Western Television Shows

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Televisions shows that depicted the Old West that ran approximately 1940-1975.

The studio and network (NBC) were set on ending the Vriginian series, as evidenced by rivals CBS and ABC making demographic moves away from rural oriented shows (see "rural purge" for more information). The final episode aired on March 24, 1971 ending its 9-season run. Bonanza ended its 14 season run on January 16, 1973. Gunsmoke ended its 20-season run on March 31, 1975, effectively ending the era of classic western TV series that started in the 1950s.

James Arness did five Gunsmoke movies between 1989 and 1994. Then there was Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998).

In this century, Deadwood re-started the western TV shows.

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List and the seasons the show ran

• 26 Men - Tristram Coffin
• The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993–1994), western/ sci fi
• The Adventures of Champion, The Wonder Horse - Barry Curtis
• The Adventures of Jim Bowie - Scott Forbes
• The Adventures of Kit Carson - Bill Williams (1951–1955).
• Alias Smith and Jones (1971–1973).
• Annie Oakley - Gail Davis
• Bat Masterson - Gene Barry (October 1958-September 1961)
• Big Valley -
• Bonanza - Lorne Greene - (September 12, 1959-January 16,1973) - Fourteen years
• Branded (1965–1966).
• Bronco - Ty Hardin, Joel Grey (September 23, 1958-April 30, 1962)
• Buffalo Bill Jr. - Dickie Jones
• Cheyenne - (Spetember 1957- ? ).
• The Cisco Kid - Duncan Renaldo
• Colt .45 also known as The Colt Cousins - Wayde Preston, Donald May (October 18, 1957-June 21, 1960)
• Cowboy G-Men - Russell Hayden
• The Dakotas - Larry Ward, Jack Elam (January 7, 1963-September 9, 1963)
• Deadwood - Timothy Olyphant (March 21, 2004-August 27, 2006).
• Death Valley Days - Sterling Hayden (1952-1970; 1974-1975).
• The Deputy - Henry Fonda (September 1959-September 1961).
• Doc (2001–2004).
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998).
• Dusty's Trail (1973–1974).
• Father Murphy (1981–1983).
• Frontier Doctor - Rex Allen
• F-Troop - Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, Melody Patterson, Ken Berry - (September 14, 1965-April 6, 1967)
• Fury - Peter Graves (1955–1960).
• The Gabby Hayes Show - Gabby Hayes
• Gunsmoke - James Arness (September 10, 1955-March 31, 1975) - Twenty years.
• The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967–1969).
• Have Gun - Will Travel - Richard Boone (1957–1963).
• Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans - John Hart, Lon Chaney Jr. (1957).
• Here Come the Brides (1968–1970).
• Hey Dude (1989–1991), children's western
• The High Chaparral (1967–1971).
• Hudson's Bay - John Clark
• Judge Roy Bean - Edgar Buchanan
• Kung Fu - David Carradine (1972–1975).
• Lancer (1968–1970).
• Laramie (1959–1963).
• Laredo - (1965–1967).
• Law of the Plainsman (1959–1960).
• Lawman - (1958–1962).
• The Lazarus Man (1996).
• Legacy (1998–1999).
• Legend (1995), sci-fi / western.
• The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - Hugh O'Brian (1955–1961).
• Little House on the Prairie (1974–1982).
• The Lone Ranger - Clayton Moore (1949–1957).
• Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994–1995).
• The Magnificent Seven (1998–1999).
• A Man Called Shenandoah (1965–1966).
• Maverick - James Garner (September 22, 1957-April 22, 1962).
• The Monroes (1966–1967).
• Nichols (1971–1972).
• Northwest Pasage - Buddy Ebsen
• The Oregon Trail (1977).
• Pistols and Petticoats - Ann Sheridan
• Ponderosa (2001–2002).
• The Range Rider - Jock Mahoney
• Rawhide - Eric Fleming, Clint Eastwood (January 9, 1959-January 4, 1966) - Spanning seven and a half years
• The Rifleman - Chuck Connors (September 1958-July 1963).
• The Rough Riders
• The Roy Rogers Show - Roy Rogers
• Sergeant Preston of the Yukon - Dick Simmons
• Shotgun Slade - Scott Brady (1959-1960).
• Space Precinct (1963–1964), space western
• Stories of the Century - Jim Davis (January 23, 1954 – March 11, 1955) (In 1955, Stories of the Century became the first western to win an Emmy Award in the then category of "western or adventure series" of 1954).
• Sugarfoot - Will Hutchins (September 1957- September 1960).
• Tales of Wells Fargo - Dale Robertson (March 18, 1957-June 2, 1962).
• Tombstone Territory - Pat Conway, Richard Eastham - (1957-1960)
• The Virginian, also known as The Men From Shiloh - James Drury and Doug McClure (1962-1971) - Nine years
• Wagon Train, also known as Major Adams, Trailmaster and Trailmaster - Ward Bond, John McIntire - (September 1957-September 1962; 1962–1965) - Eight years
• The Wild Wild West -
• Yancy Derringer (1958–1959).
• The Young Riders (1989–1992).

Overview

The five longest-running American television Westerns are mentiond above.

Guest stars

• Irish McCalla
• Barbara Bestar
• Lupe Mayorga
• Patricia Medina (Bonanza)
• Terry Moore (The Virginian)

Episodes

Historical errors

The Great American Western - Feature Films (Movies)

Starring Gene Autry

• Riders of the Whistling Pines (1949)
• The Big Show (1937)
• Springtime in the Rockies (1937)
• Roots & Saddles (1937)

Starring Roy Rogers

• My Pal Trigger (1946)
• King of the Cowboys (1943)
• Song of Texas (1943)
• Under California Stars (1948)

Starring Tex Ritter

• Utah Trail (1938)

Links and References

• Arness, James
• HBO:Deadwood
• List of American television series
• List of films based on westerns
• Most Popular Western TV Series
• List of TV Westerns
• 20 Great Western Television Shows
• Western Series interviews and video clips
• Televison Western Series Listings
• 10 Best Classic Western TV Shows
• Top Ten Women of Wild, Wild West