| Director: | Alberto Lattuada |
| Starring: | Gabriel Byrne Rossano Brazzi Oliver Reed Raf Vallone Max von Sydow Eli Wallach Faye Dunaway |
| Music: | Riz Ortolani |
| Country: | Italy United States France West Germany |
| Language: | English |
| Producer: | Silvio Clementelli Anna Maria Clementelli |
| Executive Producer: | Malcolm Stuart Ervin Zavada |
| Editor: | Russell Lloyd |
| Cinematography: | Gianlorenzo Battaglia Franco Di Giacomo |
| Runtime: | 360 minutes |
| Company: | Lorimar Productions RAI-Televisione Italiana |
| Network2: | CBS |
| Released: | (Italy) |
| Released2: | (US) |
Christopher Columbus is a television miniseries broadcast in Italy and the United States in 1985. In six hours, the series told the story of the life of Christopher Columbus, with Gabriel Byrne starring as the explorer.
The series was a co-production between Radiotelevisione italiana and Lorimar Television, with other European partners. Columbus expert Paolo Emilio Taviani worked as a historical consultant. Shooting took place in Malta, Spain and the Dominican Republic over a period of 26 weeks, with six months of post-production in London. The New York Times reported the series' total cost as $15 million.[1]
John J. O'Connor, reviewing for The New York Times, praised the series' period look and Byrne's performance in the title role, though he felt that the first half was stronger dramatically than the second.[2]
The series was nominated for two Emmy Awards, for best art direction and costume design for a miniseries.[3] [4]