What was your favorite television western series? as a child or an adult.

[debm55]

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Does F Troop count?

[debm55]

3. It's a western , Yes, it counts. Thank you no_hypocrisy.

[Mr.Bill]

9. As my friend used to say,

the only western where the Indians were all Jewish. Great show.

[debm55]

17. I didn't know that. Thank you Mr.Bill.

[Mr.Bill]

39. I should explain.

I don't mean they were racially or religiously Jewish, I just mean they seemd to talk with a Jewish accent.

[debm55]

51. Thank you .

[bullimiami]

36. And I would have skipped right over it. Truly my favorite.

F Troop and Rat Patrol.
That was some tv.

I could have put many more.

[brush]

116. F-Troop was hilarious. I will watch it whenever I come across an episode.

[bovine6]

2. Child: The Lone Ranger. Adult: Deadwood, tho it could be raw.

[debm55]

18. Thank you bovine6

[chicoescuela]

102. Went to high school with Clayton Moore's daughter. Even then that show was ancient and was really available to watch

like it is today.
Edit: wasn’t available to watch

[debm55]

104. Thank you very much chicoescuela.

[Ocelot II]

4. I liked "Have Gun Will Travel" when I was a kid.

Not really a fan of westerns now, but I did enjoy the series "Longmire," a modern western on Netflix.

[debm55]

19. Thank you Ocelot II.

[WheelWalker]

28. Agree with you. Looked forward most to Paladin (Good Guy with a Gun),

although I liked most all of the early western genre. Remember Sugarfoot?

Others:

Maverick
Rawhide
Wagon Train
Gunsmoke
Bonanza
The Rifleman

[Brother Buzz]

68. I was disappointed to discover Paladin's first name was not Wire

[Prairie_Seagull]

95. "A knight without armor in a savage land"

Love the song.

[chowmama]

144. Oh, yeah! Paladin all the way.

High Chaparral was a second favorite, just because it wasn't so dirt-free. I always thought it was humorous when somebody got off an extended stagecoach ride looking like they'd just stepped out of their hotel room.

And Artemus Gordon was worth the entire rest of Wild Wild West.

[FalloutShelter]

5. Maverick

More: Wild Wild West

[debm55]

20. Thank you FalloutShelter. Those are two of my favorites too.

[XanaDUer2]

6. Bonanza I usually see it daily

[debm55]

23. Thank you XanaDUer2. Enjoy.

[ailsagirl]

74. Mine, too

[flakey_foont]

7. Maverick

[debm55]

24. Thank you flakey_foont. I enjoyed it too.

[ECSkeptic]

8. Deadwood

[debm55]

76. Thank you ECSkeptic.

[arkielib]

10. Gunsmoke as a child

I don't watch any westerns now. My mom and dad watch them all day long though. There's apparently a "westerns channel" and I think they just keep their tv on that channel.

[debm55]

25. Thank you arkielib. I didn't know there was a Western Channel.

[arkielib]

85. The INSP Channel is the one they watch.

I think it was formerly called the Inspiration Channel.

[brush]

118. It's called "Grit" on Cox cable.

[debm55]

119. Thank you , brush.

[Different Drummer]

60. There is a Westerns channel.

I watch it sometimes.

[Mr.Bill]

11. As a child, Bonanza.

As an adult, 1923.

[debm55]

26. Thank you Mr.Bill. Two great choices.

[Walleye]

12. When I was a little girl and our TV was new, in 1954, Annie Oakley

[debm55]

31. thank you Walleye. I was born in 55 so I missed it.

[rurallib]

13. I'd say Maverick - less guns, some humor

[debm55]

32. Agree. I liked it too.

[Glorfindel]

14. As a child, "The Lone Ranger." I even listened to it on the radio!

As an adult, "Bonanza."

[debm55]

34. Thank you Glorfindel. Two great choices.

[doc03]

15. Gunsmoke. nt

[debm55]

35. Thank you doc03 Great choice.

[debm55]

37. Thank you ItsjustMe. I agree.

[Lunabell]

21. Bonanza

And later, would Little House on the Prairie be a western? I loved me some Michael Landon!!

Also, I just remembered, Alias Smith and Jones!!

[debm55]

41. Thank you Lunabell. Yes , I watched Little House and would consider it a western.

[House of Roberts]

22. As a child, Maverick. James Garner is still my favorite actor.

As an adult, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Hugh O'Brien plays Earp, but the supporting characters make the show. Morgan Woodward as Shotgun Gibbs, Trevor Bardette as Old Ike Clanton, and Douglas Fowley, as the best Doc Holliday I ever saw in all the movies and other TV shows about Earp.

