Classic TV: The 60s : Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

In movies, I must admit I'm not a big Western fan; but strangely enough, in my teens when all the old sixties Western series were shown in repeats, I liked some of them so much that I never missed an episode! My favorite was "Bonanza", mainly because it was more a family story set in another time, with a great team of actors who really SEEMED like they were a family, and I also liked "High Chaparral", mostly due to 'Buck Cannon' and 'Manolito', who both had a lot of fun; and "The Big Valley", but only for great Barbara Stanwyck's sake.
What are your favorites?

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Verily I say unto thee..."The Wild Wild West".

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Yeah, I remember that too, it was a lot of fun and action!

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

That was a good one.

Also: Death Valley Days

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Maverick
Bonanza

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

The Wild Wild West. Linda Crystal is who attracted me in The High Chapperell. Lovely. She's also a good reason to watch Wayne's The Alamo.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Of the series which premiered in the 1960s my favourites would be The Virginian and The Big Valley. I still enjoy them to this day. I wish The Big Valley dvds hadn't stopped at season 2, volume 1. I wish The Virginian dvds were less expensive.

I remember liking High Chaparral, The Road West and The Guns of Will Sonnett as well.





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Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Maverick is my favorite Western of all-time but I mostly think of it as a 50's series even though part of it aired in the 60's. Of the shows that aired mostly in the 60's I would have to say Wagon Train followed by Wild, Wild West. I like Daniel Boone too but that show isn't really a true Western.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Another vote for Wagon Train

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Rawhide.

Still enjoy watching that.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

I looked forward to Encore Westerns adding Rawhide to its daily slate. Didn't fare well,I guess, because it soon disappeared from the schedule.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

They lasted but one season but I loved the ABC Monday night double-shot of The Legend of Jesse James with future movie star Christopher Jones and A Man Called Shenandoah, with Robert Horton (fresh off the Wagon Train).

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

I think of Maverick as more of a '50s series (especially the James Garner episodes), so I'll go with Bonanza.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Bonanza was as much a family drama boarding on soap than a true Western. On any given episode, you were as likely to see a gypsy band crossing the Ponderosa than a steer (let alone a cattle herd).

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Bat Masterson (Gene Barry), Wyatt Earp (Hugh O'Brien), and especially Laredo.

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Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Gun Smoke

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Began in the 50s, ran into the 60s:

Gunsmoke
Cheyenne
The Rifleman
Bonanza
Maverick
Lawman
Bronco
Sugarfoot

Began in the 60s:

The Dakotas
Gunslinger
Big Valley
Wild Wild West
Jesse James
The Tall Man
The Deputy
The Loner
Guns of Will Sonnett

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

I loved Laredo. There was a lot of humor and I had a serious crush on the character Joe Riley, played by William Smith.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Westerns were the most popular series on TV in the late ‘50s - early 1960s. Some came and went pretty quickly and some were syndicated for the younger set and played on Saturday mornings. Here are a few, perhaps ephemeral shows, but which I have fond memories of enjoying and watching frequently, even if I couldn’t describe a single weekly plot today. Memory can play tricks on you. When I started doing research for this post, I was surprised. I remembered many of these shows coming later and lasting longer than they did. That is why several are late-1950s.

The Adventures of Jim Bowie. 1956-1958. The theme song began “Jim Bowie Jim Bowie. He was a bold adventuring man.” Scott Forbes played Bowie in the same dashing way that Fess Parker was playing Davy Crockett. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJ0_DW9mCc

The Range Rider. 1951-1953 Jock Mahoney played the title character. His sidekick was played by Dick Jones, a former child actor billed as Dickie Jones. This was a kids’ show.

Yancy Derringer. 1958-1959. After The Range Rider ended, Mahoney grew a mustache and went all over New Orleans riverboat gambler who was really a secret agent for the New Orleans police. His right-hand man was a Pawnee Indian played by X Brands.

Whispering Smith. 1961. Audie Murphy starred in the one-season oater about a Denver detective who solved crimes using the latest developing scientific forensic methods. This was more than a decade before Hec Ramsey.

Tate. 1960. A Civil War soldier with a injured arm wrapped in black tape traveled the west as a gunslinger. Pretty violent for its time. Tate left a lot of dead bodies in his wake.

mf

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Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Now that you mention it, I also remember one: "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958-61) with Steve McQueen; that was a pretty good one too!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

I'd go with...

1) The Rifleman (Nobody more deadlier than Lucas McCain)

2) The Big Valley (Always remember Jarod for his brains, Nick for his brawling, Heath for his fast gun; Audra for her beauty, and Victoria for her class.)

3) The Wild Wild West (James Bond...er... I mean, West)

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Wild Wild West (for all the obvious reasons, lol)

High Chaparral, for the enormous crush I had on Manolito (BTW, Henry Darrow still looks bloody good for his age)

Early Gunsmoke (before it tried to become softer and more 'humourous')

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Yeah, Manolito was cute (and so funny!); but for some reason I don't even know myself I liked that grumpy Buck even better... 'High Chaparral' was my second favorite after 'Bonanza'.

Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Oh, I see, you were a "Bonanza" fan by force... With us it was just the other way round: I went to my grandparents' every day (because we didn't have cable TV at home), and made them turn their TV to "Bonanza"...


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

The Virginian, Big Valley, Bonanza, Gun Smoke. I think there was one called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? I miss those shows. They didn't need a lot of violence to keep your attention.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Never missed "Have Gun, Will Travel" if I could help it.

I also liked "Stoney Burke" with Jack Lord.

"Rin Tin Tin" was another good one. That dog could get anyone out of trouble.

Honorable mention also goes to "Johnny Yuma" and "Cheyenne".


Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Hey, that's VERY interesting, those are some of the lesser-known ones; and you sure gave us some good ideas for rediscovering those old TV gems!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Here's one more. It was unusual in that a Native American was the protagonist and hero - "Brave Eagle". It only ran for two seasons but I remember looking forward to watching that as well.


Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Oh, thanks a LOT for the tip - I must admit that I'd never even heard about that one before; sounds VERY interesting!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Encore Westerns just picked up Cheyenne (actually more 50s than 60s). Yesterday they had sea.1, ep.1. Outlaws, Indians, Calvary, James Garner as Lt.. Good stuff. Cheyenne even had a sidekick who I had no recollection of. I checked, and he only lasted 3 episodes.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

I'm amazed that it took so long for someone to mention ' HG-WT '. For my money, that's the best western tv series that I've ever seen. I've always been amazed at how much they could put into a 30-minute episode. Of course, the 30 minutes wasn't destroyed with so much commercial time back then.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Without a doubt my favorite was and still is Gunsmoke. I think Matt Dillon ruined me for real men, though.





----- Sometimes nothing is a pretty cool hand...Luke Jackson -----

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Oh yeah, "Gunsmoke" sure was one of the very classic western series; and I must admit I quite liked James Arness - although his 'little' brother Peter Graves was more in my line...


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

My favorite all time Tv show is The Wild Wild West. But it is not really a western like Bonanza, or High Chaparral. Wild Wild West is a unique show in a genre by itself.

"50, count 'em 50, ambassadors will definitely appear at the peace conference."

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

Yeah, you're absolutely right, "Wild Wild West" is really a unique 'show' which is just set in a Western atmosphere, it uses the 'Wild West' scenery for depicting stories that could have happened (almost) anywhere, at any time - and it was very good, too!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

Thanks for your comment. I would like to add that unfortunately there are far too few unique TV shows out there. Wild Wild West was definitely one of them. Ross Martin was superb playing all those different characters. I read here that he spoke multiple languages so that was definitely an advantage in playing his character on the show. Additionally Robert Conrad IS James West. He was great in that part.

"50, count 'em 50, ambassadors will definitely appear at the peace conference."

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

Oh yes, you're absolutely right, there are VERY little TV shows with have got their very own, unmistakable 'character' - and unfortunately, in recent years the number has gone down to about zero...

Robert Conrad is a REALLY great actor, yes; I also liked him a lot as 'Pappy Boyington' in "Black Sheep Squadron", where he was like a real 'father' for his 'black sheep' during the difficult days of War in the Pacific... And Ross Martin was immensely versatile - like a kind of latter-day Chester Morris, who'd surprised us all so many times in his so many different 'roles' in the "Boston Blackie" movie series!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

The best western for me was The Road West (1966), a real family show with interesting stories each week. Brenda Scott and Andrew Prine were the best in my teenage mind. It would be so great to see this again.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

I must admit that I've never got to watch this one; but it sounds very interesting! Brenda Scott, I think, also played in other Western serials...


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

Yes she did. The 2 part pilot was made into a movie called This Savage Land and it is still around today.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-Wild Wild West

Really?! I didn't know that - thanks a lot for your information!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-

The Rifleman
Wanted: Dead Or Alive

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?-

I'm afraid I've never seen "The Rifleman" - but "Wanted: Dead Or Alive" sure was one of my favorites!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

The Wild,Wild West




"I find you lack of faith disturbing."

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Yeah, that one was a LOT of fun - it's time some TV station showed it in repeat for the young generation to get to know it, too!


Let's be realists, let's demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

My parents seem to love that "MeTV" channel, when I visit them they're constantly watching Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Virginian. But, I can only get into Rawhide.


You *beep* with the wrong Marine! - Col. Jessep, A Few Good Men.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Anyway, it's good to hear that those good old Western series are still being shown on TV!


Let us be realists, let us demand the impossible.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, The Rifleman.

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

The Wild Wild West

Re: Which were your favorite 60s Western series?

I loved the Big Valley but loved it more later as Lee Majors and Linda Evans became bigger stars.

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