Customer Reviews

Christy - The Complete Series

5 star:		(94)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This gentle and heartfelt drama was wholesome and substantive television for families. Based on the cherished book by Catherine Marshall detailing her mother's time in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains in 1912, it is the story of a young and exuberant city girl who comes to teach in poverty-striken Cutter Gap and the manner in which it changed her life forever.

The book was warm and wonderful and those like myself who loved it had doubts that the essence of it could truly be captured for television. It was a pleasant surprise when those doubts were proven to have no validity. It was faithful in conveying both the feelings and the atmosphere of the book and, for many, including myself, Kellie Martin will always be Christy Huddelston. Her wide-eyed and hopeful performance was perfect, and Tyne Daly added emotional depth as Miss Alice, the Quaker woman who had seen heartache before yet found the strength to carry on.

The wonderful Tess Harper portrayed the sensible and delicate Fairlight Spencer, who offered Christy the most cherished gift of those great mountains; her friendship. There was a wholesome and romantic glow to this series as the hardships these people experienced in their lives every day and the sometimes illegal means they used to survive came into conflict with the teachings of the young Minister, David (Randall Batinkoff), who is smitten with Christy.

But the older doctor who understood the people of Cutter Gap better may be the one Christy would find love with if she could hold on to the joy that brought her there. Stewart Finlay-McLennan had a nice turn as Doc Neil, who had some feelings of his own for young Christy. But it was the children and their teacher who took center stage as Christy faced opposition which kept some of the children away. None of them had shoes and sometimes very little to eat, but nearly all of them had a thirst for knowledge.

Her greatest challenge was a little girl who did not speak and an older boy whose father was the worst of the moonshiners. He acted like a bully because it was what he had been taught. But when Christy caught him reading David Copperfield and talking angrily about making something of himself from nothing in the pilot film, she knew there was hope. The attempted destruction of the schoolhouse brought everything to a boiling point at the beginning, and Christy had to decide once and for all whether to stay or leave forever.

The greens and blues of the beautiful Smoky Mountains were romantically photographed by Mike Fash in director Michael Rhodes' warmhearted remembrance of this young and pretty teacher who came to Cutter Gap and made a difference. Kellie Martin's voice-over added warmth and understanding to Christy's emotional journey into a place she would come to call home.

Patricia Green co-produced and wrote the teleplay for the original film, and the affection she and everyone involved with the project had for Catherine Marshall's book cames across in every frame, in every episode.

This series could break your heart one moment and uplift your spirits the next. It maintained a high standard of quality. Christy was a warm and sometimes poignant examination of a yong woman's personal journey of faith. It was, as the saying goes, "too good" for television, but remained on the air long enough to leave its mark.

It also was a great role for Kellie Martin, of "Life Goes On" fame. While she has found another good role as of late in a series of films as Samantha Kinsey, mystery lover and owner of a mystery book store, "Christy" will probably always be the role she will be most identified with. Fans have been waiting a long time for this one and it's a pleasant surprise to see it is finally being released. A must have for those who enjoy the best television has to offer.

How I loved this series when it was being aired on TV ! I'm so glad it is finally being put on dvd (and the whole series to boot!) --- It's just too bad that they never finished the series completely, but instead just left us hanging in the last episode as to whom Christy would choose as her husband .... I know they followed up this story with some tv-movies later on with different characters, but it would have been great to see it finished with the original cast -- However, this is a great family show, well worth watching ! Buy it -- you won't be sorry !

Having greatly enjoyed the novel by Catherine Marshall, I had decided to give the tv series a try as well...

Many times, I've been disappointed; tv shows or movies based upon books often cut out significant parts or change things around, creating a completely different impression from the original work. However, this wasn't the case with the "Christy" series! First and foremost, Kellie Martin and Tyne Daly were perfectly cast in the roles of 19-year-old schoolteacher Christy Huddleston and Quaker missionary Alice Henderson. Secondly, the show generally kept true with the storylines and descriptions first brought to life in Marshall's classic novel, making it easy for fans to make the transition to the show.

If you aren't familiar with the story, the general premise involves the title character, a recent transplant from a wealthy North Carolina family, who has just arrived in the poor but proud community of Cutter Gap, Tennessee, in 1912 to teach school. It's Christy's first time on her own, and her eyes are certainly opened as she experiences the effects of ignorance, poverty and disease. As she struggles to convert the residents to her beliefs, they also teach Christy a little about faith, nature, love and other life essentials.