[debm55]

42. Thank you House of Roberts. I like your choices and reasoning for both.

[patphil]

27. As a child, The Lone Ranger and Have Gun Will Travel.

As an adult, none.

[debm55]

43. Thank you patphil for your honest answer for you.

[gainesvillenole]

29. Have Gun Will Travel

Still like watching Paladin’s adventures on HandI & MeTV!

[debm55]

44. Thank you gainsvillenole. thank you for your choice.

[Different Drummer]

61. I knew about it being on H&I.

Had no idea it was on MeTV.

[Mosby]

62. You know it was on radio first

&list=PLfqJyqD2ss2e9WlBLBidnH4HedS3LxbdF&index=2&pp=iAQB

[Metaphorical]

30. Maverick and Kung Fu

James Garner was great regardless of what role he played.

I remember watching Kung Fu when i was growing up, and it influenced both my love of both the Western genre and of Asian culture. Admittedly, somewhat colored by David Carridine's behavior later in life.

[debm55]

45. Thank you Metaphorical . I agree with you choices and the ending of David Carridine. I remember reading that Bruce Lee

was supposed to have the part as he developed the series but got very depressed when Carridine got it.

[brush]

123. Garner was great in whatever. "The Rockford Files" too. He was a great Dem also.

I saved a photo of him and Diane Carroll at the March on Washington back in the '60s. Can't find it now.

[debm55]

125. Thank you . I liked Garner very much in whatever role he was in.

[Nigrum Cattus]

33. the Rifleman !

[debm55]

46. Thank you Nigrum Cattus. And welcome to DU

[jmowreader]

58. Someone asked me on Quora why they ended production of The Rifleman

I said it was because Lucas had already shot everyone in Hollywood at least once and Johnny Crawford aged out of his role. There are freakin' Entire Websites devoted to all the people who got killed on that show.

[GreenWave]

38. Johnny Yuma

When my mom tried to forceabossinate me, she got angry and asked what that meant. I said it means to boss someone around who was going to do it anyway.
Then came the punishment and I quoted Johnny Yuma, "For what ? A man doesn't fight for dignity, he lives for it!"

Was I ever a confused hothead back then,

[debm55]

48. Thank you GreenWave. and thank you for your post.

[displacedvermoter]

40. Wild, Wild, West

[debm55]

49. Thank you I really liked that show and Artie making all the gadgets.

[OldBaldy1701E]

92. Seconded. My favorite western show when I was a kid. (n/t)

[Elessar Zappa]

47. I'm not familiar with very many but

I liked Gunsmoke and the Rifleman when I watched them with my dad as a child.

[debm55]

50. Thank you Elessar Zappa. I like your post of sharing the time with your dad with the shows.

[Eugene]

52. The Big Valley

When I was a kid: F-Troop.

[debm55]

55. Thank you for both choices Eugene.

[thucythucy]

53. The Monroes.

As a child I identified with these kids trying to make it without their parents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monroes_(1966_TV_series)

Haven't seen it since then though.

[debm55]

56. Thank you very much. thucythucy.

[TommieMommy]

54. Adult definitely Deadwood. As a child it was Bonanza, Maverick and Lone Ranger and the Rifleman

[debm55]

57. Thank you very much TommieMommy for your choices.

[Fla Dem]

59. Roy Rogers (Trigger) and Dale Evans (Buttermilk)

Last edited Fri Nov 1, 2024, 08:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Then "The Lone Ranger" with Tonto and their horses; Silver and Scout. Hi Ho Silver!!

And we can't forget Pat Brady and the Jeep Nellybelle on Roy Rogers,

[debm55]

77. Thank you Fla Dem.

[Not Heidi]

63. Deadwood.

Last edited Sat Nov 2, 2024, 09:55 PM - Edit history (1)

I loved Calamity Jane. Robin Weigert, a fine actress, portrayed her so very well.

[debm55]

81. Thank you Not Heidi.

[Kali]

64. nobody has mentioned High Chaparel

watched a lot of them, but hard to choose a fave. probably F troop or Wild Wild West, but watched Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Maverick, Have Gun Will Travel, the Virginian, Cisco Kid, Lone Ranger. never really liked the Rifleman (hated kids and helpless, ankle-twisting women in action shows LOL)

[debm55]

72. Thank you Kali. for your favorites list--------

including High Chaparel

[debm55]

78. Thank you very much. Kali

[brush]

124. High Chaparel was filmed in "Old Tucson" a western film studio/theme park in the Tucson mountains ourside of Tucson, AZ.

Last edited Sun Nov 3, 2024, 05:23 PM - Edit history (3)

I was a student and Black Student Union member manning our table in the student union mall at the University of Arizona when advance men came on campus looking for Black extras for an episode on the 10th Calvary, the Buffalo Soldiers who were based ad Ft. Huachuca south of Tucson.

