November 1, 1957 (1957-11-01) – June 30, 1959 (1959-06-30)
26 Men is a syndicated American Western television series about the Arizona Rangers, a law-enforcement group limited to 26 active members.[1] By March 1958, the program was carried on 158 stations in the United States.[2] The program was also broadcast on ATN-7 in Australia[3] and on ZBM-TV in Bermuda.[4]
Synopsis and background
The series is set in the Arizona Territory in the first decade of the 20th century.[3] The rangers were part of the group established by the Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1901.[1] The number of members was limited to 26 "to avoid vigilantism".[5] Information from government archives and newspapers provided the basis of the plots of episodes.[6]
Critical response
A review in the trade publication Variety said that the premiere episode had "clean action and plot situations", making it different from the era's trend toward adult westerns.[7] It commended the work of Tris Coffin and Kelo Henderson and the pacing of the direction but noted that production values appeared weaker than those of Western programs on networks.[7]
Russell Hayden was the producer[8] of the ABC Film Syndication series. Reg Browne was the director, Sloane Nibley was the writer, and Oliver Drake was the adapter.[9] The theme song was written by Hal Hopper.[5]
Facilities of Cudia City Studios, in Phoenix, Arizona, were expanded to handle filming of 26 Men.[6] When the series filmed on location, local residents often filled some roles in the cast.[5] It was "reportedly the first TV series ever to be filmed completely in Arizona."[10]
Sponsors
As a syndicated program, 26 Men had different sponsors in different parts of the United States. They included H. P. Hood and Sons (a dairy) for all of New England; Mrs. Smith's Pie Company and Freihofer Baking Company (alternating weekly) in four cities in Pennsylvania; Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company in Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Buffalo; and Standard Oil of Texas in eight markets in Texas and New Mexico.[11]
Release
Home media
Timeless Media Group released a 3-disc best-of set, featuring 20 episodes from the series on DVD in Region 1 on April 12, 2011.[12]
References
^ abMcNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. pp. 870–871. ISBN0-14-02-4916-8.
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