I was 18 when I wrote this review back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #4, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

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Elvis: The Early Years (ABC/TNT), starring Michael St. Gerard, various directors. Original Elvis series airdates: February–May 1990 (ABC). Mini-series edit airdates: January 6 (Part I) and 7 (Part II), 1993 (TNT).

TNT obtained the rights to air the 13 half-hour episodes of the 1990 ABC television series Elvis, edited them together, and aired them earlier this year as the two-part mini-series Elvis: The Early Years. Three of these episodes were previously unaired in any form due to the untimely cancellation of the 1990 Elvis series.

Elvis: The Early Years – Part I encompasses the episodes:

• “Money Honey”
• “The Storm”
• “The Locket”
• “Bel-Air Breakdown”
• “Moody’s Blues”
• “Hole In The Pocket”

Elvis pays to record a record for his mother, which eventually leads to his discovery. He joins forces with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, and together they record “That’s All Right,” Elvis’ first release. The single becomes popular regionally and they go on several concert tours, causing friction between Elvis and his fictional girlfriend, Matti Walker.

Elvis purchases the famous pink Cadillac for his mother with his first royalty check from “That’s All Right.”

Elvis: The Early Years – Part II encompasses the episodes:

• “Roots”
• “Grand Ole Opry”
• “Sun Sessions”
• “Four Mules”
• “The Old Man”
• “Bodyguards”
• “Let It Burn”

Elvis appears on the Grand Ole Opry radio program and is told to “stick to driving a truck,” an incident which haunts him and almost causes him to give up his singing career.

Elvis recovers and they continue to tour. They are booked on the Louisiana Hayride, another Southern radio program, and later sign to appear weekly. With the increased exposure, Elvis’ popularity continues to rise and, as it does, his problems with Matti escalate as well.

When Matti decides to marry another man, an enraged Elvis drives the Cadillac until the wheel bearings go out and the car burns.

Elvis: The Early Years is the best fictional production ever about Elvis. Michael St. Gerard is near-perfect as Elvis. Ronnie McDowell’s “Elvis” singing vocals are as authentic as the actor who lip-synchs to them.

The rest of the cast is delightful as well. Billy Green Bush reprises his role of Vernon Presley from the Elvis And Me mini-series. Millie Perkins, who appeared with the real Elvis in the 1961 movie Wild In The Country, portrays Gladys Presley.

Besides St. Gerard, two other actors bear strong resemblance to their real-life counterparts: Jordan Williams plays Sam Phillips and Jesse Dabson plays Scotty Moore.

Blake Gibbons brings humor to the show as Bill Black. Finally, the talented and beautiful Kelli Williams plays Matti Walker.

The entire cast does a fine job, which is rare for a fictional production about Elvis, since most have featured some of the worst actors and actresses ever seen.

Unfortunately, Elvis: The Early Years has no conclusion since the 1990 Elvis series was never completed.

Songs include:

• “All Shook Up”
• “Harbor Lights”
• “That’s All Right”
• “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”
• “Good Rockin’ Tonight”
• “Since I Met You Baby”
• “Milkcow Blues Boogie”
• “Tryin’ To Get To You”
• “So Glad You’re Mine”
• “Mystery Train”
• “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy”
• “Baby, Let’s Play House”
• “I Got A Woman”
• “I’m Walkin’ The Floor Over You”
• “Blue Moon Of Kentucky”
• “I’ll Never Let You Go”
• “Blue Moon”
• “You Belong To Me”
• “Satisfied”
• “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”
• “Tweedlee Dee”
• “The Mess Around”
• “Pledging My Love”

Rating: 8 out of 10