They asked if I and my friends would be interested in being in the show as members of the Buffalo Soldiers. He didn't have to ask twice. Our whole group reported for duty for two days. They suited us up in blue cavalry uniforms for two days of filming. Got paid $45 bucks, free lunch. It was a great experience. Stars were Linda Crystal, Cameron Mitchel and Henry Darrow (who had to have a stool to mount his horse).

We were shown standing at attention in the background as one of us, who was clothed in a corporal's uniform with two stripes, bought a general his horse.

I used to have a b&w Polaroid shot of us posing in a group in our uniforms but it's so long ago, the image has faded away.

[Kali]

142. very cool!

great story. are you still in Tucson or AZ?

[brush]

143. No. Left there for the Bay Area after college, then to NY, now in Vegas.

Have relatives in Tucson still.

[MaryMagdaline]

141. My favorite was high chaparral and second - Virginian

[Different Drummer]

65. When I was a child, I never liked Westerns much.

As an adult, I've come to like and appreciate them. My favorites:

The Wild Wild West (love Arte's disguises!)
Maverick (I'm a big James Garner fan)
The High Chaparral (I'm a big Cameron Mitchell/Henry Darrow fan)
The Big Valley
Have Gun, Will Travel
Wanted Dead or Alive
Laredo (I can't seem to find it on TV anymore. The network that was showing it replaced it with The Gene Autry Show some time ago.)

[debm55]

71. Excellent choices thank you Different Drummer

[hunter]

66. My great grandparents were the Wild West.

My great grandmothers were the sorts of women who could kill a bad man and call the sheriff/coroner to clean up the mess and file the proper paperwork. My great grandfathers were dreamers. Their wives were the hunters handy with rifles and knives.

My grandparents had some things in common -- they were not Mormons and they'd left their family farms and ranches behind for the bright lights of the big city, somehow landing in Hollywood.

I have pictures of my grandparents with movie and television stars who portrayed the Wild West as It Never Was.

My mom had no patience with television or movie westerns and wouldn't let us watch them. During World War II her parents had both worked in the naval shipyards as welders and they'd sent her off on the train every summer to live with her grandparents on their ranch, supposedly to keep her safe from any Japanese invasion. (Mostly it was because they were not good parents.)

My great grandparent's house had no indoor plumbing and my mom was expected to work alongside everyone else, which must have been disconcerting to a city girl. Summer was not a vacation. The house still had no indoor plumbing when me and my siblings were kids but whenever we visited my mom shielded us from any chores my great grandma might have demanded. This caused some family friction.

Weirdly, we were allowed to watch The Wild Wild West, maybe because it's what's now called an "alternate universe" fantasy, far removed from the Wild West my mom knew. I have a boxed DVD set of that.

[debm55]

70. Than you very much , hunter. Your post is very enlightening.

[Aristus]

67. The Lone Ranger.

My Dad used to join me and my brother to watch the show on Sunday afternoons.

Like probably a lot of viewers, I was a huge fan of Tonto, played by the incomparable First Nations actor, Jay Silverheels. I loved his name. It was so cool.

[debm55]

69. Thank you very much, Aristus

[electric_blue68]

73. Probaby Bonanza was my favorite as a ?8-9 yr old...

Definitely liked Tonto on Lone Ranger.

But then I discovered Science Fiction - Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Star Trek; and it was bye-bye Westerns.

As an Adult: I loved "The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr". Very clever, very funny!

[debm55]

80. Thank you very much electric_blue68

[Niagara]

75. My favorite western television series as a child was:

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. I love actor Dan Haggerty. He was a charitable and kind man.

My other television series was Little House on the Prairie.


As an adult I still revisit Grizzly Adams and LHOTP. I also like The Son with Pierce Bronson and Zahn McClarnon. I was disappointed when the show was canceled. The Son: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3839822/



I picked up all 3 seasons of Deadwood on DVD at an estate sale some months ago and I still haven't watched it. Also on my "would like watch list" is Longmire and Yellowstone, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[debm55]

79. Thank you very much Niagara. I miss your Halloween posts.

[Niagara]

82. You're welcome, Debbie. I'm trying to convince True Dough to host 12 Days of Christmas!

[murielm99]

83. When I was a kid,

The Lone Ranger. When I was older, Maverick.

[debm55]

84. Thank you murilm99 Two great choices.

[Emile]

86. Have Gun - Will Travel (Paladin)

?si=_wdA8O--797j4peH

As an adult HBO Deadwood!

[debm55]

87. Thank you Emile.

[area51]

88. Does Firefly count,

as it's sort of a sci-fi western?

