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.
