60 years ago on this day... September 30th 1958, "The Rifleman" made its debut on the ABC television network. It was an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. Set in the 1870s and 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory, the show was filmed in black and white, in half-hour episodes. The Rifleman aired on ABC from September 30, 1958, to April 8, 1963, as a production of Four Star Television.
It was one of the first prime time series on US television to show a single parent raising a child. In each program, Lucas teaches his son a life lesson on how to treat others with respect, and grow to be an honest, caring, hard working young man.
How's that for being "woke"?
The program was titled to reflect McCain's use of a Winchester Model 1892 rifle, customized to allow repeated firing by cycling its lever action. He demonstrates this in the opening credits of every episode. The rifle also has a large loop lever that allows one handed operation. (the John Wayne spin) He never uses this rifle, unless he has to to save the innocent from evil. It is still seen in reruns on cable channels and all over the world. I still watch on AMC on Saturday mornings sometimes. They also made it into a comic book.
The series is on DVD, that I have yet to get. Happy 60th Anniversary to the Rifleman, one of the most popular TV Westerns of all time.
It was one of the first prime time series on US television to show a single parent raising a child. In each program, Lucas teaches his son a life lesson on how to treat others with respect, and grow to be an honest, caring, hard working young man.
How's that for being "woke"?
The program was titled to reflect McCain's use of a Winchester Model 1892 rifle, customized to allow repeated firing by cycling its lever action. He demonstrates this in the opening credits of every episode. The rifle also has a large loop lever that allows one handed operation. (the John Wayne spin) He never uses this rifle, unless he has to to save the innocent from evil. It is still seen in reruns on cable channels and all over the world. I still watch on AMC on Saturday mornings sometimes. They also made it into a comic book.
The series is on DVD, that I have yet to get. Happy 60th Anniversary to the Rifleman, one of the most popular TV Westerns of all time.
