American Westerns discussion

This is contemporary, but Western none the less.
A&E pilot series
I like Craig Johnson's Longmire mysteries, and will be interested to see what A&E does with this.

Looks compelling.

Katie Sackhoff is a good actress and very funny. You should go on YouTube and see some of the movie reviews & interviews she had done with the guys at Schmoes Know. If they don't make you a fan, I don't know what will.

Steve wrote: "Katie Sackhoff is a good actress and very funny. You should go on YouTube and see some of the movie reviews & interviews she had done with the guys at Schmoes Know. If they don't make you a fan, ..."
Thanks, Steve. I'll check it out.

BSG was a terrific proving ground for someone in her line of work. And she proved the hell out of herself.

Happy Star Wars Day !!


http://www.jamesallder.wordpress.com/

Three of my favorite shows on television right now are Longmire, Justified and Hell on Wheels. I love Hell on Wheels. Such a great show. All of them are different types of Westerns but all just deliver that good ole fashion western style which any fan will enjoy.

Never could get into Hell in Wheels. Gave up after the first two shows. On the other hand, I love Longmire and seeing Katee Sackoff each week doesn't hurt.

It amazes me what people consider westerns. Longmire is a good cop show, but is no more a western than Walker, Texas Ranger or Vegas was. Longmire is set in Montana and they happen to wear western hats, but that's where the resemblance stops. If you want to call that a western, well...

I merely called it a western because someone else made a reference to it being one. Whatever it's considered I like it and it makes for a good show.

Justified and Longmire for sure, despite Katee Sackoff - didn't Jack Bauer kill her in 24? :) Gave up on Hell on Wheels after season one.

Longmire is a contemporary western. If you watch it consistently you'll see horseback riding, cowboys and Indians and the beautiful Big Sky country that is definitely out west. I don't know what else you could want. Just because they also have a murder to solve doesn't take it out of the category. What? There was never murder in the west?

Sure, they have horse back riding, but they do 90% of their traveling in SUVs. But, then again, we also had mounted policemen in Indiana.Cowboys? They wear western hats,sure! Indians? On a reservation, living in houses and the main Indian character owns a bar! The last statement, I'm not going to comment on. We already know that answer. Longmire, to me, is a cop show that happens to take place in a western state. Just My Opinion..

Contemporary--Modern day. Believe it or not, out west we use SUVs and Duelies to pull stock trailers filled with horses or cattle. Sometimes we use a four-wheeler to move a few head of cattle. We also ride horses in roundups, but often move cattle from one pasture to another in semi trailer trucks. Oh, and by the way, the Indians who live in the west today not only might own a bar, many of them own those big loud noisy moneymakers known as Casinos. And they live in houses.
I reckon what you really want, Larry, are the westerns that take place prior to the turn of the Century, the 20th, that is. And that's fine, but don't judge our contemporary westerns as not qualifying as westerns.

Velda, I know all that, but that is totally getting away from the original question. So, I'll just agree to disagree with you, because these discussions have a tendency to take a ugly turn like this one is starting to. So, I'll just bow out gracefully.

Hell on Wheels is where its at. It's just one of those shows thats got that all around good gritty characters, good plots and great western style setting. Given there aren't too many modern western shows out this one is good and certainly takes you back to those good ole days.

I also watch old classic western shows like Bonanza, The Rifleman and The Big Valley. I catch those on Me Tv and also want to check out Rawhide and The Wild Wild West.

Justin wrote: "I also watch old classic western shows like Bonanza, The Rifleman and The Big Valley. I catch those on Me Tv and also want to check out Rawhide and The Wild Wild West."

Between AMC, Me TV and Cozi TV I watch "Wanted:Dead or Alive", "The Deputy", "Alias Smith and Jones", "Maverick" and "Rawhide". I love the old classic TV Westerns. I'm hoping they add more sometime in the future. I would love to see "Have Gun, Will Travel", "Tales of Wells Fargo" and any others they care to add.

