Centennial Revisited: An Oral History of the Epic TV Miniseries

Author Perry Hibner will be at the Dover Public Library on Monday, June 8 at 2:00 PM in the community room. He will share stories from his latest book Centennial Revisited: An Oral History of the Epic TV Miniseries, which includes interviews with Barbara Carrera, Gregory Harrison, Cristina Raines, Stephen McHattie, William Atherton, Cliff DeYoung and many more. Hibner will also share details about casting gleaned from creator and executive producer John Wilder and others. There will be a Q & A and a book signing.
The popular miniseries first aired on NBC in 1978-79. There were 12 episodes that spanned 26 hours. More than 28 million households watched the first episode on October 1, 1978. But due to scheduling and poor promotion the miniseries never received the recognition it deserved and failed to draw an audience like other large-scale productions during that time.
The miniseries was based on James A. Michener’s book Centennial, a 1974 historical novel that chronicles the history of a fictional town in Colorado from prehistoric times to the 1970s, focusing on the land, its Native American inhabitants, and the waves of settlers, trappers, and cowboys who shaped the American West. The novel explores themes of conflict, survival, and westward expansion.
Perry Hibner’s first encounter was in middle school when he read Michener’s Centennial. He was 14 years old when the miniseries first aired. He has been a fan of the book and miniseries ever since. Hibner, a retired journalist and teacher, worked for 25 years in the sports department of the Wisconsin State Journal and also taught social studies and journalism at Green Lake High School in Wisconsin. He lives in Middleton, Wisconsin with his wife Sheila.
This program will be held on Monday, June 8 at 2:00 PM at the Dover Public Library, located at 525 N. Walnut Street. To register, visit www.doverlibrary.org/events or call the library at 330-343-6123.