The Dirtwater Dynasty

A very compelling saga spanning three generations of one family on both sides of the world. All characters were portrayed well adding to the emotional value. It also explained some of the usually unmentioned treatment of prisoners of war at the hands of the Japanese.

Awesome epic. Now available on DVD. Grew up watching this time and time again and now have the pleasure of re-watching it on DVD. Not a lot of features but who needs them. You have 7.5hrs of viewing pleasure. I have found an unnatural ability to quote every inch of this saga. I can only say it's left an impression on me. It was my first introduction to Hugo Weaving, way before the Matrix.

The music is what I remember most about this story. Very emotive. You can't help but feel sad at each turn of fate. Very different kind of story to movies such as LOTR, no special effects, just good story.

I recommend watching this if you love epics, Australia or a good sob story!

I was in Australia when this miniseries premiered, and raced home each night to watch it. My host, on the last night, handed me and his wife a box of tissues and told us we were going to need it. He wasn't kidding!!

The Eastwick family struggles through a century of world wars,famine, drought, and boon times but is cursed. Whatever Richard Eastwick loves, he loses. Whether it is bad timing or missed chances or just the normal "gotcha" of life, he has plenty of things, but no someone with which to share it. Beautiful cinematography, strong characterization and acting, haunting music, and Australia itself makes this miniseries unforgettable.

I, too, would like to own this on video or DVD. My host had taped the whole production, but I was unsure if the VCRs were compatible, so I left the videos there. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Please let us know if it ever becomes available for sale - even in Australia!

To everyone (including my Mum) who SO desperately wanted to see this released on DVD: the 3-disc box set came out on 16th June 2005.

Dirtwater Dynasty" is the story of embittered rivalry, triumph and despair. The life of Richard Eastwick is told in a story spanning three generations and eight decades. Born in the London slums in 1878, he comes to Australia at age 20, with nothing but a handful of courage and a dream. He acquires land, marries and raises a family, wins loyal friends and makes bitter enemies, and builds a land and cattle ranching empire. Both world wars and the economic depression take their toll on his family. But his dream to create a dynasty gives him a reason to continue. Released: Friday, 17 June 2005 Actors: Hugo Weaving Ernie Dingo Peter Phelps Bruce Spence Aust/Foreign: Australian Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 16:9 Enhanced Transfer Format: Widescreen Category: TV Series Region: 4 Year: 1988 Distributor: Roadshow Rating: M15+ Languages: English Subtitles: English - HI Running Time: 450 mins

It's PAL, so US fans might have trouble. The RRP is AUS$44.95 and should be available from anywhere you'd normally buy DVDs.

I am so glad to see that The Dirtwater Dynasty has been released on DVD. This is the sad part - it is only out in PAL format, and I have NTSC. I don't suppose someone has been so nice as to dub it into the NTSC format? This is such a great mini-series, and a terrible loss to folks in the U.S. who won't get to watch it. It would be so nice if one of the independent networks would pick it up. After all, we can purchase "A Town Like Alice", which is another good one. Hugo Weaving is strong in his portrayal, that it is a shame it isn't better known outside of Australia. Oh well, I have waited a long time to purchase this mini-series. I guess a few more years won't make that big a difference. Something this powerful never leaves your mind, and the music you can never forget.