Le ranch L

What about 'Lancer' was not to love, especially for prepubescent elementary school girls? It was a story about a ranch and featured a grumpy patriarch, a cute female 'ward' and two gorgeous, non-threatening young men, one dark, one fair.

Johnny, the son of a Mexican serving-wench, was my favorite.

My friends and I were so crazy about 'Lancer' it was a frequent subject of our conversations for most of the week, and the ONLY topic of conversation on Tuesdays (anticipation of that night's episode) and Wednesdays (the aftermath.) Fancying myself a writer even back then, I would write stories about 'Lancer,' the first of which introduced my pals and I as new 'wards' of the Lancer family. My friend Penny, the artist, illustrated the stories. We made probably the first and only 'Lancer' graphic novel. I'd give anything to have those stories back..... It's nice to visit this page and discover that 'The Lancer-ettes' and I were not the show's only fans.

This was one of my favorite shows of the 60's. I especially liked James Stacy's portrayal of Johnny Lancer. He was a very fine actor. The show was much more realistic than some of the TV westerns such as Bonanza. Had a good cast and the location shots were great. Would love to see it back on reruns. Many of the story lines focused on the conflict between the father, Murdoch Lancer, and his sons, Scott and Johnny. But the best shows featured the character of Johnny, as portrayed by James Stacy. Unlike some other TV westerns which also took place on ranches, this show actually was a realistic portrayal of everyday life on a ranch. You actually saw cattle, which I don't recall ever seeing on Bonanza. If you get a chance to see this show on cable, don't miss it.

I have to NOT agree on this last comment about Lancer. One reason you have it all wrong, Johnny never did have his eye poked out in any episode, as I know I have all of them. And two, It was very well produced and the stories were down to earth and very enjoyable to watch. You must have seen another show that reminded you of Lancer, and I couldn't go by and not correct this mistake. I truly loved this show and hope it does come out on DVD soon, short lived or not, it was one of the best for that time. I do say if you haven't seen it and it does come out on cable or DVD I suggest to take a look and see for yourself. You will not be sorry that you did.

Lancer has been compared to Bonanza. But I did not find it to be anything like Bonanza. It definitely had its own style and the characters were varied and interesting in their personalities. Lancer was down to earth in its approach to each problem presented in the episodes. Each character was flawed in some way, which made them more interesting. There was humor in the show, but the show was not clownish. There was believable drama, not stereotypical scenarios that were boring and unsatisfying. The father let his sons be themselves and treated them with respect and dignity. The fact that they had not been together as a family for many years was a major factor in a much more interesting interaction between the characters. Each character, whether in a leading role or not, had his own unique style of presenting the role in a believable way. I especially enjoyed Paul Brinegar. It was very disappointing to me when the show went off the air and I am always looking for it to reappear on the channels which feature reruns of older shows.

Widower Murdoch needs his sons to return home to help him protect the ranch - but he needs detectives to find them! Scott, the elder, is a city boy brought up by his maternal grandpa in refined Boston following the death of his mother in childbirth. Johnny is a gunfighter south of the border, the result of a liaison with a Mexican beauty who hid her son from his father. What will lure them to a different life of cattle ranching in the west? How will these different men get on together? Throw into the mix a pretty young ward and a host of guest appearances and the outcome is a sensational TV western series with great scripts, strong performances and superb plot lines that truly shape out character as well as move the story along.