Dead Man's Gun

Dead Man's Gun was a western anthology series that ran on Showtime from 1997 to 1999. The series followed the travels of a gun as it passed to a new character in each episode. The gun would change the life of whoever possessed it.

Dead Man's Gun
GenreAnthology / Western
Created byEd Spielman
Howard Spielman
Narrated byKris Kristofferson
ComposerTerry Frewer
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes44
Production
Executive producerHenry Winkler
Running time60 minutes
Release
Original networkShowtime
Original releaseMarch 2, 1997 (1997-03-02) –
March 26, 1999 (1999-03-26)

Each episode was narrated by Kris Kristofferson. The executive producer was Henry Winkler.

Plot

Set in the Old West, this anthology follows the eponymous artifact, a handsome yet cursed gun that brings either disaster or fortune to whoever possesses it. In some cases of the former consequence, the gun's more villainous owners are killed at the end of the episode, while in others they live but suffer for their misdeeds.

In a similar fashion to The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, there are often twist endings to the stories. For example, in the episode, "The Collector", the main character discovers that his servant is actually the infamous criminal, El Lobo, who then scalps him. And the series finale, "A Just Reward", provides a twist ending to the series as a whole when it is ultimately revealed that the gun's original owner was the Grim Reaper.

Cast

Main

Guests

Episodes

Season 1 (1997–1998)

Season 1 consisted of 22 Episodes.

  • The first three episodes were aired as a single TV movie
No. Ep Title Writer Director Airdate Viewers
11"The Great McDonacle"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanJoseph L. Scanlan20 March 1997 (1997-03-20)TBA
A sideshow trickshooter (John Ritter) suddenly becomes a master marksman when he gains hold of the gun.
22"Fool's Gold"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanBrad Turner20 March 1997 (1997-03-20)TBA
Jack Fleetwood (John Glover) salts a mine, and tries to convince an honest farmer (Matt Frewer) to buy this worthless mine.
33"My Brother's Keeper"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanNeill Fearnley20 March 1997 (1997-03-20)TBA
Cole (Frank Whaley) finds the gun and tragedy comes to his brother.
No. Ep Title Writer Director Airdate Viewers
44"The Imposter"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanSturla Gunnarsson13 July 1997 (1997-07-13)TBA
A peddler (Henry Winkler in the first of two guest appearances) finds the gun on the corpse of a deceased marshal, and takes both it and the man's identity, becoming the marshal of a small town.
55"Buryin' Sam"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanWilliam Gereghty13 July 1997 (1997-07-13)TBA
A corrupt undertaker (Larry Drake) with a thing for killing widows gets his comeuppance when he becomes the gun's new owner.
66"Highwayman"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanDonald Shebib16 July 1997 (1997-07-16)TBA
The owner of a failing boarding house (Grant Shaud) turns to a life of crime after taking a boarder's advice, then robbing him of his money and the gun.
77"Bounty Hunter"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanBrenton Spencer30 July 1997 (1997-07-30)TBA
A shopkeeper (Gordon Clapp) plagued with ennui decides to take up bounty hunting, shortly before the gun finds its way to him.
88"The Black Widow"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanDavid Winning13 August 1997 (1997-08-13)TBA
