The Best TV Western Series

[Will Killem]

What do y'all think was the best TV western series?
My top picks are 1: Gunsmoke 2: Rawhide 3: The High Chaparal.

[Stan H]

Hi all

I'm new here so I thought I'd start out slow and add a few comments before I start any threads of my own.

I grew up with TV westerns, but even as a child I knew they were only fiction. However, I still loved them.

There were so many, but here is a short list of my top ten, in no particular order.

1. Rawhide
2. Wanted, Dead or Alive
3. Maverick
4. Cheyenne
5. Gunsmoke
6. Wyatt Earp
7. Sugerfoot
8. The High Chaparal
9. Bonanza
10. Temple Houston


Now, as I said, I knew these were blatent fiction, but they were all good entertainment and usually had good story lines.

[Will Killem]

Stan ~ Those all were good shows. I am familiar with all but one, "Temple Houston". Was that about Sam Houston's son? When did it air?

[Stan H]

Will
The show was only on for one year, but had great stories.

What one commentator had to say about Temple Houston:

Temple Houston was born in 1860 and was only three years old when his legendary father Sam Houston died. Sam was married briefly as a young man to a woman named Liza Allen and while he was Governor of Tennessee they did the unheard of thing back in the day of divorcing. So unheard of that he resigned being governor and went to live with the Cherokee.

After Texas gave him a rebirth in a political career, Houston married Margaret Lea of Alabama and had a flock of kids with her. Margaret was considerably younger than Sam. Their next to last was Temple Lea Houston.

Though he never made any impact politically like his father did, Temple was one colorful character in the old west of Texas. He was a frontier trial lawyer, one of the best. And adding to that he had a reputation as a dead shot with either rifle or pistol.

Lawyer/Gunfighter, it sounds like something Hollywood would have invented, but Temple Houston was for real. And for the 1963-1964 season he came to us in our living room with Jeffrey Hunter in the title role.

The show lasted one season. I suspect the reason it was canceled was because Texas was in the shade that year due to a very famous homicide that took place in Texas just as this show was finding an audience.

That's a pity because Temple Houston was one of those larger than life characters that need to be told about. Jeffrey Hunter did a fine job in the title role.

The real Temple Houston was only 45 when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1905. He probably would have liked what Jeff Hunter did with his character. I know I did.

[Will Killem]

Thanks for that interesting story Stan. Being from Texas, I knew the history of Temple, but I guess I missed or don't remember the TV show. Jeffery Hunter was very good actor.

[Drew Henriksen]

I love all of them.

[KD Younger]

Maverick

[George D Rodriguez]

Don't forget these oldie but goodies
Wagon Train
The Lone Ranger
Cisco Kid
The Rifleman
Have Gun Will Travel
Zorro
Wild Wild West

[Will Killem]

Yes'ir them's some good'uns, too

[patrick mark pazen]

have gun will travel was always a favorite

[Will Killem]

Let's not forget to include "The Big Valley", either.

[flboots]

There was also, Annie Oakley, and The Virginian, Wagon Train, The Rebel

[Jim Catalano]

I remember Hopp a long Cassidy and the Range Rider. Some one mentioned the Cisco Kid, I remember my Dad saying Cisco Kid was shown at the movies in the 40's. Disney had a show about a Hispanic sheriff from the Southwest I don't remember the name.