# North and South (1985)

> Two West Point classmates from opposing sides of the American Civil War try to keep their friendship alive while their families are torn apart by the conflict.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3107

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 15
- Episode runtime: 90 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, war, history
- Created by: Richard T. Heffron
- Network: ABC
- Cast: James Read, Lesley-Anne Down, Patrick Swayze, Philip Casnoff, Jonathan Frakes, Kyle Chandler, Lewis Smith, Terri Garber
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088583/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: melodramatic, sweeping, romantic, tense, nostalgic

## What critics say

Audiences rate the miniseries-style epic positively, valuing its sweeping historical scope and the long friendship at its center.

## Synopsis

North and South (1985-1994) is an American televised historical drama miniseries created by Richard T. Heffron and broadcast on ABC. Following the friendship of Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) of South Carolina and George Hazard (James Read) of Pennsylvania, two classmates who bond at West Point, the story follows how their loyalties pull them onto opposite sides of the American Civil War. Their families are drawn into the conflict as well, with Madeline Fabray LaMotte (Lesley-Anne Down) and Elkanah Bent (Philip Casnoff) adding romantic and political tension to the central story. Across three seasons and fifteen episodes of ninety minutes each, the series builds a broad, character-driven narrative in which personal bonds are tested by slavery, regional pride and the demands of national duty. Set in the antebellum and wartime American South and North, it moves between plantation households, military camps and battlefields. The tone is melodramatic and sweeping, emphasizing romance, loyalty and heartbreak against the backdrop of a nation dividing. Fans of Gone with the Wind, Roots and Lonesome Dove will find resonance in its epic scale and multigenerational family drama.

## Shows like North and South

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- [War and Remembrance (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/30072)
- [The Civil War (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/8991)
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