After inheriting the gun from her deceased husband, a "black widow" killer (Daphne Zuniga) plans to strike again...only to learn that her husband has a secret of his own.
99"The Healer"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanNeill Fearnley20 August 1997 (1997-08-20)TBA
After delivering a baby, Dr. Butler (William Katt) is paid with the gun, that awakens painful memories.
1010"Medicine Man"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanBrad Turner10 September 1997 (1997-09-10)TBA
A young Indian (Adam Beach) finds the gun and tries to use it to avenge his father's (Graham Greene) death.
1111"Next Of Kin"Siobhan Byrne O'ConnorJoseph L. Scanlan1 October 1997 (1997-10-01)TBA
An old man (Ed Asner) invites his nearest and dearest to share his last moments, and to decide who is worthy to inherit his riches.
1212"Death Warrant"Ed Spielman & Howard Spielman, John HunterRené Bonnière15 October 1997 (1997-10-15)TBA
A ruthless bounty hunter (Michael Moriarty), who took the gun from a target, gets a taste of his own medicine when the mother (Kate Jackson) of a boy he accidentally killed puts a bounty on his head.
1313"The Fortune Teller"Alison WellsGregg Baxter22 October 1997 (1997-10-22)TBA
What does the future hold for a gypsy fortune teller (Elizabeth Peña) when the gun grants her crystal ball genuine visions of what's to come?
1414"Mail Order Bride"Ed Spielman & Howard Spielman, Elizabeth KeyishianJoseph L. Scanlan22 October 1997 (1997-10-22)TBA
A blacksmith (Meat Loaf) sends away for a bride, but his delivery includes the Dead Man's Gun.
1515"The Mesmerizer"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanAlex Pappas7 January 1998 (1998-01-07)TBA
After receiving the gun from a mysterious patient, a slimy hypnotist (Ted Shackelford) discovers his skills are dramatically enhanced.
1616"Stagecoach Marty"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanHelen Shaver14 January 1998 (1998-01-14)TBA
A stagecoach driver finds romance with a passenger whose a large shipment of silver also interests him.
1717"The Photographer"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanBrad Turner17 January 1998 (1998-01-17)TBA
Wanting to make a name for himself, a photographer (Gary Cole) begins following the gun and takes pictures of whatever disasters happen.
1818"The Resurrection Of Joe Wheeler"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanCharles Wilkinson28 January 1998 (1998-01-28)TBA
A town drunk (Brian Kerwin) must return to his former life as a legendary gunslinger to save his town from a group of outlaws...with a little help from the Dead Man's Gun.
1919"The Gambler"Ed Spielman & Howard Spielman, Bruce ZimmermanCharles Wilkinson, Paul Etherington4 February 1998 (1998-02-04)TBA
Luck finally smiles on a down-and-out gambler (Stephen Lang) when he becomes the gun's latest owner, and has a winning streak. The only catches are that his luck has a time limit...and is only activated when he uses the gun to kill.
2020"The Deserter"Chris DickieNeill Fearnley11 February 1998 (1998-02-11)TBA
The Dead Man's Gun changes hands ending up in a deserter's possession which carries with it a responsibility the deserter can not fill.
2121"Wages Of Sin"Ed Spielman & Howard Spielman, Bruce ZimmermanBrenton Spencer18 February 1998 (1998-02-18)TBA
A swindling holy man (Tim Matheson) believes the gun has given him genuine healing abilities.
2222"Snakefinger"Ed Spielman & Howard SpielmanLarry Sugar25 February 1998 (1998-02-25)TBA
The gun's newest owner, a safecracker aptly nicknamed "Snakefinger", may find redemption and love when he meets the daughter of his latest target.

