Die glorreichen Sieben

It is Saturday Jan.4,2003. The Hallmark Channel has picked up the syndication of The Magnificent Seven TV show. I just finished watching the 2 hour pilot show. I still love the show. We watched the show every week when it first aired. We were saddened when it went off the air. Thank you Hallmark channel for running it in syndication. I now can enjoy a wonderfully done, televison remake of a classic movie.

As a dyed-in-the-wool western fan for most of my life, I was a little dubious about the series, but when it finally aired in the UK I loved it!

Some of the direction in the Pilot was a little poor and haphazard, but I loved the chemistry between the seven actors, all of whom looked as though they were having a whale of a time.

The subject matter has been varied, from prostitution to slavery, serial murder to religious intolerance, a welcome change from the shoot-em-up mindless tosh we have been offered previously. Coupled with well-written, witty scripts and a fabulous cast, it has been a revelation.

Each of the seven is well-delineated, their characters complimenting each other; from the haunted leader to the smiling ladies'-man, the earnest healer to the acquistive gambler, the quiet, deadly sharpshooter to the brash greenhorn, and, of course, the great Ron Perlman as the penance-ridden ex-preacher, it has been a true delight.

Very saddening that it only lasted two seasons - the Powers-That-Be should be ashamed of themselves.

I have been hooked on this show since the pilot first aired. I was a fan of the original movie and love Westerns, so I had to check it out. I also was a fan of Michael Biehn, especially from science fiction, which didn't hurt.

What a treat! The actors are both handsome and skilled, the sets and plot lines are authentic, and there is a nice balance of drama and humor. There is plenty of room for plot development and great interplay between a solid ensemble cast. I especially appreciate the inclusion of blacks, Latinos, and realistic portrayals of Native Americans -- the West was widely populated with all types of people, and that comes through clearly here. The guest stars have also been fantastic, and some may become regular guests.

I've been taping and re-watching each episode several times -- it's that good. If you haven't watched it yet, check it out -- you won't be sorry!

Kali

This was an amazingly well crafted show, that was over too soon! In a market that was glutted with cookie-cutter dramas and sit-coms, Magnificent Seven was a welcome change. Sylistically, it didn't look like anything else on TV, and it certainly didn't have the same story lines as anything else on any other network. Unfortunately, westerns on TV were not destined to make a comeback that season.

I'm a big fan of the original with Brynner and McQueen, and believe me -Biehn and Close were well able to fill those remarkable shoes! Eric Close even LOOKS like Steve McQueen! And believe me - the chemistry of the seven actors is something I've not seen on TV since - and likely will not see again. There was a friendship between all seven main actors, which made their characters easier to believe and twice as engaging to watch.

This show had action, drama, comedy, brotherhood, and just a pinch of romance. It was clean enough, yet entertaining enough for younger kids to watch, and interesting enough to keep adults coming back each week. I think it's still viewable on the Hallmark channel, but not everyone has that channel available. What I wouldn't give for DVD's...

It was a wonderful film and TV series with great chemistry between the cast and terrific character development. I enjoyed the original movie, but this one far surpasses it in the casting, you couldn't have found a better ensemble that worked so well together. Even the bit characters were well done. It was nice also to have some connection besides the original music when they put Robert Vaughn in as Judge Travis. In the original movie a viewer couldn't really connect with the characters as well as you could with the remake in 1998. The interaction between the men was much better than the original. Also this cast would work well with the same characters even if they were moved to a different time and occupation (ie: maybe an ATF team or military team) simply because of the chemistry. It should have lasted longer.