"How the West Was Won" (1979) TV series

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Writer:

Jim Byrnes (writer)

Seasons:

2

Release Date:

15 January 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Zeb Macahan takes in his orphaned nieces and nephews after their parents are killed and raises them with the help of their aunt Molly Culhane...

Plot Keywords:

Fugitive | American Indian | Native American | Family Relationships | Uncle

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Fionnula Flanagan	...	Molly Culhane (11 episodes, 1979)
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Luke Macahan (11 episodes, 1979)
Kathryn Holcomb	...	Laura Macahan (11 episodes, 1979)
William Kirby Cullen	...	Josh Macahan (11 episodes, 1979)
Vicki Schreck	...	Jessie Macahan (11 episodes, 1979)
James Arness	...	Zeb Macahan (11 episodes, 1979)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (20 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Deschutes National Forest - 1001 Southwest Emkay Drive, Bend, Oregon, USA

Company:

MGM Television

Movie Connections:

Follows "How the West Was Won" (1977)

I hope this series is preserved and available on video

"How the West Was Won" is the best TV western, perhaps the best including Hollywood productions for the genre of "Historical Western." Of course it is in a different class from "Tombstone," 'Magnificant Seven,' "Shane," and all the Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood efforts.

However, compared to the TV series such "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," "Cheyenne," "Maverick," and others there is no comparison. Of course these series are not in the same genre as "How the West Was Won."

"McCloud" was a great show and much better than most, but in the modern era, and not the same genre.

Does anyone know who composed the TV theme? I thought it might be Alfred Newman because there is a similarity with the theme from "Out of Africa." However, while Newman scored the Hollywood version of "How the West Was Won," I cannot locate a reference for the score of the TV offering.