Saturday, May 26, 2018

Classic TV: Cheyenne (1955)

Not only did Cheyenne put its star, Clint Walker, on the map, but it also began the career of Warner Bros. producer William T. Orr, who would be in charge of the studio's live action television output for the next 11 seasons (1955-66).

Walker was cast as Cheyenne Bodie for the series, which was originally part of the studio's anthology wheel, Warner Brothers Presents, before being spun off on its own. After a couple of seasons, Walker wanted to pursue a feature film career, and left the show for a time, so Cheyenne went on an extended hiatus, spinning off Bronco, starring Ty Hardin, as a result. As previously documented, Bronco ran for 4 seasons of its own (1958-62), forging its own identity. Cheyenne would, of course, return.

Currently, reruns of Cheyenne air weekdays on Heroes & Icons (check your cable listings), which is where I finally had an opportunity to see it. For now, however, let's serve up a sample intro:



Walker passed away earlier this week, and while fellow bloggers, such as Sam Wilson over at Mondo 70, have paid tributes in their own way, this is The Land of Whatever's contribution.

Rating: A-.

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