The Klondike miniseries looks good. I'll have to wait till DVD, since I don't have cable: http://www.cowboysindians.com/Blog/Ja...

It does look good but the fact its called Klondike just bothers me lol

KLONDIKE does look interesting, but I have so many shows already scheduled for my DVR that I don't know that I need to add another. May wait to hear what others say and than check out the repeats.

I'm yet to check out Klondike but have been watching a few Westerns on MeTv.

Chris wrote: "Justin wrote: "I also watch old classic western shows like Bonanza, The Rifleman and The Big Valley. I catch those on Me Tv and also want to check out Rawhide and The Wild Wild West."

Between AMC,..."

When I was young and courting my future wife, I always had to get back home after a date to watch "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "Gunsmoke." When I gave up watching them, her parents recognized that I had become serious about her.

I've been watching a few episodes of The Rifleman during the week. Gotta love Chuck Connors!

Justin wrote: "I've been watching a few episodes of The Rifleman during the week. Gotta love Chuck Connors!"

Just realized this discussion is quite old, but I'll leave a comment anyway. I loved the intro to that show, where he cocks the rifle several times. As as child, I learned a lot of good lessons from The Rifleman. Wish we had more shows like that now!

Chuck Connors had a brief career with the Chicago Cubs. Before he was called up to the major leagues, he played first base for the Los Angles Angels, the AAA Pacific Coast League farm team for the Cubs. This was back in the early 1950s. As a kid I watched him play on TV and my parents and I went to several games. He made a name for himself on local TV for being able to recite with enthusiasm "Casey at the Bat."

He also played basketball for the Celtics and was the first player to ever shatter a backboard.

Deadwood sat a new standard for westerns. Hell on wheels looks glossy and simple in comparison.

Ståle wrote: "Deadwood sat a new standard for westerns. Hell on wheels looks glossy and simple in comparison."

Never watched Deadwood as I never had the channel it was on. Though I suppose with Netflix and whole series on DVD I could pick it up if I ever got intrested. Yes, Hell on Wheels is in my opinion the best Western on TV right now. Didn't care too much for the last season but still love the show.

Well, then you've got something to look forward to. The way Ian McShane portrays the main character Al Swearengen is probably the best I've seen on any screen, movie or TV.

This is the wild west as it must have been. And it ain't pretty.

The dialogue is so well written, keeps me returning to see the three seasons it lasted again and again.

Has anyone else been watching The Pinkertons? It comes on Sundays on the CW network. I've caught a few episodes and think it's really good. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4089276/

Kim,
We caught one episode and enjoyed it very much. We will view others on demand. Pinkerton did employ women as agents in those days. Rather unusual in the Victorian age. I've done research on Pinkerton and their competitor, The Rocky Mountain Detective Association. Both are featured as competitors in my new book series. The first book, Wanted Sam Bass will be released in February. You can learn more at

https://www.amazon.com/author/paulcolt

Thanks Paul. I will definitely check it out.

With Hell on Wheels returning in the upcoming months for it's final season and given that Justified just ended it makes me wonder if another new Western will pop on television. I know I'd definitely like to see a new one, dont get me wrong I love the classics but I would just like to see new ones as well.

Has anyone heard if there will be any new Western shows coming up?

I haven't heard of any westerns in the planning stages, but one can keep hoping.

I know this sounds like shameless self-promotion...but...readers have posted reviews on Amazon and made comments to me that my four books set in frontier Kentucky should be made into a TV series like Lonesome Dove or even a movie. People who enjoyed How the West Was Won, for example, would probably enjoy my books and a movie based on them. I wish there was some method for authors to get their work in front of people who might be interested in producing another good western. One can only dream...
If you're interested, you can view all four of my trailers on YouTube by just entering my name, but here's the link to my latest one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUhVM...
Dorothy Wiley
My fourth book FRONTIER HIGHLANDER VOW OF LOVE was just released in print and releases in eBook format May 29.
All the best!

