Into the West is a 2005 miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks, with six episodes of two hours each (including commercials). The series was first broadcast in the U.S. on Turner Network Television (TNT) on six consecutive weeks starting on June 10, 2005, in the UK on BBC2 and on BBC HD from 4 November 2006 and in Canada on CBC Television.
The miniseries begins in the 1820s and is told mainly through the third person narration of Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle) and Loved By the Buffalo (Joseph M. Marshall III), although episodes outside the direct observation of both protagonists are also shown. The plot follows the story of two families, one white American, one Native American, as their lives become mingled through the momentous events of American expansion. The story intertwines real and fictional characters and events spanning the period of expansion of the United States in the American West, from 1825 to 1890.
The show has a large cast, with about 250 speaking parts. The series features well known performers including Wes Studi, Irene Bedard, Russell Means, Graham Greene, Raoul Trujillo, Gordon Tootoosis, Michael Spears, Lance Henriksen, Simon Baker, Gil Birmingham and Sheila Tousey.
A 4 disc DVD boxset was released on October 4, 2005. There will be producer, director, and cast interviews among the 6 episodes of the series and other various features. Some violent scenes were edited out from the DVD to make it more "classroom friendly". A 6 disc set is also available.Wikipedia
,_2005.jpg "Into the West (TV miniseries), 2005")