What Was Your Favorite 50s?60s Western TV Show

[Slowhand53]

Even being 7 years old in 1960 Westerns on TV were favorites of mine and there were plenty. Gunsmoke, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bonanza, Sugerfoot, Yancy Derringer, Paladin, Maverick, The Virginian, Rawhide, Trackdown, Etc. Have a favorite, let us know. Just got the box set of Wanted Dead Or Alive on Ebay for under $20.00. And thats all 94 episodes so it will take me a while to get through that.

[Major 2]

I think the one I watched the most was Wagon Train ...then Bonanza & Rawhide ..like HGWT & Maverick though.

I also liked Rin Tin Tin

[Silent Joe]

The first Western I saw was High Noon. I think it was in 1959. A great movie.

[Coal Creek Griff]

I was a huge fan of The Rifleman when I was a little feller.  I'm afraid that I watched Wild Wild West a lot too a little later.  Even later, it was a of Bonanza.

Now I own discs of some of The Rifleman and the complete Wanted Dead or Alive, which I like a lot.  I've also been getting Gunsmoke from the library, watching them in order.  I'm still in season two, but I'm pretty impressed with the quality.

CC Griff

[Crossdrawnj]

Gunsmoke was one of my all time favorites. I enjoyed The High Chapparal, The Virginian/Men From Shiloh, Cimarron Strip ( I have these two on DVD).

[Slowhand53]

I was a huge fan of The Rifleman when I was a little feller.  I'm afraid that I watched Wild Wild West a lot too a little later.  Even later, it was a of Bonanza.

Now I own discs of some of The Rifleman and the complete Wanted Dead or Alive, which I like a lot.  I've also been getting Gunsmoke from the library, watching them in order.  I'm still in season two, but I'm pretty impressed with the quality.

Check out youtube and put The Rifleman in the search. Plenty of full episodes there.

[Shawnee McGrutt]

The Lone Ranger, Rin Tin Tin, and as I got older Gunsmoke.  Gunsmoke is still my favorite
Shawnee

[Forty Rod]

Trackdown and The Rebel.

[The Elderly Kid]

I especially liked "Yancey Derringer."  Technically, it was a "southern," taking place in New Orleans during Reconstruction, but close enough. One thing I liked about it was that the hero, played by legendary stuntman Jock Mahoney, used a knife as often as a gun. Also, his motivations were often prosaic instead of heroic. For instance, he was part-owner of a riverboat, and sometimes had to raise money for its insurance. Likewise, he'd inherited a plantation and had to pay the land taxes or lose it. And he wore spiffy clothes.

[Crow Choker]

Good Grief-the western TV shows proliferated the three networks back in the 50's and early 60's like all those worthless talent, reality, and game shows do now (don't watch even one of those). Some time back I typed in 'early western TV shows' or something to that effect and everyone that ever aired was there with a Wikipedia listing. Was fun to recall some of them that I forgot about and sat for several hours reading the take on a lot of them. As far as my favorite it was probably Matt Dillon and crew of Gunsmoke, but I tried never to miss Paladin or the Rifleman. Saturday nights was always to have our baths taken before Gunsmoke and Paladin came on, of course we had to suffer through the Lawrence Welk Show before hand. (Good grief-now I watch a little of Lawrence and the boys in the band on PBS once in a while.) Another one that still has a flashback from time to time is Jim Bowie. Still can reply the start of the show with the 'Big Bowie' knife being thrown into a wooden door and can recall the melody and words of the opening song. It wasn't a true 1800 era western, but Saturday mornings always had 'Fury' on when I was a wee one. So many, wish they still would still have a few on the tube, but of course they would have to be politically correct and would have to involve steamy sins that are culled from Sodom and Gomorrah. Enjoy buying DVD's of some of the 'oldies, but goodies', my kids and now even my grandkids sit and watch em', they enjoy them. Better for them than the offering available now.   

[Texas Lawdog]

In 1953, when we got our first TV,  program selection was slim. We only had CBS and NBC, we didn't get ABC until 1961. We always watched Gunsmoke because it was my Dad's favorite show. There were a bunch of Western TV shows, too many to mention.

[reno]

26 Men, Trackdown and Gunsmoke. Great shows.
Reno

[Crow Choker]

Not to high-jack this topic, but in reference to 50's era tv shows, how many of you watched "Pinky Lee" and Buffalo Bob Smith a/k/a 'The Howdy Dowdy Show?  "Hey Kids, what Time Is It"----"It's Howdy Dowdy Time"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please forgive for the non-western theme, but Buffalo Bob did wear buckskins and Howdy Dowdy wore a B-Western attire!

[Billy Bristol]

I have watched all the ones stated already. But another one I watched just for the comedy was F Troup.

[Mean Bob Mean]

Watched lots of Maverick and Cisco Kid.

[Major 2]

Kinda funny what you remember.... I recall Bonanza was a big deal to me

first it was in Color ( we didn't have color set & just one B&W ) I suppose it was couple years later we got one it was quite something in my mind to have one in our home.  I remember I had seen the shows the first season, first aired in Sept. 1959 on Saturdays nights in B&W.

I believe the 3rd season was moved to Sunday night  9:00–10:00 PM air time
What I recall is ,  that first Sunday , anticipation all day that We'd see Bonanza in our home in living color.

at the time were very few shows in color

[Good Troy]

Gunsmoke...without a doubt for me!

[nagantino]

All theTV westerns were good. When we we very young my brother and I were not allowed to watch Rawhide, it was on too late on a Sunday night! Wagon train, The Lone Ranger, Champion the Wonder Horse, the Range Rider, Bonanza, Maverick, Bronco, Tenderfoot and Temple Houston were all good. Even when I was a kid I could see that a strong Christian element was creeping into some shows. Bonanza and Wagon Train especially come to mind. Nothing wrong in having a faith but not in a western. Two others come to mind though and I wonder does anyone else remember them.........Frontier and the other was Boots and Saddles. Frontier seemed haves lot of guys seeking water across the desert. It's a long time ago. Boots and Saddles was gritty B&W and must have been heavily influenced by John Ford. The old scout was called Luke.

[Hambone Dave]

Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Live

[Dan Gerous]

I'll put in a vote for The Rebel and Wanted: Dead or Alive. One Christmas my folks hit every store in Omaha to find me a "Mare's Laig".
Of course on me it hung to the floor McQueen must've been a big guy! You have to add in the early "Wagon Train". Flint McCullough was my hero! I saw him at the Ak-Sar-Ben national rodeo at Omaha in 1964. Three years ago, my Mother entersed a nursing home. While cleaning out the house, I found that 1964 program with Robert Horton on the front. I reminisced a few minutes then threw it out and went back to work. Two weeks later, guess who was in Des Moines. ROBERT HORTON! I wish I had kept that program and had him sign it!