Westerns were plentful in primetime television in the 50's & 60's. Revue Studios churned out more than their fair share, but outside of, say, Wagon Train or The Virginian, a lot of their Western fare have largely fallen by the wayside.
Laramie lasted 4 seasons on NBC (1959-63), and was one of the first to be shown in full, living color. The only real familiar name in the cast would be Robert Fuller, who moseyed on over to Wagon Train after Laramie ended, but is better known for a more contemporary gig as Dr. Kelly Brackett on Emergency! (1972-7). Character actress Spring Byington co-stars.
After having aired on Encore Westerns, a premium service, for the last few years, Laramie debuted over the weekend on Grit, a digital sub-channel linked in the home district to the CW affiliate. Grit carries a large movie library, mostly war & Western movies, plus classic series such as The Rookies, The Cisco Kid, and, also debuting this week, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. Laramie airs 3 times a day, with 2 back-to-back episodes in the morning, and one last one at 6 pm (ET).
Here's the intro, from season 3:
Aside from Wagon Train & Virginian, the average lifespan of one of Revue's Westerns ranged from 1-4 years, so Laramie falls right in that range.
Rating: B.
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