A Man Called Shenandoah

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.

I have just discovered this show via GetTV. I had never seen or heard of this show; my family did not own a television in 1965.

"A Man Called Shenandoah" only lasted one season. I would guess that this was due to it being on ABC (a poor third in television ratings at the time), and coming near the end of the run of Western shows on television. The show may have also suffered by having somewhat more adult themes than most other Westerns, although that never seemed to hurt "Gunsmoke"…

At any rate, Horton is excellent as a man who has lost his memory due to being shot in the head (a grazing shot, one would assume). He wanders to various places in the West, searching for clues to his identity. While we initially know nothing about Shenandoah's past, we find him to be a competent man of great integrity who finds interesting situations wherever he goes.

While lasting only one season, shows produced more episodes back then. There were 34 episodes made, although apparently about five are lost. Watchers will recognize many of the guest stars; in just a few episodes, I have seen Sally Kellerman, Leonard Nimoy, George Kennedy, and John Dehner.

It's too bad that the show only got one season. While amnesia has been long used as a gimmick in movies and television, I thought it worked in this show. Perhaps eventually, the producers would have let him find out about his past and moved on to other conflicts.

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.

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.

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.