El hombre sin nombre

It's too bad it was only on a season. I had a slight recollection of watching the show when I was 10 years old. Recently, I managed to get a hold of about 18 episodes from someone selling it on the internet.

The show was excellent. A little darker (emotionally speaking) than most Westerns, Robert Horton plays it excellently as a man who has lost his memory and is searching for his history throughout the country. It's the typical Kerouac-ish theme of roaming the country, that was found in so many episodes in the 60s. The plots are good. Horton is good. And the theme song, besides the Bat Masterson theme song, is the best one ever, and I believe Horton sang it himself.

While the theme and darkness somewhat resembles the Fugitve, robert horton was no David Janssen. And in the Fugitive, one got more of a sense of desperation; after all, Kimble was running for his life. What's the worst that happened if Shenandoah didn't find what he was looking for? He still had a good life. That's what subtracted somewhat from the show - the idea that "so what, he lost his memory".

But still, had the show lasted more than a year, other ideas could have been developed. It's a very good original theme, with lots of open space to work with. Not sure why the show didn't go beyond a year, but it's a shame. It was quality, and could have improved even further.

There are several other reviews that are good, and there is really little more to say, except: Robert Horton wrote the lyrics and sang the excellent and somewhat haunting theme song; and, the writing of the episodes was uncommonly good, often leaving moral questions open, and presenting realistic circumstances. The premise itself -- an amnesiac wandering in search of his lost identity -- is inherently weak and could not by itself sustain the series, but Horton's acting and the strength of the writing carry it. The theme song is a classic all by itself. An ill-fated show, but one that was well-done and is still well worth watching.

I would compare this show to Branded. It was a quest western vehicle for an established western star. Both Horton and Chuck Connors were huge stars and easily able to carry the leading roles. It was an interesting time in the life of the TV western. Most of the 50s shows were gone except Bonanza and Gunsmoke, and the new shows were these quest westerns or lavish productions like The Big Valley/High Chaperel/Virginian.

He roams the West meeting all types of people and geting into all types of danger. I watched a few episodes recently and they were well written and intelligent.

I've concluded that he can never find out who he is because he no longer exixts. He's in Hell.

About the short-lived television series "A Man Called Shenandoah"....

First of all,this was not to be confused with the 1965 theatrical motion picture "Shenandoah" that starred James Stewart,Katherine Ross,and Doug McClure.

Actor Robert Horton said once during an interview with TV Guide that he "vowed never to do another television western." After more than eight seasons as Flint McCullough on "Wagon Train"(one of the all-time great television westerns ever made that ran from 1957 until 1965),Horton was back in the saddle once again in this short-lived western series "A Man Called Shenandoah" that originally ran on ABC-TV for 34 episodes,all in black and white from September 13,1965 until its final episode on May 16,1966. The show ran an half-hour. Robert Horton is excellent as a man who lost his memory after he gets shot in the head,gets amnesia,and also is searching for his history throughout the country going from town to town throughout the old west in search for the man who shot him,that is if he can even remember who he was in the first place. This series was in fact little darker,and more emotionally than most of the westerns that came out during the 1960's.

While the theme and dark subject matter somewhat resembles "The Fugitive",let's face it...Robert Horton was no David Janssen. In "The Fugitive",one got more sense of desperation;after all,Kimble was however running for life,and searching for the man who frame him for murder while on the run from the police. In "A Man Called Shenandoah",Horton was just wandering through the West looking for his identity,but still had a good life,but trying to find the pieces of a puzzle that left him without remembering who he is or what was he looking for?

But still the show lasted more than a year,producing 34 episodes. The reason why is got clobbered in the ratings is that ABC,the network that originally ran the series,put "A Man Called Shenandoah" on its Monday night schedule opposite the Emmy-winning powerhouse "The Andy Griffith Show",that was on CBS. However,the show did have a very good original concept,with lots of open space to work with and other ideas that could have developed into a great series. It had quality,not to mention potential. However,several episodes were very good including the pilot episode "The Onslaught",as well as "Requiem For The Second","The Clown", "An Unfamiliar Time","Care of General Delivery",and the final episode of the series "Macauley's Care".

Several directors from Tom Gries,to David Alexander,Murray Golden,along with Nathan Juran,Boris Segal,Jerry Hopper,Vincent McEveety,Harry Harris,Paul Wendkos,Byron Paul,and even Don McDougall to Jud Taylor contribute to some of the episodes for this short-lived series. The guest star roster of this series included some of Hollywood's Best: From J.D. Cannon to Beverly Garland,John Anderson,Warren Oates,to Leonard Nimoy,Lloyd Bochner,Edward Binns,Cloris Leachman,Claude Akins, Kevin Hagen,Sally Kellerman,John Ireland,Charles Horvath,Anne Helm, to Nina Foch,Strother Martin,Jack Elam,Gary Merrill,Steve Brodie and even Antoinette Bower,and Hank Patterson.

When the show ended in 1966,Robert Horton was originally cast to star in an espionage series title "The Magnificent Thief",which was a far cry from the typical TV Western,and his first entry to do a spy show. Unfortunely,Horton was originally cast for the part,but lost it to Robert Wagner.