The Awakening Land is one of the best mini-series I have ever seen. I well remember when this first came out on TV. I called in sick to work in order to finish watching it. Elizabeth Montgomery did a marvelous job, and I can't believe it hasn't been made available commercially. If you have any interest at all in how the pioneers handled the settling of new territory, this is an absolute must. It reminded me a bit of 'How the West Was Won' in scope, although it doesn't cover as many generations. Hal Holbrook gave a great performance too. I have always admired the courage of the early pioneers and the hard lives they led. The Awakening Land is a great showcase of this courage and how these pioneers handled the tough circumstances under which they lived.