Thread: What Was Your Favorite TV Western

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The thread on the passing of James Arness, who we all knew as Marshall Matt Dillon, got me thinking about how many really great TV shows were aired when we were growing up, and how many of them were westerns. Gunsmoke was a long run, from '55 to '75 so many of us "grew up" with those characters as role models. One of my favorites was 'Have Gun, Will Travel' with Richard Boone as Paladin - ran from '57 to '63.

I was always a fan of Westerns - - - my Grandfather referred to them as "Shoot'em Ups" - - as far as a favorite, it would probably be Gunsmoke mainly because of the various characters and great actors portraying them. However, I also liked "The Rebel" with Nick Adams, "Wyatt Earp Series" with Hugh O'brien, "High Chapparel" with another great cast, "The Big Valley" with another all star cast, "The Rifleman" with Chuck Conners, "Laredo" with Neville Brand, William Smith and Peter Brown, and many others that I can't think of right now.

My favorite Western Movies are "The Big Country" and "Magnificent Seven" !

Roger, that was probably more than you asked for weren't it???? LOL

I remember as a child in the late 40's listening to Gunsmoke on radio with William Conrad as Matt Dillon. When it came to TV it was one of my favorites, but my all time favorite was The Lone Ranger.

The Rifleman and Bonanza!!!

Can't forget my favorite from Bonanza!!!

He also played w/ Charlie Chan and Humphrey Bogart in his career!

I'm with Ken on the Lone Ranger being the fav, followed by Have Gun Will Travel. Though not always thought of as a western, I was fond enough of "The Cisco Kid" to buy a dvd collection a couple years ago. The story lines and production seem more.......charming.......to a childs eye than today, but still fun to watch on occasion. "Oooh Ceeesco..........let's went!"

bonanza and any western movie with clint eastwood

I agree with Bob (did I actually say that???!!) the westerns we loved as kids aren't the same when we revisit them as adults. I recently got to watch some old westerns they were rerunning on TV and the plots and acting sure don't seem as professional as we remembered.

But, my favorites were The Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid, Have Gun Will Travel, The Rifleman, and the Rebel. As far as more modern versions, I really thought True Grit with John Wayne was a great movie, as was the Unforgiven, with Clint Eastwood.

Don

Can't pick just one. Rawhide... Wagon Train... Have Gun Will Travel... How The West Was Won...Gunsmoke... Bonanza... Roy Rogers... and others were watched pretty regularly.

With Rawhide, I became a fan of Clint, and thet led to the Spaghetti Westerns, which were my real passion. The music , scenery, and gritty reality in them gave me the feeling of vast open spaces... the dangers of those times... and what an adventurous time of major changes it was.

Gunsmoke of coarse.

Alias Smith And Jones also.

I always liked The Rifleman myself and Wanted Dead or Alive with Steve McQueen. I still catch
The Rifleman sometimes of TV. I watched El Eldorado this past weekend on AMC. Gun Smoke was always
kinda comical with Festus dagnabbit Mathew you will be missed.

Gunsmoke, what else?

Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Alias Smith and Jones.. I was born well after all of them stopped airing, but my grandfather always liked Westerns and any time my grandparents were watching us as kids, that's what we watched... Alias Smith and Jones airs on 1 of the local TV networks now

Gunsmoke was my all time favourite. It was a Saturday night ritual when I was growing up. Another one I liked was a little known show called Nichols starring James Garner. Of course, Garner has always been one of my favourite actors.

I had forgotten about Maverick with James Garner - another classic, with a bit better acting than some of the earlier 'horse operas' and 'shoot'm ups'.