Storyline

The story of the enduring friendship between Orry Main of South Carolina and George Hazard of Pennsylvania, who become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point but later find themselves and their families on opposite sides of the American Civil War.

First Aired

1985-11-03
Last Aired

1994-03-02
Creator

Richard T. Heffron
Genre

Drama, War & Politics
Seasons

3
Episodes

15
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

ABC

Keywords:

slavery male friendship west point american civil war abolitionist

Stream and watch North and South

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

1. Summer 1842 - Summer 1844

1842: Orry Main leaves the cotton plantation near Charleston that he's heir to on his way to West Poin...More

1842: Orry Main leaves the cotton plantation near Charleston that he's heir to on his way to West Point for two years of officer's training. On the way, he meets and falls in love with Madeline Fabray, who agrees to write to him. However, her father needs her to wed Orry's rude neighbor, rich plantation owner Justin LaMotte. Orry's letters to Madeline become intercepted by her father so she becomes susceptible to Justin's generous courting. At West Point, Orry meets fellow cadet George Hazard, son of a Pennsylvania manufacturer. The hazing lives up to its reputation, not least due to drill master Elkanah Bent, who takes particular pleasure in humbling the cadets at sword-practice, but is humiliatingly defeated by Orry. George introduces Orry to his Pennsylvania family and their iron factory. After graduating and returning home, Orry stops an overseer from happily whipping a slave, but his father, Tillet, refuses to sack the sadist.Less

93mins 1985-11-03

2. Autumn 1844 - Spring 1848

George distracts Orry, whose brooding about Madeline wrecks his West Point performance. Bent bluffs hi...More

George distracts Orry, whose brooding about Madeline wrecks his West Point performance. Bent bluffs his way out of a court-martial but its president eventually bullies him out of West Point. At a party hosted by Tillet Main, Justin scolds Madeline for disagreeing with separatism and arranges for a slave to give public offense so the overseer is allowed to punish him with branding. Bent trades on his status as the bastard son of Ohio's U.S. Senator to get commissioned as an infantry captain in the Mexican-American War. In command once again of lieutenants Orry and George, he sends them on a suicide mission. Both survive but Orry is crippled for life. Constance, the daughter of the colonel who saves Orry from dying from his wounds, becomes George's true love. When George's father dies, he resigns his commission and returns home. The branded slave runs away and even reclusive Orry joins the manhunt, reuniting him with reluctant Madeline and starting their secret affair.Less

93mins 1985-11-05

3. Spring 1848 - Summer 1854

George and Orry's friendship is severely tested when one of the Mains' slaves escapes. Orry still trav...More

George and Orry's friendship is severely tested when one of the Mains' slaves escapes. Orry still travels to Pennsylvania for George and Constance's wedding, but when he hears a speech given by Virgilia Hazard at an abolitionist rally, he realizes the depth of their divisions. George's mother decides that he should assume full control at the family iron works, much to his older brother Stanley's dismay. Orry's father dies, and his first act as owner of the plantation is to fire the cruel slave overseer. Orry's cousin Charles finds himself challenged to a duel and Orry acts as his second. Orry's sister Ashton is something of a flirt and being pursued by lawyer James Huntoon. The Mains visit the Hazards for the summer, where Charles and George's younger brother Billy, who are both West Point-bound, become close friends. Orry's younger sister, Brett, takes an interest in Billy but he seems to prefer Ashton. Madeline's marriage to Justin continues to decline after he beats and whips her.Less

93mins 1985-11-06

4. Summer 1854 - Autumn 1856

When the Hazards visit Mont Royal, Billy loses interest in Ashton when he sees her with another man, t...More

When the Hazards visit Mont Royal, Billy loses interest in Ashton when he sees her with another man, turning his interests to Brett. Virgilia meets James Hontoon's coachman Grady and forms an instant attraction to him. After spending the night together, she helps him run away to the North, which leads to a confrontation with Huntoon. Orry feels he has little choice but to ask the Hazards to leave. Virgilia and Grady are soon living together as husband and wife but that makes even some of the most ardent supporters of abolition uncomfortable. Billy and Charles graduate from West Point with Billy assigned to go to Washington, D.C. and Charles sent to Texas under the command of Robert E. Lee. Billy proposes to Brett, but Orry will not allow him to court her. Ashton continues to scheme her way through society and turns to Madeline when she gets into trouble. Meanwhile, Madeline's father is on his deathbed and shocks her by revealing a hidden family secret.Less

