Rawhide

Gil Favor is the trail boss of a cattle drive. His and his drovers' job is to drive cattle to market. This involves several hundred kilometres and several months of hard toil. Along the way they encounter all manner of trials, tribulations and adventures.

One of the greatest western TV series produced. It is largely remembered as where Clint Eastwood got his big break but is far, far better than just that. Great stories, all very plausible, all grittily told. No gung ho theatrics.

Moreover, it's not a straightforward shoot-'em-up drama. In fact, gunfights are kept to a minimum, a last resort and most things are sorted out in other ways (sometimes to my irritation!).

No, it's more about life on a cattle drive, the characters involved and the adventures they have. We also occasionally get to see what happens between drives, the preparations and aftermaths of drives and the drovers' home lives. The episodes midway through Season 3 where Gill Favor visits his daughters in Philadelphia are the best of the lot, showing another aspect to his work, especially the sacrifices he must make and how this affects him.

Consistent with the less bellicose approach to a western drama, many of the stories involve potentially controversial subject, sensitively told. Native Americans are not necessarily the villains, this, long before it became fashionable to show a more balanced view on the subject. Other subjects, e.g. Drug abuse, women's rights, racism, injustice, are also handled in a sensitive and balanced manner.

The show was absolutely brilliant for 3½ seasons. When Sheb Wooley left halfway through Season 4 more than his character, Pete Nolan, was lost. The series revolved around the four main characters - Favor (played by Eric Fleming), Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood), Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) and Nolan (Wooley). The four characters complemented each other well and the chemistry between the four was great, giving the series a character-based as well as plot-based feel to it. With Wooley leaving the stories became more plot- and less character-orientated.

Even worse, Pete Nolan was initially replaced by Clay Forrester (played by Charles H Gray), a generally irritating sort of character. The producers quickly saw the error of their ways and reduced Forrester/Gray's screentime (and eventually phased him out altogether) while increasing the weight towards other characters like Mushy (James Murdock), Quince (Steve Raines) and Hey Soos (Robert Cabal) but the vibe of the Favor-Yates-Wisbone-Nolan partnership was never recaptured.

Towards the end, the writers also resorted to making some of the characters one-dimensional, e.g. Mushy the klutz, Wishbone the curmudgeon, Favor the hard-nosed, single-minded boss. This allowed the writers to essentially recycle the same scenes and dialogue over and over again, e.g. Wishbone overreacting and yelling at Mushy for something he's done wrong, Favor yelling at his drovers for slowing up the drive. The character side of the writing became quite lazy.

The plots also became rather formulaic. There were essentially about five or so broad plots that got recycled with some adjustments and character changes. The nice little touches of Season 3 - the non-trail stuff - are nowhere to be seen.

The final few seasons were still decent viewing but the brilliance of the first 4 seasons was gone. The series should probably have ended after about six seasons but the show kept going until the producers decided to get rid of Favor/Fleming and make Yates (Eastwood) the main character. Several other long-serving characters were also removed making for a new look but empty-feeling Season 8. The CEO of CBS, the network that owned the show, was so appalled at the thought of Rawhide without Eric Fleming that he pulled the plug only 13 episodes into Season 8.

Season ratings: S1-2 9/10, S3 10/10, S4 9/10, S5-6 8/10, S7-8 7/10.

Currently on METOO's new schedule at 4 pm on weekdays, right after "Maverick" and right before "Wild, Wild West" (followed by "Star Trek").

Don't know if I ever actually saw an episode of it when it was originally on, but I'm really captivated by it. Offbeat, unusual, surreal stories set in a mythical West. Kind of the "Naked City" of Westerns.

And the guest stars are there: Dan Duryea, Lyle Bettger, Brian Donlevy, MacDonald Carey, Rick Jason (as a treacherous Mexican), a young Dick Van Patten, Jack Lord, Noah Berry, Jr. (as a colorful Mexican), Martha Hyer, Marguerite Chapman, even Ann Robinson ("War of the Worlds"), Gloria Talbott ("I Married a Monster from Outer Space")

It ran for EIGHT SEASONS, over 200 episodes, from January, 1959, to December, 1965.

Eric Fleming is quite remarkable as trail boss Gil Favor, the most stolid man that's ever lived, with the code of honor of a Samurai, and just the right balance between toughness and open-handedness. I would vote for him for President any day. (P.S. He had a very interesting biography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281661/ )

And a young Clint Eastwood is quite striking as his impulsive right hand, "Rowdy" Yates. Also, veteran Western actor and country music figure (the immortal "One-eyed, One-horned, Flying Purple People Eater") Sheb Wooley is there as seasoned scout Pete Nolan. And Paul Brinegar makes the most cantankerous character of a cook you could ask for as "Wishbone".

And then there's that great theme song, performed by the immortal Frankie Laine. (Between that and the "Maverick" theme, I've got Western theme songs running through my head all day.)

I look forward to every episode; I'm collecting the whole set. A good time (not to mention a moo-ving experience) is always guaranteed, as one waits to see if the boys will get their difficulties straightened out before the commercial.

"Rollin', rollin', rollin' . . . "

These were simple, friendly stories about the same Old West you may have read about as a kid. Did it really exist? Who cares? The time and place these video plays were set in is made of the same clay and light as the one where "The Twilight Zone" was set. Both relied on a degree of attention to plot and character by the viewer as necessary to the presentation of morality plays you don't see anymore. What do you do when the local sherriff threatens to hang your man when his townfolk are desperate to find the rustler taking their livestock, but you know he's not guilty? How do you cope with a proud boss when you need his best judgment, but only you know his wife has run off with another man? This is where the stories that, for a while, we thought of as "cliche'" originally came from. That was before we thought of anything not based on jiggle or teen angst as too much trouble to think about. (Though, lately, "reality" shows have relieved us of having to think at all.)

If you want to be reminded of just what a great storytelling medium TV can be, watch this show (currently on the Hallmark Channel, c. 2003). Be warned, though: you'll be spoiled for such fare as "Fear Factor" and "Dawson's Creek," thereafter. Maybe even for "Buffy," though I know you don't believe that.

TCM have just started showing Rawhide every night recently here in the UK and i've never seen it before, even though i'm a big Clint Eastwood fan, so i thought i'd give it a watch.

What can i say, i'm totally hooked on it now, i think i held some unfounded prejudices about shows from that era being a bit slowly plotted or not hardhitting or dramatic enough, well i was well off the mark there. The plots are really involving, the way Gil and Rowdy get drawn into these situations is really believable.

The moral issues and even social ones that are addressed are always at the forefront of the plots and many are still relevant today. I can see why its been so popular over the years.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes westerns, beyond that i'd say anyone who appreciates moral dramas, thats twice i've used that word now and thats because the central characters have very admirable morals, particularly Gil Favor.

I hate to sound corny, but i think its a good point, its re-assuring in a way to see that kind of attitude, in amongst the more "morally questionable" entertainment (that i do enjoy as well) of todays TV.

"Head 'em up, move 'em out" awesome.

Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'.... Keep those doggies movin'....

If you're looking for a really enjoyable Western show, then, TV's "Rawhide" (1959-1965) is a series that I think is well-worth checking out.

Get into the saddle with trail boss, Gil Favor, his right-hand man, Rowdy Yates, and a whole herd of legendary guest stars.

This Old West series features villains who will rob you blind and heroes who will steal your heart.

Believe me - "Rawhide" is a show that's sure to please any fan of the Western genre.