[debm55]

89. Sure, area51

[pat_k]

133. +1

I should have checked before adding it downthread.

wikipedia agrees on genre

Firefly is an American space Western drama television series, created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label.

[JoseBalow]

90. The Big Valley

Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Lee Majors, Richard Long... It was a great show!



You can watch full episodes for free on YouTube.

[debm55]

93. Thank you JoseBalow. I agree with you

[JenniferJuniper]

101. Yes, Big Valley for sure

[Uncle Joe]

91. The Wild Wild West

I loved the idea of having my own train and their episodes were very creative.

Thanks for the thread debm

[debm55]

94. Thank you Uncle Joe. I really liked it

[quaint]

96. Westworld and Longmire to add to all the shows mentioned.

Didn't realize before reading this thread that I'm such a big fan of the genre.

[debm55]

97. Thank you quaint.

[Mz Pip]

98. Fury

It was part of the Saturday morning lineup - RoyRogers, Sky King, My Friend Flicka, Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid. All in glorious black and white.

[debm55]

99. Thank you very much, Mz Pip.

[bikebloke]

100. High Chaparel, as a kid.

Deadwood, as an adult.

[CrispyQ]

103. I wasn't a western fan but I did like The Big Valley with Barbara Stanwyck & probably because of Barbara Stanwyck. :-D

It was Bonanza with a chick in charge. Looking back, it would have been nice if she'd had more than one daughter & that daughter had been a real tom boy. LOL. I just looked it up. I'd forgotten the six million dollar man was in it.

[debm55]

106. Thank you CrispyQ

[chicoescuela]

105. Did I miss anyone mentioning Wagon Train? I enjoy watching it.

[debm55]

107. Thank you chicoescuela.

[MuseRider]

108. As a little girl

it was Roy Rogers. I even got to see him live at the fair. I had a pedal jeep I named NellyBelle.

Other than that, probably not an actual western, was The Real McCoy. I loved Grandpa, Walter Brennen (look him up, what a horrible right winger he was). I got to meet him at the fair, my first experience that people on TV were big like the rest of us. I pondered that for a very long time.

[debm55]

110. Thank you very much MuseRider. I used to watch the Real McCoy. Didn't know that about Grandpa.

[MuseRider]

121. I was stunned

when I saw that and it was fairly recently. I am embarrassed to say that all these years later, many disappointments under my belt, I was really sad to read about it. It is pretty deep.

[debm55]

122. I agree. Thank you MuseRider.

[Tiny Tabby]

109. Western Favorites as a child

Roy Rodger's was my favorite. Second was The Cisco Kid. Loved Leo Carrillo.

My grandmother was born in Dodge City and my grandfather in Oklahoma. Distant relatives include Dale Evans and Will Rogers.

[debm55]

111. thank you very much for the shows and the information about your relatives.

[The Wizard]

112. The Wild Wild West

[debm55]

113. Thank you The Wizard. It is mine too.

[brush]

114. Maverick, then Bonanza.

[debm55]

115. Thank you brush, Both are classics.

[marble falls]

117. Sky King ...

?si=l4wdvOFW4NBRQdtG

[debm55]

120. I remember Sky King. Thank you marble falls.

[oldtime dfl_er]

126. Cowboy in Africa

Don't judge me

[debm55]

127. Sorry I have never heard of it.

[oldtime dfl_er]

129. Chuck Connors and Tom Nardini

It only managed one season I think. I only liked it because i was in love with Tom Nardini

[debm55]

136. Thank you.

[pat_k]

128. Firefly 2002 (should count as an American space Western)

[debm55]

131. I posted earlier that it did. Thanks pat_k.

[Ferrets are Cool]

130. Deadwood, although, I can't watch it anymore. Too much cruelty and misogyny.

It is, however, the truest depiction of the "wild west" you will EVER watch. How dead bodies were disposed of it one example of many.

[debm55]

134. Thank you Ferrets are Cool I have never seen it. Thanks for the warning.

[dem4decades]

132. As a kid. Roy Rogers, but I don't consider it a real western, real western, The Rifleman.

To a kid, westerns didn't have guys riding around in Jeeps,

[debm55]

135. Thank you dem4decades.

[Buttoneer]

137. Wild Wild West

[debm55]

139. Thank you Buttoneer, Another fan here

[MaryMagdaline]

138. High Chaparral

Loved Manolito !

[debm55]

140. Thank you MaryMagdaline

[Upthevibe]

145. debm55 .............

The Big Valley (Heath....Lee Majors.... Bonanza, Gunsmoke......)

I don't really watch westerns that much anymore but now that I'm thinking about it I really did like them as a kid.

[debm55]

146. Thank you very much, upthevibe