Season 2 (1998–1999)

Season 2 consisted of 22 Episodes.

No. Ep Title Writer Director Airdate Viewers
231"The Judgement Of Joe Dean Bonner"Howard FriedlanderRené Bonnière7 August 1998 (1998-08-07)TBA
Ruthless criminal and current gun owner Joe Dean Bonner (Brian Austin Green) faces justice at last when he's put on trial...and the jury is made up of all of his victims.
242"Ties That Bind"Bruce ZimmermanSturla Gunnarsson14 August 1998 (1998-08-14)TBA
A farmer (Bruce Davison) is arrested for a crime he didn't commit, and is put on a chain gang.
253"Sheep's Clothing"John Hunter, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanKen Girotti23 August 1998 (1998-08-23)TBA
A lamb becomes a lion when the gun falls into the hands of a meek school teacher (Garwin Sanford), who begins getting back at his tormentors.
264"Winner Takes All"Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanWilliam Gereghty4 September 1998 (1998-09-04)TBA
A boxer and his wily manager try to swindle a small town chisler.
275"Sisters of Mercy"Dennys McCoy, Pamela Hickey, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanKen Jubenvill11 September 1998 (1998-09-11)TBA
The gun is stolen by a pair of Irish con artist sisters posing as nuns, who soon become the unlikely heroes of a small town under the thrall of a corrupt banker.
286"Hangman"John Mandel, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanBrenton Spencer18 September 1998 (1998-09-18)TBA
A hangman (Henry Winkler in his second and final appearance on the series), who becomes another owner of the gun, must rectify a mistake he made after he spares the life of a reverend accused of rape and murder.
297"The Collector"William T. Conway, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanJames Head25 September 1998 (1998-09-25)TBA
A tale of three collectors: a good man, a bad man, and a really bad man, all after a treasure map. And the second just happens to own the gun.
308"The Trapper"Dennys McCoy, Pamela Hickey, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanBrenton Spencer2 October 1998 (1998-10-02)TBA
A cruel trapper who owns the gun gets what's coming to him when the grandfather of a young Native American woman he raped resorts to the supernatural for payback.
319"The Mimesers"Howard Friedlander, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanKen Jubenvill9 October 1998 (1998-10-09)TBA
Fleeing from England, husband and wife criminals the Mimsers (Lysette Anthony and Chris Humphreys) wind up in the employ of an addle-brained Colonel (Bo Svenson). Unfortunately for them, their boss owns the Dead Man’s Gun.
3210"The Pinkerton"Samuel W. Gailey, Ayn Carrillo Gailey, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanBrenton Spencer30 October 1998 (1998-10-30)TBA
A Pinkerton detective (Michael Dorn) is called in to investigate the kidnapping of a wealthy man's wife.
3311"Seven Deadly Sins"Bruce Zimmerman, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanTBA6 November 1998 (1998-11-06)TBA
A prodigal son (Daniel Baldwin) wants to take over his father's bank.
3412"The Ripper"Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanSturla Gunnarsson27 November 1998 (1998-11-27)TBA
Has Jack the Ripper resurfaced in America? That's what a visiting inspector (Peter Firth) says when murders begin taking place in a small town that mirror the infamous serial killer's crimes.
3513"The Regulator"Rogers Turrentine, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanPaul Etherington22 January 1999 (1999-01-22)TBA
A killer for hire (Billy Campbell) meets a woman who wants to write his biography...and also comes across the gun.
3614"The Womanizer"Guy Prevost, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanKate Jackson19 January 1999 (1999-01-19)TBA
A man (Patrick Duffy) who loves 'em and leaves 'em, gets his comeuppance.
3715"Sleepwalker"Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanTBA5 February 1999 (1999-02-05)TBA
A cobbler (Alex McArthur), whom the gun was given to as payment, doesn't know if he committed a series of murders in his sleep.
3816"Four of a Kind"Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanSturla Gunnarsson12 February 1999 (1999-02-12)TBA
A woman (Joanna Pacula) takes revenge on some very bad dudes...with the aid of the Dead Man's Gun.
3917"The Oath"Samuel W. Gailey, Ayn Carrillo Gailey, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanMichael John Bateman19 February 1999 (1999-02-19)TBA
A female doctor (Cynthia Geary), who now owns the gun, must overcome the prejudice towards someone in her position to cure an epidemic.
4018"The Good Chef"Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanWilliam Gereghty18 September 1998 (1998-09-18)TBA
Emil (Jay Thomas) considers himself an artist entitled to certain privileges. When he discovers he is just a cook, he owes his enlightenment to a loving mother and the likes of the Dead Man's Gun.
4119"The Vine"William T. Conway, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanTBA26 February 1999 (1999-02-26)TBA
An Italian immigrant (Scott Bellis) on his way to California comes upon a nanny (Lalainia Lindbjerg) who lost her family to bandits.
4220"Bad Boys"John Mandel, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanTBA12 March 1999 (1999-03-12)TBA
Three troubled young men find the gun after its previous owner (Bruce Boxleitner) hides it, then use it to try to make their lives better.
4321"The Phrenologist"Tom Nursall, Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanTBA19 March 1999 (1999-03-19)TBA
A chance encounter with a man immersed in quicksand gives a young boy possession of a horse, some stolen money and the Deadman's Gun
4422"A Just Reward"Ed Spielman, Howard SpielmanTBA26 March 1999 (1999-03-26)TBA
In a clip show based series finale, a criminal (William Forsythe) is hired to retrieve the gun for the enigmatic Mr. Smith (Kavan Smith), killing the guns' previous owners in the process. But his employer seems to know quite a great deal about the gun...and some of its previous owners.

Home media

On February 15, 2011, Alliance Home Entertainment released the complete first season of Dead Man's Gun on DVD in Canada only.[1] Season 2 was released on March 15, 2011.[2] On April 2, 2013, TGG Direct released both seasons on DVD in the US.[3]

References
  1. https://www.amazon.ca/Dead-ManS-Gun-Season-1/dp/B004FM2F5C
  2. https://www.amazon.ca/Dead-Mans-Gun-Season-2/dp/B004I1K2GY
  3. Dead Man's Gun - TGG to Put Out Season 1 and Season 2 in the USA Archived 2013-03-01 at the Wayback Machine
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