Part of the charm of Bonanza was how it could shift from serious drama to light comedy from one week to the next. Well, someone at NBC decided they wanted a lighter Western. Unfortunately, while Laredo lasted two seasons, it didn't have the creative balance that Bonanza, Gunsmoke, or any other Westerns had.
Laredo was built around a 4 man core cast. Neville Brand, a veteran character actor better known for playing Al Capone in the two-part pilot for The Untouchables, got top billing as Reese, but clearly was the comedy relief of this crew of Texas Rangers. Philip Carey (ex-Philip Marlowe, later of One Life To Live) was Captain Parmalee, who headed up Company B, based in, of course, Laredo. Peter Brown & William Smith were the other members of the team, who seemed to be more interested in finding a good time after wrapping up a case. Chump change to how modern Texas Rangers would later be portrayed.
After its initial 2 year run on NBC, the series resurfaced when WWOR began using alternate programming in its syndicated feed due to FCC "syndex" (syndicated exclusitivity) rules in the 90's. That's how I became familiar with this show.
Following is the episode, "A Matter of Policy", in which Reese puts himself in charge while Parmalee is away. You know what they say. When the cat's away................
I just couldn't get into this show. Period.
Rating: C-.
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