Topic: "In The Beginning" TV Pilot Marathon

[DJ Doena]

I don't think I have heard of any of these, Roger! High Chapparal and Rawhide? That's about it for TV westerns for me.

Add Bonanza and Gunsmoke and that's for me, too.

[Antares]

I don't think I have heard of any of these, Roger! High Chapparal and Rawhide? That's about it for TV westerns for me.

Then you really need to search out The Rifleman with Chuck Connors. All other TV westerns pale in comparison.

I think Rog would back me up on that. 

[Rogmeister]

Yes, I love The Rifleman.  I'll have to do the pilot for that soon, I guess.  I have most of the ones mentioned in the last few posts...all but The High Chapparal, that is. 

Say, who's in charge of what gets in on the Random Reviews, especially the TV ones?  I swear not one of my western TV pilot reviews has shown up for me...someone have something against TV westerns? 

[Antares]

I remember when I was a kid and The Rifleman was in syndication, every kid in my neighborhood would shoot from the hip when playing cowboys & indians, like Connors did on the show.

[Jimmy]

Say, who's in charge of what gets in on the Random Reviews, especially the TV ones?

It's Karsten, the movie index and the TV thingy are two different one. I don't know his schedule for the updating...

[Rogmeister]

Did you know that Sam Peckinpah wrote some episodes of The Rifleman?  I've even heard people say he created the show but I'm not sure that's absolutely right.

Thanks for the info, Jimmy.  Kick him alongside the head to give him a jumpstart, would you? 

[Achim]

According to IMDb he wrote 6 and directed 4. Apparently in those days there was no Creator credit...?

This show is getting more interesting by the minute.

[Jimmy]

Sorry Karsten, Roger asked me to do it...




Now go make a TV series update

[Rogmeister]

They showed limited credits in those days.  I read that Desi Arnaz was a producer of The Texan (no surprise since it was a Desilu show) but I just watched the second episode and Desi didn't get mentioned in the end credits.

[Antares]

This show is getting more interesting by the minute.

If you're interested Hulu has 50 episodes online for free...


http://www.hulu.com/the-rifleman

Check out the first episode of Season 1 for a very young Dennis Hopper. The episode is called The Sharpshooter

http://www.hulu.com/watch/94307/the-rifleman-the-sharpshooter

[Achim]

Thanks Antares, but Hulu is still only viewable from within the US

Kind of sad really...

[Antares]

I didn't know that...that sucks.

[Jimmy]

It's a question of copyright. The american and foreign rights don't belong to the same entity usually (even the canadian copyright can belong to a different entity than the US rightholder).

[Achim]

I think it was Showtime who don't even let me on their website when visiting from outside the US.

Like, "we don't even want you to know what shows we play on our channel"

[Rogmeister]

Wagon Train
The Willie Moran Story  Original Airdate: September 18, 1957

This series dealt with a continuing wagon train being run by wagonmaster Seth Adams (Ward Bond) and a regular crew of men.  Each episode dealt with some of the specific people on that western trek.  This episode dealt with Willie Moran, a man Seth served with during the Civil War (Moran played by a bearded Ernest Borgnine) who was once a prizefighter but is now a whiskey-guzzling alcoholic.  Seth warns him that he needs to stay sober on the trip and a woman (Marjorie Lord) takes an interest in him during the trip.  Meanwhile, a group of one-time members of Quantrill's raiders (Andrew Duggan playing their leader) have their eyes on an ammo-filled wagon on the trip.

I haven't seen this series in a long time and it's been forever since I saw any of the episodes starring Ward Bond (who sadly died of a heart attack about 3 years into the series' run).  Robert Horton plays the group's scout who checks ahead for possible dangers.  This series earned the interest in many top-notch actors and actresses which made the series even better.  This was a top-notch episode with a fast-moving plot which, given its one-hour running time, also included plenty of time for some key action sequences.  I'm going to enjoy this series and, should the 2nd season be released, I'll get that, too.

This set came in a special collectible tin container.  It features all 39 episodes on 10 discs.