trilogy and the marvellous and price-winning mini series it was a little disappointment at first. Young Andrew Stevens as Philip Kent seemed a bit overtaxed in the first scenes but became better and better. The whole setting seemed pale and the dialogues were little more than just "small talk". But I think they got round to it by the middle of the film. When Philip arrived in America beautiful and convincing Kim Cattral appeared and Andrew Stevens seemed to act more out of his stomach than out of his head (forgetting what he learned at acting school). It became a pleasure to watch, see how everything fit together (and everyone:Olivia Hussey esp.). All in all it is worth to watch and makes you want to watch the other two sequels, too. And: you must not forget that North and South was filmed nearly seven years later with a much bigger budget perhaps. Watch it!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the beginning of the kents in america, February 13, 2006

By 

movie hound john - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bastard: Part 1 of the Kent Family Chronicles [VHS] (VHS Tape)

i saw this mini-series when it first air in the 70's on a late night channel when they had to call it the kent family chronicles because you couldn't say the word bastard on t.v.! how times have changed. well i felt it was a very good show and i bought the books and read them. now on that level the mini-series isn't near as good as the book, but it is very entertaing and fun to watch. there are very few movies or t.v. shows about this time in american history for some reason but i felt it did catch the idea behind the books very well. we see the birth of america through theeyes of philip kent former french boy with titled english father who kepet him hidden from his family. after the duke of kent dies the family sends people out to kill philip and forces him to flee to america where he takes the name philip kent and starts a new life as a printer in boston in the early 1770's. before long the man is swept into the colonies atemp to break free from england. it is more a soap than anything but it is great fun and sets up the second mini-series the rebels. worth a look

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY GOOD for..., October 5, 2004

By 

Ayden & Chase "Rebecca" (Southern, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bastard: Part 1 of the Kent Family Chronicles [VHS] (VHS Tape)

After reading all of the books in the series by John Jakes, I was very eager to watch this movie...I was not disappointed!! Of course this movie is not up to today's standard of made for t.v. movies but considering the time it was made it is very good and gets BETTER after the first hour!!
IF YOU LOVE the John Jakes books, you should watch this movie!!!