I have just watched "Harley and the Davidsons" about the beginnings of the Harley Davidson Motor cycle company. The production values, sets, costumes, outdoor locations, and the recreations of the old motor cycles were top notch, but the overall feel of the show was of a cross between 'Dukes of Hazzard' and the Saturday morning matinee where the kiddies would be jumping up and down in their seats and slopping their ice cream at the motor cycle races. Boo the baddies, cheer for the goodies! Early Harley Davidson motor cycles substitute for the General Lee. The bad guys were stooping to every dirty trick in the book to stop Harley and the Davidsons succeeding and drive them out of business. Joe Merkel, boo. Axel Ford, boo. Eventually they were rescued in the mid 30's by the Japanese.
Overall, a feel good family friendly series with no sex, chaste kisses, no swearing, just a few villainous characters determined to spoil the party. Including a Boss Hogg parody - a fat white suited and hatted southern sheriff who contemptuously referred to the only African American character as 'boy!' (In Milwaukee?)
Judging by the amount of beer the characters consumed, I began to wonder if the financing for the miniseries had been provided by a Milwaukee brewer as they supped in every scene, especially while working on the bikes. The first two parts were excellent following the birth and growth of the company and seeing how they designed and assembled the engines. The third part got a little cartoonish descending into children's matinee territory as the young depression era enthusiasts who built their bikes from scrapped parts and held outlawed races were chased by 'Boss Hogg' and the crooked police until they finally won. References and legends hit over the head with a sledgehammer force: early in series, someone gave them a little pig as a gift - get it? the young enthusiasts were referred to as outlaws building their bikes from chopped up scrapped bikes - get it? after a violent race, the Harley team were referred to as a wrecking crew - get it?
The series ended with the introduction of the shovel head at one of the outlaw races. Whether this really happened or was for dramatic license I cannot say, other than the kids saved the day!
I would like to have seen more in the making of feature showing how the bikes used in the series were created from scratch using the original drawings, and how the sets and race tracks were built, especially the wooden track on which they raced at high and occasionally deadly speed. I can honestly say that this the first show I have watched in which more action took place in the machine shop and race track than anywhere else, and which held my attention as they ground down the metal parts and mopped up the oil.
The blue ray boxed set which came with DVD and Ultra Violet copies was well worth it.
Overall, a feel good family friendly series with no sex, chaste kisses, no swearing, just a few villainous characters determined to spoil the party. Including a Boss Hogg parody - a fat white suited and hatted southern sheriff who contemptuously referred to the only African American character as 'boy!' (In Milwaukee?)
Judging by the amount of beer the characters consumed, I began to wonder if the financing for the miniseries had been provided by a Milwaukee brewer as they supped in every scene, especially while working on the bikes. The first two parts were excellent following the birth and growth of the company and seeing how they designed and assembled the engines. The third part got a little cartoonish descending into children's matinee territory as the young depression era enthusiasts who built their bikes from scrapped parts and held outlawed races were chased by 'Boss Hogg' and the crooked police until they finally won. References and legends hit over the head with a sledgehammer force: early in series, someone gave them a little pig as a gift - get it? the young enthusiasts were referred to as outlaws building their bikes from chopped up scrapped bikes - get it? after a violent race, the Harley team were referred to as a wrecking crew - get it?
The series ended with the introduction of the shovel head at one of the outlaw races. Whether this really happened or was for dramatic license I cannot say, other than the kids saved the day!
I would like to have seen more in the making of feature showing how the bikes used in the series were created from scratch using the original drawings, and how the sets and race tracks were built, especially the wooden track on which they raced at high and occasionally deadly speed. I can honestly say that this the first show I have watched in which more action took place in the machine shop and race track than anywhere else, and which held my attention as they ground down the metal parts and mopped up the oil.
The blue ray boxed set which came with DVD and Ultra Violet copies was well worth it.