I did not intend for there to be an incisive historical lesson in 'North and South.' Basically, it's just a good, juicy story.

Sometimes if you tell me what a story is about in just a few sentences, I can tell you if it's going to be a success.

What prevailed was that it was a family story, so it didn't matter what the color. It was also the perfect subject matter for a miniseries: A best-selling book, a generational story, a social problem - they all made 'Roots' what a miniseries should be.

North and South, it's all these people causing drama, going over to fields and doing things. We basically just want to beat their butts.

I liked the clear morality of 1941, when you had no doubt about good and evil. There was a lot of idealism, people fighting for a cause. People are searching for morality today.

I'm a storyteller, not a prophet. I'm just interested in a good story.