Often seen with Christy are David Grantland, a young minister who is desperate to win her heart; and Neil MacNeil, a native doctor who equally intrigues and infuriates the stubborn, idealistic schoolteacher.

My only complaint is that the series was so short-lived! In my mind, we could certainly use a show like "Christy" on the air. Who wants some vapid "reality" show when you can get a glimpse of life during an intriguing period of American history? Not me!

I'm so glad this is finally coming to DVD. It was such a shame that this show was cancelled so quickly. It was very charming and had such wonderful actors. It's the kind of show that you can watch with your family. Highly recommended!

It was an interesting choice to transform the novel Christy into a tv series. With the expectation of millions running high, Christy made its debut in April 1994. Unlike a movie, the characters would have to take on lives of their own apart from the book (think Little House on the Prairie), which could potentially alienate its most receptive viewers---the readers of the novel.

If the producers had concerns about the public's reception, they need not have worried. The show was an instant success with the public, but unfortunately suffered in the ratings (due to poor time scheduling according to some sources) and only lasted two seasons. What success the show did have can greatly be attributed to its star, Kellie Martin, known for her work in Life Goes On, ER and now the Hallmark Channel's popular Mystery Woman. Martin, eighteen at the time, skillfully pulled off Christy's innocence and spunk to such a degree that she BECAME Christy in many viewers' minds.

"Only my father saw me to the Asheville station that Sunday morning in 1912."

When Catherine Marshall penned the first line of Christy some forty years ago, she couldn't possibly have known that an estimated 30 million people would read it. Christy was in Marshall's words "a story I have always wanted to write." Based on the real-life experiences of her mother and nine years in the writing, the novel was originally published by McGraw Hill in 1967. With more than 10 million copies in print, Christy is considered a landmark title in Christian publishing, but especially in Christian fiction. In a time when this genre was almost nonexistent except for the occasional Biblical epic, Christy tells the story of nineteen-year-old Christy Huddleston who travels to backwoods Cutter Gap, Tennessee to teach children in a mission school. Naive and inexperienced, her trials and triumphs fill nearly 500 engaging pages. Regrettably, Marshall (who died in 1983) never lived to see her novel come to life on the small screen.

Supporting cast members include notables such as Tyne Daly (Judging Amy, Cagney & Lacey) who played Alice Henderson, a devote Quaker and Christy's mentor. Daly won an Emmy in 1996 for the role. We quickly grow to love her portrayal of Alice, but this is where the show strayed from Marshall's original depiction of a kinder, gentler lady. The novel described her thus in postman Ben Pentland's words, "She's a smiley woman. All her wrinkles are smile-wrinkles. Has a heap o' hair, light hair, leetle grey in it now. Wears her hair in braids that she folds round and round her head, like---like a crown." Stewart Finlay-McLennan (The Last Sin Eater, National Treasure) as Dr. Neil McNeil was always a fan favorite, as was Emily Schulman's Ruby Mae Morrison, who offered some lightness and humor to the show.

Later episodes brought characters to life who had died in the novel before Christy ever arrived in Cutter Gap (Alice's daughter Margaret) or who died during the story (Tom McHone). Some even showed up who never existed in the book. Levar Burton's Daniel Scott seemed the most out of place of these. Like Michael Landon occasionally did with Little House on the Prairie, it seemed the writers were trying too hard with Burton's character to infuse modern themes into a historical setting. Then again, you can't beat the success of Little House, so maybe they were on the right track after all. Watch Christy as a tv show rather than a book adaptation and you'll be just fine.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of Christy is the way it upholds morals and spirituality. Not only are the heroine's physical adventures chronicled, but moral lessons are woven through the storylines as well. Those seeking excellent family entertainment will find 907 enjoyable minutes of it on this 4-disc set. It's a wonder why all 19 episodes are only now making it to DVD.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

This series was perhaps the best show that ever aired. It came on CBS in 1994 and was taken off 14 months later even though it had brought in the highest rating in its time slot. Apparantly it didn't have enough "appeal" to the 29-40 crowd and they wanted something not so family-friendly to pull in more advertising.