Did anyone catch Texas Rising on The History Channel? I watched the first part but have to watch the 2nd half as I missed it when it was on. Great portrayal of Texas against Santa Ana and the Mexicans, it was pretty good from what I saw.

Justin, I've watched the first part so far and thought it was pretty good. If I had one complaint, the actor who plays Santa Anna has an accent so thick I have to turn on sub-titles to understand what he's saying. I'm TiVo-ing the other parts and will watch them later.

There's a really well-written and funny article in Texas Monthly this month about the show's flaws. The geography of where the series was shot is all wrong, etc. But, we have them recorded and I'm looking forward to watching them.

Did anyone watch "The American West" on AMC? It was a limited series documentary with re-enactments of how things went down with outlaws such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday.
It also had commentary with actors who played in westerns. I watched the whole series and really enjoyed it. Learned a lot and was greatly entertained as well.

Has anyone caught the new Westworld? I watched the first episode and still have two to watch. Enjoying it so far.

I am watching the Longmire series on my library's DVDs, Love it!

Chris wrote: "Justin wrote: "I also watch old classic western shows like Bonanza, The Rifleman and The Big Valley. I catch those on Me Tv and also want to check out Rawhide and The Wild Wild West."

Between AMC,..."

I love those channels and those shows!

For some reason I never got into The Big Valley when it was originally broadcast. Have seen episodes now that I'm older and find it's pretty good. I have to say that I'm currently watching GUNSMOKE and find it still holds up as entertaining. As with other westerns it's fun seeing actors who would go on to be big stars or one time stars doing bit parts.

Of course, unlike shows that take place in 'contemporary' times the westerns don't date themselves and you don't find yourself noticing the fad fashions and music.

We still enjoy radio replays of Gunsmoke with William Conrad, but with no TV in the house, we mainly stick to books. Have any of you read "Doc" or "Epitaph" by Mary Doria Russell? So much has been written about the OK corral I almost passed these up. Now I consider them two of the best historical westerns ever written. I'd be interested in your reaction to my blog review of Epitaph here: http://www.davidmjessup.com/book-revi...
Epitaph

I have the Encore western channel, which as the 1/2 Gunsmoke series, Bat Masterson, Cheyenne, Laramie, Wanted Dead or Alive, Deathe Valley Days lots of westerns and westerns. Also a new channel called Grit that usually has westerns in the afternoon. On weekends there is a lot of the singing cowboy movies. I like it when I hear a Gunsmoke episode on Sirius/XM with William Conrad, then get to see it on EncoreWesterns. Heaven.

I used to make sure that I got home in time after dating my future wife to watch "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "Gunsmoke." I enjoy watching episodes now occasionally, recognizing but dismissing as not important their (for the most part) simplistic plots. What can you really accomplish in 45 minutes of time? The writers did well under their circumstances.

Sirius channel 148, which has lots of the old radio programs has quite a few westerns: "The Six Shooter," with Jimmy Stewart, "Have Gun Will Travel" with John Dehner, and his "Frontier Gentleman," "Wild Bill Hickock," Hopalong Cassidy," "Cisco Kid," "Ft. Laramie," and "Hawk Larabie." "The Six Shooter" is one of the best.

The Internet Archive http://archive.org has a pretty good selection of old time radio westerns. I really like Gunsmoke. John Meston and Les Crutchfield were outstanding writers.

Agree. Their scripts are among the best.

Kae wrote: "This is contemporary, but Western none the less.
A&E pilot series
I like Craig Johnson's Longmire mysteries, and will be interested to see what A&E does with this."

I have been watching my library's DVDs of this series, and love it!
Really intense mysteries, and I totally love Henry Standing Bear- the character played by Lou Diamond Phillips, but all the characters are excellent.

Now I have to wait for season 5 to come to DVD.