'Pioneers of Television Westerns' Airs 1/25 on PBS - a Review

The PBS show "Pioneers of Television" takes a look back at TV programs and genres that influenced the Golden Age of Television and beyond. On January 25, 2011 at 8pm ET, "Pioneers of Television Westerns" will air for the first time.

Maverick is discussed first on "Pioneers of Television" and the incomparable James Garner states that he never really wanted to become an actor but enjoyed it after he got started and kept on with the line of work. When "Maverick" began he states that he still didn't know exactly what he was doing, but that he was having fun. Bonus information: Stay tuned for more James Garner on "Pioneers of Television: Crime Dramas" which airs on Tuesday, February 1 at 8 pm ET.

"The Rifleman," the classic Chuck Connors series, is also featured. One of the most memorable commenters here is Ernest Borgnine discussing how shocked people were to actually see a more realistic western. Johnny Crawford who played Mark McCain in the series comments on his experiences filming with Chuck Connors.

When the show segways into "Bonanza," it ventures into a territory rarely commented on by critics but highly recognized by fans: the Cartwright men were serially unlucky in love. Several prominent actresses commented on how they knew when they signed up for "Bonanza" that their stint would only last for a brief time.

Barbara Stanwyck was also discussed very favorably by all of her co-stars and contemporaries based on her role in the western series "Big Valley." Linda Evans comments heavily on her experiences while filming "Big Valley" and the awkward way she stumbled into acting. Particularly touching is when Linda discusses her great love for Barbara Stanwyck - Linda almost tears up.

"Wild Wild West" is represented very well by star Robert Conrad who comments on filming the series and the times, both good and bad, he had on set. The good: kissing a new woman practically every week. The bad: sustaining a serious injury when a stunt went wrong.

Of course, no Western documentary would be complete without a thorough discussion of the longest running television program of all time - "Gunsmoke." While I was familiar with how James Arness became Marshall Dillon, it may be new news to a generation of fans unfamiliar with classic TV history. It is also fun to see multiple clips of the show that firmly illustrate the aging of the main characters of the program.

"Davy, Davy Crockett...King of the Wild Frontier" is featured and the massive merchandising craze the program spawned are covered. Did you know that Davy Crockett merchandise generated over 500 million dollars based on today's dollar value? Disney used the money generated from these sales to finance Disneyland. Fess Parker's other coonskin cap sporting roll, Daniel Boone is also discussed with commentary from many original stars and co-stars of the show.

"High Chaparral" is also briefly discusses. The main point illustrated is that it presented a solid Hispanic family who would actually speak Spanish over the airwaves instead of English with a Spanish accent. This comment is tied into the larger idea that many TV Westerns were groundbreaking in their portrayal of minority populations.

Future episodes of "Pioneers of Television" will be highlighting Crime Dramas and Local Kids TV.