The book, written in 1967, is beautifully captured in this series, which is rare. It was wonderfully filmed, remarkably acted, and does not compare to any other series I have ever seen.

WARNING, however. If you watch it, you will be hooked. Few stories compare in magnitude.

I recommend also buying the book. Also the series diverts in a few places, it still stays true to the novel.

Happy watching!

I can't believe its been almost 15 years since this series was shown on TV. I loved all the episodes and yes, I too have worn out the VHS tapes. Its truly great to be able to have this series on DVD and I look forward to revisiting Cutter Gap and its inhabitants over and over again. Tyne Daly's amazing portrayal of Ms Alice, and Kellie Martin as Christy...the talented cast and heartwarming storylines are just a few of the reasons one should own this set! Highly recommended!

The original Christy series with Kelly Martin is the best and while this is a great set to own and watch over and over again, it's disppointing that the story was never finished until much later, and with another star playing Christy - just not the same! Despite that, these episodes are worth owning to watch over and over again. Christy struggles with spiritual issues just like the rest of us and the best lesson learned from all this is despite our flawed humanity, God still loves us and wants to use us for His good.

Upon viewing this series again for the first time in more than a decade, I was reminded anew of how much I deeply loved and respected it and how bitterly disappointed I was that it was cancelled after one season. I had forgotten just how much I missed it.

On its surface, 'Christy' looked like a simple attempt by CBS to recreate the alchemy of its hugely successful hit 'Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman,' with frontier family drama, a benevolent-fish-out-of-water heroine, and a dash of romance. But it ended up being a great deal more than that. It took those elements and added two other critical ingredients. One is well-worn in television storytelling, the other treated like the third rail of commercial TV.

The series was extremely conscientious about treating the denizens of the fictional mountain community of Cutter Gap with respect and dignity even as it showed the negative side of their almost feral life. Christy Huddleston was constantly learning not to condescend to them, even though many of their ways were not only backward but patently self-destructive, even deadly. She consistently learned as much from them as they did from her.

Most surprisingly, the series addressed religion in an adult manner, making it an organic part of the story rather than a theme to visit every so often. Christy teaches school to the mountain children as part of her service as a Christian missionary. She and the other missionaries speak of God as a matter of course and discuss their faith in honest, practical terms. They have faults and address them inconsistently but determinedly. The agnostic local doctor frequently confronts them with questions (some honest, some not) about their beliefs and motives and they respond honestly, sometimes learning more about themselves and their faith in the process, and frequently give the doctor something to chew on as well. And unlike most television Christians, they discover the error of preachiness without recanting the truth they were preaching. This balanced, faith-with-boots-on approach was bracingly refreshing and downright exciting in 1994. Recent attempts to 'humanize' Christian characters by essentially making them universalists (Aaron Sorkin, take note) get it all wrong. 'Christy' got it as close to right as I've seen yet.

Enough praise cannot be heaped on the then-19-year-old Kellie Martin, who carried the series with the aplomb of someone twice her age. She makes Christy not only adorable but admirable. And Tyne Daly, who won another Emmy for this role, is a constant treat.

My only qualms with this release echo everyone else's. Double-sided discs are a huge no-no. Handling them with care is always problematic. The low resolution necessary to fit them on so few discs is not too evident on a conventional 25" TV but is downright depressing on a larger set or a computer screen. There are no extras.

Still, I'll take this prize of a series any way I can get it. It's a fantastic find.

I, like many others have been waiting many years for the DVD release of this series. It was filmed in Townsend, TN just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which is only a few miles from my home. My wife worked as a seamstress in the wardrobe department for all episodes and spoke highly of the cast and crew. As for the series it is one of my favorites.

It was nice to see the mountains outside the National Park again before they were carved up by real estate developers in the late 90's. Now they are pocked by cabins and vacation homes for the rich "half-backs" (people from the north that retired to Florida in the 80's and later moved "half-way back" to Tennessee when Florida was over run with immigrants). As with all areas around the park, local folks can no longer afford to build here.

For several years after the series ended there were annual gatherings by fans to the set. When Miss Alice's and the Reverend's house used in the series mysteriously burned to the ground in the late 90's interest fell off.

The DVD's are another story. The 4 discs in the set are TWO-SIDED and there are ZERO EXTRAS included.