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One of the longest running and most popular of all the television westerns, Wagon Train topped the ratings for eight seasons in the late 1950s and 1960s. Inspired by John Ford's classic 1950 film, Wagon Master, Wagon Train debuted on Wednesday, September 18, 1957 on the NBC Television network. Ward Bond, who starred in Wagon Master, re-created his role from the film as Wagon Master Major Seth Adams. He was joined by costars Robert Horton as Head Scout Flint McCullough, Frank McGrath as the cook Charlie Wooster, and Terry Wilson as Assistant Wagon Master Bill Hawks, who all brought their skills as horsemen as well as wonderful western actors to the show, giving Wagon Train a special, western flavor. Each well-crafted episode focused on a personal story of courage and perseverance of not just the main cast, but of the westward-bound emigrants as they made the perilous journey by Conestoga wagon from the banks of the Mississippi to California's Pacific shores in the face of great odds. The cast was joined each week by Hollywood's brightest stars in guest roles. The ensemble acting, wonderful scripts and great western scenery soon made Wagon Train a fixture in American homes on Wednesday nights, as millions of Americans of all ages tuned in to NBC for classic family entertainment. |
