The Loner

In its own modest way, the single best television series Lloyd Bridges ever helmed. Though it only lasted 26 half-hour episodes in the mid-1960s, this rumination on the psychological and moral readjustments anguishing former Union soldier William Colton (Bridges) as he returns to the trail of a loner in post-Civil War America, had a freeform, experimental texture unlike any television western of its day -- most likely due to the significant contribution made to its teleplays by Rod Serling. Great direction and dialogue, too. The premiere episode, "An Echo of Bugles, " featuring an unforgettably poignant performance by a virtually unrecognizable Whit Bissell as "weak-as-a-kitten" former Confederate POW "Ab Nichols", sets the tone for this meditation on the lingering schizophrenia of divided loyalties that plagued our post-Lincolnian land as Grant assumed its presidency. A revelation to be rediscovered -- best writing of any TV Western I ever encountered. Truly a Western with an adult sensibility, obviously created as a centennial reflection on the aftermath of the War Between the States as seen through the eyes of the quintessential American cowboy archetype of the "loner". Serling will never be duplicated and, boy, is he missed! Haunting and haunted.

Rod Serling is a genius, and most all of his scripts bear his own persona, even if they are not written by him exclusively. After the huge success of The Twilight zone it wasn't easy for Rod to top it off with something better or at least as good but I think he managed just that with The Loner.

It's a story of a civil war veteran, played beautifully by Lloyd Bridges, who is traveling around, helping people in distress and trying to find a purpose in life after four senseless years of lives taking. I have to admit the strongest feature of this series was not the scripts per se, although most of them are engaging and thought-provoking to say the least, but the dialogues the scripts are provided with - this is the most well-written TV series I've seen in a while. Add some of the finest performances and absolutely excellent main musical theme by maestro Jerry Goldsmith in there and you'll get a sure hit on your hands but somehow this show was cancelled after its only season of 26 episodes and was forgotten ever since.

So what happened? Some critics supposed the show was too serious for a Western series, the others found it too boring to stick around for but I'd say The Loner's main problem is that it lacks direction and its little stories of the week didn't really go anywhere besides some lonely thoughts scattered all over the episodes, along with great one-off performances by guest stars, such as Leslie Nielsen or Bridges' own sons, Beau and Jeff. The universe of The Loner is limited to one-two episodes, usually ending abruptly and by the next episode he's already onto his next adventure. I admit his moral standards are high and his strong personality and beliefs lead the plots but in the end it doesn't work as a big concept but just as a bunch of stories you would tell your children to before they go to bed.

Whereas Maverick was also mostly a "story of the week" show it had its own atmosphere, its own little world, multiple characters, this big family who helped each other out and fought the injustices. The Loner is a one man show on the other hand, he doesn't rely on anyone and fights the injustices all by himself but it doesn't feel like this world of his is thorough and maybe, had the show been renewed for a second season, we would've seen the show grow stronger and wider but judging by what we have I cannot say this is a complete and whole body of work but rather an anthology of stories revolving around one character. Maybe that's why the show got cancelled, because Rod Serling was so used to telling all those different stories but not in one big piece.. well, we'll never know.

Lloyd Bridges plays an ex-Union officer who was forced to kill a teenage Confederate during a skirmish. Adding to his self reproach and soul searching is the news that arrives moments later the same day that Lee surrendered. Disillusioned, his post-war journeys in the West brings him to a variety of situations, many quite original. Rod Serling created The Loner and wrote many scripts. The dialogue is excellent and if Bridges sounds smooth, he plays a West Point officer with 12 years in the cavalry. This is one of those great shows the network programmers were afraid to relocate and probably had little interest in saving. It's amazing what NBC did for Star Trek to keep it going for 3 seasons because of.... letter-writing from fans? If a show like The Loner is a ratings loser, the head honchos have the power to try and save it. Regrettably, no one wanted to see this great show by Rod Serling succeed. It's now on DVD and the stories hold up and prints are crystal clear.

Amazing how few people know of this TV series, and I was addicted to it as a teen in the 60s. Lloyd Bridges played a veteran of the Civil War, and the episodes were poignant because he never found peace even when helping people. And no, it wasn't like Chuck Connors in Branded - the stories were much more thoughtful and less physical. Rod Serling wrote the scripts, which I remember as being top notch and, in usual Serling style, thought provoking. What I particularly remember is the beautiful intro theme to the series - to this day, I can hear it and would love to own it. I've watched some of the episodes at the Museum of Radio and Television in NYC - unfortunately, they don't even have all of the episodes last I checked. Definitely an overlooked - and greatly underrated - classic TV Western.

Could have been a cool show, especially with Rod Serling as the writer. But he's wearing politics on his sleeve, and while many Twilight Zone episodes are cautionary tales, they relate universally.

This show, fitfully titled THE LONER, about a former soldier on an endless road happening upon various human varmints who love the thought of war without having been through it... or without having learned from what they did experience while in it... takes away from what each story could have given the viewer other than a message, which overrides each plot-line and buries the theme: to where our wandering hero seems more like a brooding know-it-all than someone making the perfect pawn upon each eclectic adventure. In other words, he has so much to teach he never actually learns anything...

And worse yet, he never seems in danger so there's little to no urgency in his would-be, world-weary travels. He simply winds up lecturing everyone not as enlightened as he is...

A lot like the political side of Hollywood, which Rod Serling was much, much better and deeper than. But he had more of a sermon to tell her than a story. See the early Gunsmoke episodes for how a great Western series should be.