Jóvenes jinetes

I'm a huge fan of The Young Riders TV series. I used to watch it with my mom when it aired in Sweden in the beginning of the 90s. I remember a summer when the show aired every week day for a couple of weeks. I was very sick during one of these weeks, I had a really high fever, threw up and was aching everywhere. Well, when The Young Riders came on TV I forgot all about that and I was as healthy as anyone jumping up and down in my bed and feeling great (I even made up lyrics to the theme music that I used to sing as the theme played) and I felt fantastic until the end of the episodes when my throat was killing me and my fever was high as ever. Such good times! :)

Season 1 of the series has finally been released on DVD! To those of you who never watched the show when it aired, I ask you to check it out now. The show's got everything...action, romance, adventure, pretty boys, humor, gun fights, a great theme song, pretty girls etc. It's also a great opportunity to watch the young Josh Brolin and Stephen Baldwin in action. You'll love it, I promise.

PS. Guest stars of season one include Cynthia Nixon (of Sex and the City), Rob Estes, Chris Penn (R.I.P), Fisher Stevens etc.

And in an episode of season two Pernell Roberts (Adam Cartwright of 'Bonanza') guest stars. I personally can't wait to see that episode.

Buy it, then Watch and Enjoy folks!

First of all I want to say that I LOVE this show. This was the first new show I watched with my parents as a family on a regular basis, and was second only to The Waltons. The characters are fantastic, it's action-packed, romantic, emotional, and just overall endearing. I believe this show is one of the main reasons that I love American History so much, to this day I search for anything I can find about the Pony Express. And now it has been released on DVD (just season 1 so far), and I have been watching at least one episode a day, reliving the love I felt for this show when I saw it as a young girl who started off simply loving it because it had beautiful horses and a girl that was just as good as the boys.

I, and many friends, miss this show. While there were many liberties taken in the writing of the show it was very entertaining. The actors did exceptional jobs of expressing the mood and attitudes of the mid 1800's just prior to the Civil War. The Plight of the Native American people was highlighted in several episodes as was slavery. The writers used and developed characters to portray person's trapped in the non-white world. One character, Buck, played by Gregg Rainwater, developed over the three seasons from a relatively minor character of mixed blood to a highly intelligent, well read person who completely broke the misconception of the ignorant drunk Indian. I feel more could have been done with the Civil War aspect of the show but they chose to end it instead. I'm hoping this show will be released to DVD as I would like my children to see it.

Now with each episode I watch as an adult I think this show should be made again. There were some positive themes passed along and great lessons emphasized (often by Teaspoon) in every episode.

I cannot calculate how many hours I have spent watching this show. You only have to check out the fan sites on the internet to see its impact. This must be one of the best (and best-looking) casts ever assembled. Josh Brolin is intense, sexy and magical as 'James Butler Hickock'. Anthony Zerbe hits just the right note as the wise but eccentric 'Teaspoon'. Ty Miller as 'Kid' is sincere and appealing. Gregg Rainwater plays the sensitive 'Buck', a half-breed torn between two worlds but belonging to none. Travis Fine is remarkable as 'Ike', a bald mute. Could any other actor have pulled off such a role? Brett Cullen is the handsome and fair marshal 'Sam Cain', if only he had stayed beyond season 1! Yvonne Suhor gives and amazing and sympathetic portrayal of 'Louise McLoud', a scared but strong woman trying to make it in a man's world by disguising her femininity. Don Franklin plays the intelligent, funny, but frustrated 'Noah Dickson' - who is very far from the usual stereotypical portrayal of blacks in westerns. Chris Pettiet plays 'Jesse James' at 14, a boy anxious to grow up and be a man but badly needing guidance and a sense of family. The comic relief is provided by Stephen Baldwin who gets all the best lines as the obnoxious but endearing 'William F. Cody' (although you may more often than not be laughing at him, not with him). The first housekeeper was 'Emma Shannon' (Melissa Leo), a woman trying to make it in the west after being deserted by her husband. She becomes a mother figure for the riders, something that most of them were lacking. Later came Clare Wren who played the sexy 'Rachel Dunne' who was a lot tougher and wiser than she looked. Well I don't think I missed anyone out. The show also had fantastic guest stars, excellent shoot-outs, and showed the conflicts that were developing between the north and the south at that time. It also showed the true meaning of love and friendship. It was wonderfully shot and had just the right blend of drama, action, and humor. I guess if you've read this far you already know and love the show. Why not write your own comments here? Oh, and "Try a little Jimmyness".