Following the true life story of Harley Davidson, a trio of ambitious guys and the founder of motorcycles in America, showing their early life challenges and how they manage to achieve success.
History buffs will appreciate how the miniseries articulates the way modern invention and global events contribute to the practical and cultural role Harley Davidson has played in the U.S. for more than a century.
Yes, we know how all of this turns out, simply because although there are other great brands, Harley-Davidson is still the name most people think of when they think of motorcycles. But that doesn't detract from the considerable fun of the miniseries.
While this is a fun, one-off mini that takes a little too long to get the story done, it's far from groundbreaking. Given what the actual Davidsons and Harley accomplished back in the early 1900s, that's disappointing indeed.
Strong performances and an ambitious scope are underserved by disjointed pacing and a scattered focus in Discovery Channel's new miniseries Harley and the Davidsons.
The miniseries, allegedly based in fact, is one great big advertorial for the company, not that it doesn't have its pleasures, chief among them some thrilling road contests that suggest the chariot races of Ben-Hur.
Anything more complex or nuanced might have made Harley and the Davidsons into a better miniseries, but I have no doubt that this is much closer to what any viewer willing to dedicate six hours to a motorcycle miniseries will want.
The miniseries is far too flat and uncritical to be anything except a romantic snapshot of a sliver of American history, but it manages to be filled with, and to build itself around, the pure passion so many enthusiasts have for their machines.
