My review of 52 TV WESTERNS edited by SCOTT HARRIS, PAUL BISHOP and ROB WORD

My 4 star review of 52 TV WESTERNS edited by SCOTT HARRIS, PAUL BISHOP and ROB WORD

Fun mix of the fondly-remembered, the quirky and the surprising

Acclaimed authors SCOTT HARRIS and PAUL BISHOP and TV writer/producer ROB WORD have put together reviews of 52 TV Western shows/ TV movies, drawing upon some other writers to help. I’m in here, reviewing one series.

Although the heyday of TV Westerns was 1955-1975 this compendium takes us from early shows like ‘The Range Rider’

Jock Mahoney was THE RANGE RIDER

through long-running staples like ‘Gunsmoke’

James Arness as Matt Dillon in GUNSMOKE

and ‘Bonanza,’ 

one-season wonders like ‘The Westerner’

Brian Keith as THE WESTERNER

right up to date with ‘Godless.’

Michelle Dockery in the woman-centric western series GODLESS

It isn’t intended to be a complete, exhaustive list which would run far beyond 52 series but a look at 52 examples of a form that has managed to be surprisingly diverse.

So there’s spy-western hybrids (‘The Wild Wild West’)

Robert Conrad and Ross Martin in THE WILD WILD WEST

 tongue-in-cheek westerns with anti-hero leads (‘Maverick’)

James Garner in MAVERICK

‘intellectual’ westerns like ‘The Loner’, 

Lloyd Bridges in THE LONER

family westerns (‘Little House on the Prairie’)

and series aiming for gritty authenticity (‘The High Chaparral.’)

What unites the articles is the love the authors have for these shows and their pleasure in describing what makes them different and memorable.

I was pleasantly surprised that this compendium doesn’t lean too much on the well-known but highlights a number of interesting and quirky series I wasn’t familiar with (‘Legend’ ‘The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.’ etc.,)

Richard Dean Anderson in LEGEND

Bruce Campbell portrayed Brisco County Jr. (a person not a place) in THE ADVENTURES OF...

setting me the task of checking them out.

If I have a criticism it’s whether the inclusion of ‘Dead Men’ and ‘Justified’ can be – pardon the pun – justified.

Overall though, in this anthology, the reader can visit fondly-remembered old favourites, shows too ahead of their time to flourish, and newer items helping to keep this form alive. And, most importantly, thanks to the enthusiasm of the contributors and editors, have fun doing it. Recommended. 

Other review of 52 TV WESTERNS:

5 Stars - ‘If you're a fan of TV westerns, I highly recommend this book!’

Find my review on Amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/52-Weeks-TV-Westerns-ebook/dp/B07V8RJJ3K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr
and Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46832785-52-weeks---52-tv-westerns

You can also find 52 TV WESTERNS here: https://www.amazon.com/52-Weeks-TV-Westerns/dp/1079314326/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=52+tv+westerns+scott+harris&qid=1564733832&s=books&sr=1-1

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: THE SHOPKEEPER by JAMES D. BEST

JAMES D. BEST is a best-selling author who writes across genres. He tells me his second favourite of his own novels is THE SHOPKEEPER because ‘it was so much fun to write.’

THE SHOPKEEPER is the first appearance of James’s hero Steve Dancy, who leaves his New York shop in 1879 to travel the west, recording his experiences in a journal he hopes to expand into a novel.

Dancy's infatuation with another man's wife soon embroils him in a deadly feud with Sean Washburn, a Nevada silver baron. Pinkerton detectives and hired assassins add to this exciting tale, which James salts with playful humour.

The writer out west theme reminded me of MARK TWAIN (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) who travelled in California and Nevada in the 1860s.

MARK TWAIN in 1867

He was depicted by Frederick March in THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN (1944.)

Twain in Nevada features in no less than three episodes of BONANZA, including ‘Enter Mark Twain’ with Howard Duff.

And the eastern ‘dude’ finding himself in rough, not to say dangerous, company out west naturally brought to mind James Stewart in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE.

Mining camps in the Nevada remained rough ‘frontier’ places even into the early 20^th Century, when the Tonopah mining district was developed.

REVIEWS of THE SHOPKEEPER:

‘One of the best western books I've read in a long time.’ 

