Beulah Land is a 1980 three-part television miniseries which aired on NBC. The series was based on the novels Beulah Land and Look Away, Beulah Land by Lonnie Coleman.
The Civil War-themed series received heavy criticism as being racially offensive as it was being made. This caused the series' release date to be pushed back from May 1980 to October, and some changes to be made to the script, including one scene where slaves freed in a will instead seemed to want to remain slaves.
The review of the final product were mixed, with the Associated Press calling it successful as a soap opera, "not uplifting, but nicely diverting"; the New York Times review was titled "Pure Corn Pone"; and The Washington Post review was decidedly negative, calling it an "idiotic, inept, cynically exploitative travesty."
The story is set in Georgia, and the production was filmed in Natchez, Mississippi including at the Melrose mansion. It centers on the Kendrick family, owners of Beulah Land, and those connected to the plantation by history and fate. The sweeping drama links the Kendricks with the Davises, owners of a neighboring plantation. The story covers the 45-year period from 1827 to 1872 from the heights of Beulah Land's splendor through its destruction during the American Civil War and to its rebuilding in the Reconstruction period.
All three parts were among the top 10 American prime time television shows for the week of October 6–12, 1980, when they first aired. Part III was the third-most watched program of the week with a 24.4 rating (19 million homes). Part II was sixth with a 23.2 rating (18 million homes), and Part I was seventh with a 22 rating (17.1 million homes).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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