Annie Oakley

I never understand why some criticism this action-fun-show, maybe it's NO ZORRO or THE LONE RANGER, but if it helped young girls feel more confident in themselves and it took you away from the worlds problems for 30 minutes or longer, than it did a good job Gail Davis in real life was truely good with a gun n could ride a horse better than most, not her fault those who wrote her lines were no Shakespear. I found it a very enjoyable show one must remember it was made in the 1950's NOT 2020!!.. maybe Lofty could be replaced by a better actor like Lee Van Cleft or Gene Evans or even Phil Harvey! But overall the series is decent and has a good moral lesson after each episode.

This TV series ran from 1954-57, with 82 25min. shows. Star Gail Davis was like the real Annie Oakley in spirit and skills, but the real Miss Oakley didn't inhabit the Wild West, except perhaps in her engagements with Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows. She was a native Ohioan who honed her shooting skills from a very early age, shooting squirrels and rabbits for her sizable family as well as for sale. Her father died when she was 6. Although she wasn't the oldest of the brood, she seemed to have a special knack for bulls eye shooting, even when she was 7 or 8. She was farmed out to several families or institutions in her older childhood, being treated like an orphan, running away at age 15 to seek her fame and fortune.

Gail Davis' fantasy Annie also seems to have been an orphan, although not explicitly stated. She lived with her younger brother, Tagg, and was usually found in the company of Deputy Sheriff Lofty. She didn't seem to have an official judicial position, despite her constant pursuit of trouble. It's like she was a bounty hunter with no interest in collecting the bounty. She usually brought 'em back alive. In the 4 episodes I've recently seen, neither she nor Lofty killed any badmen, although they sometimes shot the badman's gun out of his hand or otherwise wounded him. Strangely, the sheriff never seemed to be around town, so local crime fighting was the exclusive domain of her and Lofty. Lofty usually did the physical fighting with badmen, while both were expert shots. In this respect, they were rather like the team of the real Annie and her husband, who also managed her career.

You can find the series on DVD. Also, many are available at You Tube.

For the most part - I thought that this vintage TV Western from the mid-1950s was quite an entertaining view all around.

Of course, I had to be willing to cut this show some slack at times in order to fully appreciate what it had to offer me. But, with that said - I found that my overall enjoyment while watching "Annie Oakley" was not at all reduced to the point of boredom.

And, what I'd also like to add here is to say that what helped to elevate the amusement-factor of "Annie Oakley" to its above-average status was that its 3 principal characters (Annie, Lofty, and Tagg) were actually quite a pleasant and likable trio who certainly did their best to make the role of fair and honest law-enforcement their top priority.

Anyway - When it comes to recommending "Annie Oakley" to other like-minded viewers - I certainly don't hesitate at all about voicing my enthusiastic approval.

This TV show, probably the first of it's kind, demonstrated that a woman despite heavy obligations and responsibilities (little brother, no parents and a ranch to run), could successfully compete in a man's world. Not only could she successfully compete, but she would come through in a major crisis, save lives, behave with genuine courage, dignity and honor, do it cheerfully with good humor and prove extremely useful to the community while being the paradigm role model to an impressionable younger brother.

Where the TV show is a fictionalized account bearing no relationship to the real Annie Oakley, their accomplishments were. They both competed not just successfully but surprisingly and consistently, in what was then regarded as a man's world. The real Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Oakley Moses or Mozee or Mozey) was the heroine of the day in her travels through the US and Europe in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show out shooting just about anyone. In a time that antibiotics were non-existent, she suffered through tremendous injury and illness nearly dying on a couple of occasions and demonstrated a rare courage of getting out of bed to ensure that the show went on! Previous to that she had been the support of her family, ensuring that food was on the table every night and in later life quietly worked to support charities and women's rights.

To young girls growing up in the '50's the TV show Annie was the perfect counter balance to the heroics of The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autrey TV shows. Was it a coincidence she rode a palomino? Doubtful. The writers probably wanted to show as subtly as possible that she could compete with Roy and Dale on her own terms. The genre was the popular wild west-the most successful for many years if the longevity of westerns is a measure. Every week youngsters grew up knowing that America was exemplified by the standards of the Old West, where character was king. Honor, fair play, justice-for-all were the by words on which the TV heroes were modeled. That there was a pistol-packing lady whose character was a match for any of her male counterparts says a good deal about the fabric of the American character and actress Gail Davis made Annie Oakley the cheerful ideal to which all girls aspired. ANNIE OAKLEY was a wonderful TV show!

I love western shows,cheyenne,gunsmoke,tales of Wells Fargo are among my favorites,this is by far one of if not the worst western show I've ever seen. To be honest I never even heard of it until recently when Pluto TV started showing it. Have the best shot in the west who shoots everything but people,even when her younger brother tag is in grave danger. Let's not forget she had a hat around her neck she never wears despite never leaving it anywhere. Always wonder when she will run out of steps,lamps,chandeliers,sticks and other stuff to shoot when bad guys run away. The acting by the deputy sheriff lofty is awful to say the least. One of the worst shows ever created and aired.