 ‘In structure, with short chapters, crisp dialogue, and lots of movement, it's reminiscent of a thriller ... you'll certainly find enough twists and turns to provide an entertaining and exciting story.’

‘If you are a fan of great westerns from authors like Louis L'Amour and Larry McMurtry, then you need to get on board with James Best and the Steve Dancy series. Great stories, interesting and diverse characters and plenty of action!’

‘The film noir like writing provides plenty of unexpected twists and turns.’

‘Mr. Best shatters the mold for western novels.... This is a western unlike any I've ever read. The scenery and description of the towns, trails, people and the trails they travel is exquisite and historically accurate.’

‘Not your usual gun totin shoot-em-up bang bang western. Shopkeeper is a turn off the TV compelling read that includes politics, gunplay, intrigue, and a hint of unrequited adoration.’

https://www.amazon.com/Shopkeeper-Steve-Dancy-Tale/dp/1587369222/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499864614&sr=1-1&keywords=the+shopkeeper+james+d.+best

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: RETURN OF THE GUN HAWK by BRAD DENNISON

Highly-successful western author Brad Dennison (who shares my admiration for A.B. Guthrie’s THE BIG SKY) does have a personal favourite of his westerns. It’s RETURN OF THE GUNHAWK, the 3rd in his McCABE series. The story follows Johnny McCabe, the ‘gunhawk’ of the title - former Texas Ranger and gunfighter turned cattle rancher - to California and a reunion with a brother he hasn’t seen for 17 years.

For images I thought of westerns based around brothers, from TV shows like BONANZA, 

THE BIG VALLEY

 and LANCER

 to movies like THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER.

Johnny McCabe’s role as a Texas Ranger who became a cattle baron reminded me of the legendary CHARLES GOODNIGHT (1836-1929.)

CHARLES GOODNIGHT in 1860

Goodnight served as a ranger, helping rescue Cynthia Ann Parker from the Comanches in 1860. Later he blazed the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail between Texas and Colorado with his partner OLIVER LOVING, killed by Comanches in 1867. 

OLIVER LOVING 

Goodnight founded the first ranch in the Texas Panhandle, the JRA Ranch, in 1876, and is credited with inventing the chuck wagon.

 

Whilst THE LONG TRAIL (which I blogged about recently) has a mere 110 5 star reviews, the last time I looked, RETURN OF THE GUNHAWK has 156! Reviews:

‘This series can be compared to Lonesome Dove.’

‘Great story-telling… hard to put down.’

‘Wonderful.’

‘This series of books is so good I feel like I know the characters.’

‘I wanted to turn the pages, but didn't want the story to end! … I plan to read the series and hope all are like this story!’

‘Brad Dennison writes the best stories. This should be a T.V. series… Characters are so well developed.’

 ‘This whole series was fantastic! Brad, you are an amazing writer. You stand with the greats, Zane Gray, Louis L'Amour.’

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Gunhawk-McCabes-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00IHMH8EY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: BLOOD MOUNTAIN by PETER BRANDVOLD

Peter Brandvold writes westerns under his own name and as FRANK LESLIE, including two best described as ‘horror/westerns.’

When I asked Peter about his favourite of his own books he exhibited the Doug Hocking trait of picking two! One of the two is BLOOD MOUNTAIN which he describes as: ‘Teeming with young energy.’ I suspect many of us authors feel the same way, admiring our early work for its energy even if we’re still working out how to do the job properly – a bit like having affection for your young, if sometimes foolish, self.

BLOOD MOUNTAIN tells of a group of settlers attacked by merciless outlaws in the bleak northern Rockies. To find a fitting image I thought of some snowbound western movies like ‘DAY OF THE OUTLAW’ (1959)

and ‘TRACK OF THE CAT.' (1954)

The aspect of Scandinavian settlers heading west in a wagon train brought to mind the BONANZA episode ‘Journey Remembered.’

BLOOD MOUNTAIN is described as: ‘Stark realism combined with a classic good-against-evil Western story.’

Reviewers:

‘Peter Branvold is one of the best western writers around.’

‘Full of surprises, I hated to put it down.’

‘I LOVE Peter Brandvold! I stay up late, eyes wide, unable to stop reading his novels… He is a master craftsman.’

‘Peter Branvold has captured the very essence of the old west.’

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Mountain-Peter-Brandvold/dp/0425169766/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481012123&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+mountain+peter+brandvold