Aspen

This lushly-mounted mini-series -- shown over three nights back in November of 1977 -- is based on two separate and unrelated novels: Bart Spicer's "The Adversary" and Burt Hirschfeld's "Aspen." These origins may explain why the mini-series persists in telling two stories which never quite come together and do little to support or illuminate each other. There's the story of a powerful land developer who uses heavy- handed methods to force his plans onto the fabric of a small town, and then there's the story of a headline-grabbing rape-and-murder trial. The former story is trite and obvious; the latter tempts and teases but never satisfies, even after its solution is finally revealed. The resulting product can be labeled a "time-killer" but it lacks the necessary flair which might have pushed it into the "guilty pleasure" category. Star-watchers will see plenty of largely second-string names paraded in front of them, but none of these actors make much of an impression and all of them are clearly in this just for a paycheck. Fans of "cheesecake" won't find much to savor but there's plenty of bare chests for the "beefcake" crowd. Sam Elliott, Perry King, Tony Franciosa, Bo Hopkins, and Doug Heyes jr. all find opportunities to take off their shirts and display their pecs. Elliott (hairy) and Heyes (smooth) look especially good.

"Aspen" was a trashy but very absorbing and fun pilot for a legal/mystery series that would have starred Sam Elliott.

The executive producer was the great Roy Huggins who gave us "Cheyenne", "Maverick", "Colt 45", "77 Sunset Strip", "Run For Your Life", "The Outsider", and "The Rockford Files", as well as creating but not producing "The Fugitive".

Roy Huggins gave us two of the best westerns and three of the best private detective series in the history of TV. If this series had sold, Roy Huggins might have given us one of the great legal dramas. (His "Lawyers" section of "The Bold Ones" was very entertaining but the three lead characters could have been sharper.)

You could be sure a lawyer hero in a Roy Huggins' series would have behaved more like a tough private eye than a lawyer, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Huggins always come up with absorbing, puzzling, Gothic stories for his series.

Sam Elliott should have been one of the great, legendary series leads like other Roy Huggins' heroes Clint Walker, James Garner, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Ben Gazzara, Darren McGavin, and David Janssen.

This unsold pilot was a real missed opportunity for Sam Elliott and Roy Huggins, a tantalizing might have been.

I was snowed in one weekend at a lake house with my future husband and we watched this mini series, and I have been in love with Sam Elliott ever since. I really wish I could watch it again.

Sam Elliott and Perry King play one of the greatest parts of their careers in this compelling drama situated in the Colorado Mountains.

Aspen, the mini-series,(also known by another name) is a wonderful drama wrapped around the locals and visitor skiers.

Why, oh why is this mini-series not available on VCR/DVD??? Not only is there a ton of money to be made, but this wonderful dramatic story should be shared with a new generation! I've been looking for this mini-series for over 20 years!

Please find out who and how we can make this wonderful dramatic story available for the masses!

There are so many twists and turns; testing of friendships, and outwitting the authorities.

Thank you for listening!

I was glued to the tube both times this aired, ignoring children and classwork and what-have-you, and managed to tape it neither--the second time as they saw fit to confuse us with a name change, which made me miss the first episode. It is adult soap opera, complex and engrossing, with Sam Elliott at his "Lifeguard" best--before the cowboy roles came to dominate his acting career. It was similar to seeing Judd Hirsch in "The Law," another 'mini-series' where you knew the lead was an actor who would be around for quite some time.

I check periodically to see whether or not the 'powers that be' have seen fit to put out a tape or DVD of either of these great mini-series from the 1970s. Alas, not yet. Here's hoping. I'd gladly pay a small fortune to see either again.