BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

My blog buddy Ivan, who sails the good ship "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear"* (link to the left, me hearties!), posted about the The Western Writers of America Association and their lists of the all-time 50 Best TV Western series and the 50 Best TV Western movies & mini-series.

Here are the lists of their choices, and in their order:

Continuing Series

1. Gunsmoke (1955-75)

2. Maverick (1957-62)

3. Rawhide (1959-66)

4. Bonanza (1959-73)

5. Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-63)

6. The Rifleman (1958-63)

7. Wagon Train (1957-65)

8. High Chaparral (1967-71)

9. Death Valley Days (1952-70)

10. The Virginian (1962-70)

11. Deadwood (2004-06)

12. The Westerner (1960)

13. Cheyenne (1955-63)

14. The Big Valley (1965-69)

15. Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958-61)

16. The Lone Ranger (1949-57)

17. The Roy Rogers Show (1951-57)

18. Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955-61)

19. The Wild, Wild West (1965-70)

20. The Rebel (1959-61)

21. The Little House On The Prairie (1974-83)

22. The Young Riders (1989-92)

23. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993-98)

24. Lawman (1957-62)

25. Laredo (1965-67)

26. Cimarron Strip (1967-68)

27. Daniel Boone (1964-70)

28. Branded (1965-66)

29. Zorro (1957-59)

30. The Yellow Rose (1983-84)

31. Tales of Wells Fargo (1957-62)

32. The Lazarus Man (1996)

33. The Gene Autry Show (1950-56)

34. Alias Smith and Jones (1971-73)

35. Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993-94)

36. Trackdown (1957-59)

37. Kung Fu (1972-75)

38. Lonesome Dove, the Series (1994-95)

39. The Magnificent Seven (1998-2000)

40. Broken Arrow (1956-60)

41. F Troop (1965-67)

42. Sugarfoot (1957-61)

43. Guns of Will Sonnett (1967-69)

44. Wild Bill Hickok (1951-58)

45. Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955-57)

46. Stoney Burke (1962-63)

47. Sgt. Preston of the Yukon (1955-58)

48. Restless Gun (1957-59)

49. Laramie (1955-63)

50. Hec Ramsey (1972-74)

'Maverick' is in my top five of all-time favorite shows, any genre. And I've always had a soft spot for 'The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr.', 'Alias Smith And Jones', 'Heck Ramsey', 'The Guns Of Will Sonnett', and of course, 'The Wild, Wild West'. (After all, that show provided me with my all-time favorite TV character, Dr. Miguelito Loveless!)

Movie/miniseries

1. Lonesome Dove (1989)

2. Centennial (1978)

3. The Sacketts (1979)

4. Conagher (1991)

5. Monte Walsh (2003)

6. Davy Crockett (1954-55)

7. Last Stand at Saber River (1997)

8. Broken Trail (2006)

9. Riders of the Purple Sage (1996)

10.Into the West (2005)

11. You Know My Name (1999)

12. Skinwalkers (2002)

13. I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)

14. The Shadow Riders (1982)

15. The Good Ol' Boys (1979)

16. Son of the Morning Star (1991)

17. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)

18. Crossfire Trail (2001)

19. The Macahans, How the West Was Won (1976-77)

20. Rough Riders (1997)

21. Streets of Laredo (1995)

22. Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)

23. Geronimo (1993)

24. Purgatory (1999)

25. The Quick and the Dead (1987)

26. A Thief of Time (2004)

27. Coyote Waits (2002)

28. The Johnson County War (2002)

29. Buffalo Girls (1995)

30. Mr. Horn (1979)

31. Kenny Rogers as the Gambler (1980)

32. Last of the Mohicans (1977)

33. The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987)

34. Comanche Moon (2008)

35. Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987)

36. And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself (2003)

37. The Avenging Angel (1995)

38. Crazy Horse (1996)

39. The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977)

40. Desperado (1987)

41. The Jack Bull (1999)

42. The Desperate Trail (1995)

43. Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993)

44. The Texas Rangers (1981)

45. The Virginian (2000)

46. Wild Times (1980)

47. The Blue Hotel (1977)

48. Buffalo Soldiers (1997)

49. Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992)

50. Life on the Mississippi (1980)

Aside from stating that my favorite here is "Centennial", the only comment I could make on this second list is that - as a Caretaker for Toobworld - I just wish the fourth "Gambler" movie, "The Luck Of The Draw", could have made the cut.....

But I'm just recounting the lists. You should read Ivan's impressions about the series, because he also reminds us of those shows that didn't make the cut. (Like my holy grail, 'Nichols'.)

And click through to read the full story about the WWA and their annual convention's lists.

BCnU!

*I probably should have gone with a more Western analogy, considering.....