Criticizing the sympathetic depiction of KGB Colonel Andrei Denisov, and the frequently "civilized" nature of the occupation, Clendenning said, "There's no sense of [Russian] nationalism. There's no sense of the antagonism that has developed over the past 60 years."

Instead, Clendenning said the Americans who created "Amerika" made the enemy in their own image. He claimed that rather than presenting typically Soviet characters, the film "indicates to Americans that the Russians are just like us, only a little poorer and a little more paranoid."

Preceptor in Russian Liubov Mandel, a Soviet emigree, called the series' premise a "useful idea," adding that she believes many Americans forget the danger of Soviet invasion. She said she found the depiction of the Soviet occupation deceptively appealing. "Under totalitarianism, it is not only terrible--it is also deadly boring," she said.

The network has drawn especially heavy criticism for "Amerika's" depiction of dark-skinned United Nations troops as Soviet hatchet men. "God knows it was never our intention to say, `the U.N. is like that,'" said Butler.

Pipes, who generally praised the series, reserved his strongest criticism for the portrayal of the U.N., which he said was "in bad taste" and "not very smart." He said it was probably a device to blame the movie's dirty work on the forces of an organization changed beyond recognition--rather than the existing Soviet government. He said, "I think they chickened out at the last moment and decided not to be so nasty to the Russians."

According to Butler, the series may be going to Moscow. He said the network is negotiating with the Soviet government over rights to air the film. He also said ABC has already sold "The Day After" and "Roots" to the Soviets.

Goldman said Vremya, the Moscow evening news report, had aired pictures of picketers outside the ABC building, but had not shown excerpts from the series. He said the Soviets would certainly not show the entire film. Pipes agreed, and said selections for public viewing would probably be those most easily interpreted as propaganda.

Goldman agreed, "[The Russians probably] wouldn't show the whole 14 hours; the surprising thing is that ABC is showing it."