94mins 1985-11-07

5. Spring 1857 - November 1860

With Madeline locked in her room and nearly starving to death, Justin convinces the doctor to prescrib...More

With Madeline locked in her room and nearly starving to death, Justin convinces the doctor to prescribes a daily dose of laudanum despite its addictive qualities. Madeline is soon a very different woman: submissive and with few words to say, having little memory of her love affair with Orry and their decision to run off together. Orry and Brett travel to Philadelphia where he wants to give his good friend George Hazard his share of the profits from their joint cotton mill. Unfortunately while there, Virgilia has a confrontation with Orry over slavery. Orry and Brett leave and it will be some time before before he and George see one another. On the trip home, they are stopped by a group led by abolitionist John Brown. Ashton, now married to James Hontoon, still spends a good deal of her time in bed with her other lovers. The secession movement quickly gains ground and war is seen as inevitable should Abraham Lincoln win the forthcoming elections.Less

93mins 1985-11-09

6. November 6, 1860 - April 12, 1861

Lincoln is elected President, and George pays a surprise visit to Orry to apologize for what his fanat...More

Lincoln is elected President, and George pays a surprise visit to Orry to apologize for what his fanatical sister said on their last visit and they resolve their differences, with Orry finally consenting to Brett marrying Billy. Ashton is still out for revenge and arranges for Billy to be attacked on the street, though it's not successful. She then turns to her lover Forbes LaMotte, Justin's nephew, to get the deed done, and Billy and Brett's wedding seems to be just the right day. Madeline overhears the plot and rushes to tell Orry, who tells her she will stay at Mont Royal and never return to Justin. Bent plots to run any blockade imposed on Southern ports. Orry travels to Pennsylvania to finish repaying George his investment in the cotton mill and realizes the full extent of the hatred that now exists. Confederate forces attack Fort Sumter and war is declared, forcing George and Orry say farewell, not knowing what the future may hold for their families or their friendship.Less

94mins 1985-11-10

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Off Centre

Cast

James Read

George Hazard

Lesley-Anne Down

Madeline Fabray LaMotte

Patrick Swayze

Orry Main

Philip Casnoff

Elkanah Bent

Terri Garber

Ashton Main Fenway

Jonathan Frakes

Stanley Hazard

Kyle Chandler

Charles Main

Cathy Lee Crosby

Judith Main

Mariette Hartley

Prudence

Rya Kihlstedt

Willa

Tom Noonan

Will Fenway

Stan Shaw

Isaac

Rip Torn

Adolphus

Robert Wagner

Cooper Main

Billy Dee Williams

Francis Cardozo

Cliff DeYoung

Gettys

Gary Grubbs

Lt. Pickles

Chris Burke

Jim

Gregory Zaragoza

Scar

Peter O'Toole

Sam Trump

Sharon Washington

Jane

Ann Dowd

Maureen

Darryl Theirse

Titus

Cameron Finley

Gus

Brad Leland

Beaufort

Julius Tennon

Micah

Videos and Photos

Movie Reviews

Reviews for North and South

A Review by SoSmooth1982 1

Written by SoSmooth1982 on 2023-07-20

I bought this thinking it was a movie. I have season 1. Only watched half of it. It is just really dumb, not sure if their suppose to be at ... read more

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)

A Review by Andre Gonzales

I bought this thinking it was a movie. I have season 1. Only watched half of it. It is just really dumb, not sure if their suppose to be at war, or if it's a love story. I don't know....

A Review by SoSmooth1982 1

Written by SoSmooth1982 on 2023-07-20

I bought this thinking it was a movie. I have season 1. Only watched half of it. It is just really dumb, not sure if their suppose to be at war, or if it's a love story. I don't know....