PBS - Pioneers of Television Series 2 (2011) Part 3 Crime Dramas

Pioneers of Television Series 2

Nearly 100 stars from TVs formative years bring their stories to PBS in season two of the Emmy nominated documentary series PIONEERS OF TELEVISION. Narrated by Kelsey Grammer, each episode melds compelling new interviews with irresistible archival clips to offer a fresh take on TVs founding celebrities. This season’s four new episodes profile science fiction, crime dramas, local kids' shows, and westerns.

Part 3 Crime Dramas

This episode reviews various contributions to the western genre on early US television. Maverick (1957), starring 'James Garner' was an early success and noted for its humor. The Rifleman (1958) was created by Sam Peckinpah, later noted for his more violent take on westerns. It starred Chuck Connors as a single parent raising his young son. Bonanza (1959) with Lorne Greene as a rich rancher with three grown sons was noted for never having a permanent female character. The Big Valley (1965) on the other hand was noted for its strong female characters played by Barbara Stanwyck and Linda Evans. The Wild Wild West (1965) starring Robert Conrad was noted for it's sometimes bizarre story lines and although still very popular, was cancelled in 1969 when the US government began a campaign against violence on TV. The High Chaparral (1967) had several Latino actors in key roles and Daniel Boone (1964) included many African-American actors when few were to be found on US television. Gunsmoke (1955), perhaps the granddaddy of them all, featured James Arness as a US Marshall who rarely used his gun at all.

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