Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1970s Television
    1970s Television Drama Shows A USA TV 4 Mins Read

    Aspen

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 7 (USA)
    3 x 100 minute episodes

    The town of Aspen, high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, is a gathering place for the beautiful people – the wealthy and diabolically lazy folk who have nothing better to do.

    In this fictionalised dealing with Aspen – based on two novels, Aspen by Burt Hirschfeld and The Adversary by Bart Spicer – the so-called beautiful people revel in insensitivity and immorality.

    The star of the six-hour saga is the town of Aspen itself, and it has been magnificently photographed under the direction of Douglas Heyes who also wrote the lengthy teleplay.

    Wrapped in clouds of snow, the homes, the hotels and the ranches scream opulence loudly and clearly.

    This Aspen, however, also harbours graft and corruption, stand-over merchants, spoiled heiresses, tennis-playing gigolos, money-hungry landowners, and 15-year-old nymphomaniacs who sneak out of their bedrooms at night.

    With those ingredients, the plot invariably turns to murder. It is unsurprising then, to learn that the victim is only 15.

    Perry King, Sam Elliott and Michelle Phillips play the central characters in the story which begins in Acapulco in the 1950s and travels to Aspen several years later.

    King is Lee Bishop, a tennis player who vows eternal love to Gloria Osborne (Phillips) and follows her around the country to prove it. Her millionaire father Carl Osborne (Gene Barry at his nastiest) is vehemently opposed to the relationship and has the persistent swain bashed rather violently by some heavies.

    The young man is not deterred by the father’s attitude and follows Gloria to her haven in the Rocky Mountains. Upon arrival, he meets up with an old army friend, Budd Townsend (Bo Hopkins), an encounter which should have been avoided.

    Budd is surly, a bit of a drip, a drug runner for a wealthy businessman (Anthony Franciosa) and has a passion for underage girls.

    In next to no time, Lee meets the murder victim, Angela Morelli (Deborah Richter), a teenage nymphet who deserves a good clout with a hairbrush but instead gets paid for her services.  She pays him far too much attention. He could not care less. And Budd is consumed with jealousy.

    Gloria Osborne re-enters the scene, marriage is discussed, and she agrees to meet the next night to elope. Instead, she flies off to Germany with her father, leaving her boyfriend all alone in the cold, cold snow – with a celebration cake, a bottle of champagne and, later, another headache.

    Enter miss teenager who takes advantage of the sozzled, jilted one, and they embark on a wild – but shaky – night out on a motorbike. It is a one-way ride for the youngster who is left stranded permanently in the snow-capped woods.

    Lee Bishop is now the number one murder suspect, facing a death sentence.

    Sam Elliott plays Tom Keating, a dashing, idealistic attorney who turns jurisprudence into personal profit. He takes the case into his own hands and, through brilliantly manipulative courtroom techniques, manages to prove Bishop’s innocence while promoting his own career.

    Meanwhile, greedy big city land grabbers, controlled by millionaire Osborne, are attempting to wipe out the individual landowners – including Keating’s father, Owen (John McIntire), who resists in fine style.

    It is but another of the interwoven stories which creep into Aspen during its six-hour run.

    There is some fine acting from the large cast who drift like the snowflakes through the alpine resort. John Houseman is exceptionally memorable as the ageing Judge Joseph Drummond who would rather enjoy a lobster lunch than listen to such trivialities as proving a man’s innocence.

    Gene Barry is the personification of everything that is evil. Anthony Franciosa is smugly arrogant as the wealthy drug pusher. And Doug Heyes Jr, as Barry’s son, has every reason to dislike them all intensely.

    There is not one pleasant character in Aspen. There are, however, enough characters – along with plot twists and turns – to keep viewers more than entertained. And Colorado is very photogenic.

    Tom Keating
    Sam Elliott
    Lee Bishop
    Perry King
    Gloria Osborne
    Michelle Phillips
    Carl Osborne
    Gene Barry
    Max Kendrick
    Roger Davis
    Budd Townsend
    Bo Hopkins
    Abe Singer
    George DiCenzo
    Alex Budde
    Anthony Franciosa
    Kit Kendrick
    Jessica Harper
    Jon Osborne
    Doug Heyes Jr
    Owen Keating
    John McIntire
    Harry Rodano
    Michael Carr
    Joan Carolinian
    Martine Beswick
    Sam Dinehart
    Lee de Broux
    Judge Joseph Merrill Drummond
    John Houseman
    Coker
    Don Collier
    Judge Miles Kendrick
    William Prince
    Len Ralston
    Angus Duncan
    Dan Malatesta
    James O’Connell
    Miss Malatta
    Leslie Simms
    Jacqueline Camerovsky
    Connie Kreski
    Horton Paine
    Joseph Cotten
    Angela Morelli
    Deborah Richter
    Mrs Morelli
    Corinne Camacho

    Related Posts

    • Miami Undercover
      Miami Undercover
      1 9 6 1 (USA) 38 x 30 minute episodes "This is Miami Beach and it’s quite a town. The richest…
    • Two Faces West
      Two Faces West
      1 9 6 0 - 1 9 6 1 (USA) 39 x 30 minute episodes In this syndicated half-hour western…
    • Secrets of Midland Heights
      Secrets of Midland Heights
      1 9 8 0 - 1 9 8 1 (USA) 10 x 60 minute episodes Midland Heights is a typical,…
    • Man Called Shenandoah, A
      Man Called Shenandoah, A
      1 9 6 5 - 1 9 6 6 (USA) 34 x 30 minute episodes Wagon Train star Robert Horton was given…
    • Freddy’s Nightmares
      Freddy’s Nightmares
      1 9 8 8 - 1 9 9 0 (USA) 44 x 60 minute episodes The mythical town of Springwood was…
    • Mike Hammer
      Mike Hammer
      1 9 8 4 - 1 9 8 6 (USA) 1 x 120 minute episode 46 x 60 minute episodes This…
    • Picket Fences
      Picket Fences
      1 9 9 2 - 1 9 9 6 (USA) 1 x 120 minute episode 87 x 60 minute episodes Rome,…
    • Gibbsville
      Gibbsville
      1 9 7 6 (USA) 8 x 60 minute episodes The saga of a small Pennsylvanian mining town and its people…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleInvacar
    Next Article Roof Over My Head, A

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site
    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small.
    Thank you so much. Enjoy your trip in the time machine!
    You may also like

    • Love For Lydia
      Love For Lydia
      1 9 7 7 (UK) 13 x episodes The ITV drama department made expensive mistakes in 1977 with Love For Lydia, a…
    • Alaskans, The
      Alaskans, The
      1 9 5 9 - 1 9 6 0 (USA) 37 x 60 minute episodes "Got the fever, got the…
    • Gibbsville
      Gibbsville
      1 9 7 6 (USA) 8 x 60 minute episodes The saga of a small Pennsylvanian mining town and its people…
    • Public Defender
      Public Defender
      1 9 5 4 - 1 9 5 5 (USA) 70 x 30 minute episodes Bart Andrews (Reed Hadley) was a…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.