The Americans

I teach history both in high school and at a university. I am especially interested in the American Civil War, the War Between the States, or, as a North Carolina teacher put it to me, "Down here, we call it 'the War of Northern Aggression,'" But, to tell you the truth, one of the reasons I was an avid fan of "The Americans" when it played on television in 1961 was that it was "sexy." I was in 8th grade at the time and therefore of a budding, going on boiling over interest in exotic women. I particularly remember an episode when Dick Davalos goes into a back hills village to recruit some of their sharpshooting men into the Confederate army. Before he finds any men, he encounters a bevy of very shapely Daisy Mays who are very interested in him. What a test of his loyalty to the Southern cause! Should he go back to the battlefield or stay here with the Dogpatch harem?

Am I the only one who remembers the show this way?

1961 was the much-promoted Centennial of the Civil War. There were all sorts of specials, and docu-series, and articles in LIFE magazine, etc. This TV drama was excellent with a brother against brother theme. The fact that it lasted one year says a lot about the audience rather than the show. This was quality TV - and cross-reference "Arrest and Trial" (the precursor of "Law and Order") to see how long some quality shows last. I even remember in grade school trying to get classmates to watch "The Americans" with no luck. Their loss. And in this age of gutter, juvenile, and vicious humor a thoughtful drama like this won't ever be rerun or even on video. Too bad. With the right marketing there are enough Civil War enthusiasts to make video sales feasible. It was a memorable series showing how the war tore America apart.

This show made such an impression on me that I dreamt about it and remember my mother having to wake me and ask me who Ben was. I was talking in my sleep and was worried about if Ben was going to be alright. Pretty strong stuff for an 8 year old. Nothing grotesque or scary. A great story line that left an impression on a kid just beginning to worry about the reports from Huntley and Brinkley and hoping he'd never have to fight against his own brother. For years I've remembered those dreams and couldn't remember the name of the show. I'd love to see it again. I sure hope A&E, TV Land, Nick@Nite or HistoryChannel see to it to run this series. Are you listening over there? Thanks to IMDb for helping solve the mystery of what the source of those dreams were.

I have remembered this TV series for nearly 40 years. It was a heart tugging series, about two brothers fighting the Civil War. One brother was in the Union Army and the other in the Confederate Army.

You just knew one day they would meet face to face on the battlefield, and you just didn't want that to happen. You drew yourself to each of the brothers, in their individual stories of the war.

Good history of times past, warm family feelings torn apart by war.

There is room for a new TV series based upon this story line, today. I hope some producer picks it up and goes with it.

I remember seeing this series and liking it though I don't remember a lot of the content. One scene I do recall was an officer sitting on a horse writing a dispatch and asking another character how to spell "pizen" and when he said poison the officer asked incredulously " p-O-i"?!As I recall it was a well done series. I was just starting out as a re-enactor during the centennial and getting a uniform and attended my first reenactment that year at Phillipi, WV in June, after the last episode of the series had been shown in May. It would be nice if the series is released on DVD for the sesquicentennial and the 50th anniversary of the series.