| The Road West | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Western |
| Starring | Barry Sullivan |
| Opening theme | The Road West by Leonard Rosenman[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 29 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Norman Macdonnell |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 12, 1966 – May 1, 1967 |
The Road West is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1966, to May 1, 1967.[2]
Ben Pride moves with his children Timothy, Midge, and Kip, his new wife Elizabeth, his father Tom, and his brother-in-law Chance from Ohio to Kansas during the 1860s. The show centers around the difficulties the family faces taming the land and homesteading.[3]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "This Savage Land (Part 1)" | Vincent McEveety | Unknown | September 12, 1966 | |
| 2 | "This Savage Land (Part 2)" | Vincent McEveety | Unknown | September 19, 1966 | |
| 3 | "The Gunfighter" | Charles S. Dubin | Unknown | September 26, 1966 | |
| 4 | "The Lean Years" | Unknown | Unknown | October 3, 1966 | |
| After killing a man in self-defense, Corbett becomes hunted and flees to the family home. Guest stars: Elva Miller[4] | |||||
| 5 | "This Dry and Thirsty Land" | Bernard McEveety | Unknown | October 10, 1966 | |
| 6 | "Long Journey to Leavenworth" | Unknown | Unknown | October 17, 1966 | |
| Ben and his son agree to deliver an outlaw to prison for a fee. Guest stars: Geoffrey Horne, Robert F. Simon, John Pickard, Hal Baylor[5] | |||||
| 7 | "Ashes and Tallow and One True Love" | Unknown | Unknown | October 24, 1966 | |
| 8 | "Piece of Tin" | Robert Totten | Unknown | October 31, 1966 | |
| 9 | "Lone Woman" | Unknown | Unknown | November 7, 1966 | |
| 10 | "Shaman" | Unknown | Unknown | November 14, 1966 | |
| 11 | "To Light a Candle" | Paul Stanley | Unknown | November 28, 1966 | |
| 12 | "Pariah" | Paul Stanley | Unknown | December 5, 1966 | |
| 13 | "Have You Seen the Aurora Borealis?" | Unknown | Unknown | December 12, 1966 | |
| 14 | "Power of Fear" | Unknown | Unknown | December 26, 1966 | |
| 15 | "Reap the Whirlwind" | Unknown | Unknown | January 9, 1967 | |
| 16 | "Beyond the Hill" | Unknown | Unknown | January 16, 1967 | |
| 17 | "The Predators" | Harry Harris | Unknown | January 23, 1967 | |
| 18 | "A Mighty Hunter Before the Lord" | Unknown | Unknown | January 30, 1967 | |
| 19 | "No Sanctuary" | Unknown | Unknown | February 6, 1967 | |
| 20 | "The Insider" | Unknown | Unknown | February 13, 1967 | |
| 21 | "Road to Glory" | Unknown | Unknown | February 20, 1967 | |
| 22 | "Fair Ladies of France" | Unknown | Unknown | February 27, 1967 | |
| 23 | "Never Chase a Rainbow" | Unknown | Unknown | March 6, 1967 | |
| 24 | "Eleven Miles to Eden" | Paul Henreid | Unknown | March 13, 1967 | |
| 25[6] | "Charade of Justice" | Unknown | Unknown | March 27, 1967 | |
|
Ben regrets having a horse-thieving teenager arrested after a judge sentences him to hang. Guest stars: Tom Tryon as Sheriff Tom Platt, Kurt Russell as teenager Jay Baker and Jay C. Flippen as Judge Platt | |||||
| 26 | "The Eighty-Seven Dollar Bride" | Paul Henreid | Unknown | April 3, 1967 | |
| 27[7] | "A War for the Gravediggers" | Unknown | Unknown | April 10, 1967 | |
|
During a trip to buy cattle, Ben and Tim get involved in a political revolution in a small Mexican town. Guest stars: Michael Ansara as Serafin and Joe De Santis as Octaviano | |||||
| 28[8] | "The Agreement" | Charles S. Dubin | Eric Stone and Dean Reisner | April 24, 1967 | |
|
After killing a woman's son who tried to commit a robbery, Chance faces the consequences from the boy's mother. Guest stars: James Gammon as Deputy Bramley, Virginia Gregg as Lavinia Bishop and Barbara Werle as Laura | |||||
| 29[9] | "Elizabeth's Odyssey" | Anton Leader | Kathleen Hite | May 1, 1967 | |
|
Elizabeth and Chance come close to losing faith in humanity during a mercy errand, as they embark on a two day journal to Grimmer's farm. Guest stars: Albert Salmi as Hawes Leggett, Kay Kuter and Svea Grunfeld as Nester and his wife | |||||
Executive producer Macdonnell regarded the show's storyline as being identifiable to the viewing audience, with an essential family unit comprising family members "bound to the other by either a true familiar relationship or by an intangible camaraderie". A core idea of the show was to present a realistic portrayal of the real struggles faced by settlers who traveled 'The Road West', with extreme temperatures in each of the summer and winter seasons.[3]
The show's lead actor, Barry Sullivan, was marking his fourth series and described the show as being "a piece of pioneer literature".[3] He had previously expressed that he would never star in a weekly television series again, although he warmed to the show when he began working closely with the cast and crew.[10] Having spent long periods of time driving an old wagon for the show, Sullivan decided to take lessons and spent seven consecutive Saturdays in Antelope Valley, California perfecting the driving technique.[11]
Production moved away from Kansas in 1967, with it reported that the shift in location was always the plan, although happened sooner than anticipated due to the show's future being at risk. Ratings struggled against other shows including Family Affair and The Felony Squad, while Seel's character Tom Pride was killed off to reduce costs.[12]
Sullivan said in an interview that scripts for the show would be provided several weeks in advance, which allowed time to absorb the scripts in order to perfect their lines and character portrayals.[10]
The show was highly anticipated by The Atlanta Constitution writer Paul Jones, who predicted that the show would "be the most successful new show of the television season", based on his opinion that there had not been a western show flop for considerable time and of his high rating for producer Norman Macdonnell.[13]