"Maverick" (1957) TV series 1957-1962

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Creator:

Roy Huggins

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

22 September 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Western | Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

Brett and Bart Maverick (and in later seasons, their English cousin, Beau) are well dressed gamblers...

Plot Keywords:

Poker | Gambler | Cult Favorite | Cult Western | One Word Title

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Jack Kelly	...	Bart Maverick / ... (79 episodes, 1957-1962)
James Garner	...	Bret Maverick / ... (59 episodes, 1957-1961)

Runtime:

60 min (124 episodes) | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

By adding the Bart Maverick character (and later cousin Beau and brother Brent) this allowed for more episodes of the show to be filmed each season.

Quotes:

Bart Maverick: As my pappy used to say, "Son, the best time to get lucky is when the other man's dealin'."

Movie Connections:

Edited into Eastwood & Co.: Making 'Unforgiven' (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Maverick

James Garner As 'Maverick' - Another Cool Guy In The Genre

It's amazing how many "cool"" guys there were in the late '50s playing the heroes in television westerns. There was the "king of cool" Steve McQueen as "Josh Randall" in "Wanted: Dead Or Alive," Richard Boone as "Paladin" in "Have Gun, Will Travel," and more.

That more included James Garner as "Maverick." He was one of those guys the ladies thought was attractive and the men liked, too, a man's man and a ladies' man at the same, time. "Brett Maverick" was hip, cool under pressure, a fast-talker with quick wit, a great poker player, suave and sophisticated but physically tough if all else failed. However, he preferred to use his brains over his brawn.

Maverick's humor, I think, endeared him to the public the most of all his attributes. You can thank James Garner for that, because he was always funny in any movie role that asked for humor. He downgraded his acting ability, but we all know better. Garner made this a very, very popular show.

Eventually, brothers Bart and Beau were introduced in the series but I was disappointed if I saw Garner wasn't going to star that week.

It was appropriate he had a role in the 1990s movie starring Mel Gibson, who did Garner's character proud.

My hope is that some day individual Mavrick seasons will come out on DVD.