Pony Express (TV series)

Pony Express is an American western television series about the adventures of an agent in the 1860s of the Central Overland Express Company, better known as the Pony Express.[1] The half-hour program starring Grant Sullivan was created by California National Productions.[1] Pony Express ran for thirty-five episodes in syndication from the fall of 1959 until May 1960.[2]

Pony Express
GenreWestern
Written byPaul King
Joseph Stone
Budd Lesser
John Meredyth Lucas
Sam Peckinpah
Directed byFrank McDonald
Jean Yarbrough
StarringGrant Sullivan
Don Dorrell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes35
Production
ProducersTom McKnight
Robert Stillman
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time25 mins.
Production companyCalifornia National Productions
DistributorNBC Television Films
Release
Original networkSyndication
Picture formatBlack-and-white
Audio formatMonaural
Original release1959 (1959) –
May 31, 1960 (1960-05-31)

Overview

The series featured two recurring roles: Grant Sullivan as Brett Clark, a roving investigator for the company, and Don Dorrell as Donovan, a young Pony Express rider. The majority of the weekly episodes involved Clark and Donovan solving various Pony Express mysteries.[3]

Production

Pony Express was filmed at Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth in Los Angeles County, California.[2] It was one of several western-themed television shows produced by CNP, including Boots and Saddles (1957–1958) and Union Pacific (1959–1960) and Frontier (1955-1956).[4] CNP created the series for the 100th anniversary of the actual Pony Express.[5]

The Pony Express pilot was shot in February 1957 with James Best in the lead. This version did not sell (although Best was included in a TV Guide photo feature on upcoming TV westerns in June of that year) but was later aired, slightly re-edited, as an episode of the syndicated series.

Guest stars

Episodes
No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"The Story Of Julesberg"Lewis R. FosterTeleplay by : Sam Peckinpah ()
22"The Killer"James NielsenStory by : Tony Barrett
Teleplay by : Jack Laird		 ()
33"The Replacement"Jean YabroughTeleplay by : John Meredyth Lucas ()
44"The Last Mile"Frank AdreonTeleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King ()
55"Payoff"TBATBA ()
66"Wrong Rope"Jean YabroughTeleplay by : Budd Lesser ()
77"The Deadly Sniper"Jean YabroughTeleplay by : Lee Berg and Harry Clork ()
88"Justice For Jenny"TBATBA ()
99"The Treaty"TBATBA ()
1010"Message From New Orleans"Frank McDonaldTeleplay by : William R. Cox and Harry Clork ()
1111"The Good Samaritan"Jean YabroughTeleplay by : Rudy Makoul and Joel Rogosin ()
1212"The Peace Offering"TBATBA ()
1313"The Wrong Man"TBATBA ()
1414"The Reluctant Bride"TBATBA ()
1515"Lady's Choice"TBATBA ()
1616"Token Payment"TBATeleplay by : Budd Lesser ()
1717"We Ourselves"TBATBA ()
1818"Showdown At Thirty Mile Ridge"TBATBA ()
1919"Bandido"Frank McDonaldTeleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King ()
2020"Princess Of Crazy Creek"Frank McDonaldTeleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King ()
2121"The Theft"TBATBA ()
2222"Duel At Devil's Canyon"TBATBA ()
2323"Vendetta"TBATBA ()
2424"Mail For A Male"TBATBA ()
2525"The Breadwinner"TBATBA ()
2626"The Golden Circle"TBATBA ()
2727"The Station Keeper's Bride"TBATBA ()
2828"The Pendant"TBATBA ()
2929"Special Delivery"TBATBA ()
3030"The Wedding Of Big Zack"Frank McDonaldTeleplay by : Raphael Hayes ()
3131"The Renegade"TBATBA ()
3232"Trial By Fury"TBATBA ()
3333"Reclaim"TBATBA ()
3434"Ghost Of Caribou Ridge"Frank McDonaldTeleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King ()
3535"The Search"Frank McDonaldTeleplay by : John Meredyth Lucas ()

See also

References
  1. Jackson, Ronald; Abbot, Doug (April 23, 2008). 50 Years of The Television Western. AuthorHouse. p. 181. ISBN 978-1434359254.
  2. "Pony Express (1959)". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
  3. Marill, Alvin H. (2011). Television Westerns: Six Decades of Sagebrush Sheriffs, Scalawags and Sidewinders. Scarecrow Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-8108-8132-7.
  4. "Pony Express". Classic TV Archives. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  5. Erikson, Hal (November 5, 2001). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years 1947-1987. McFarland & Company. p. 181. ISBN 978-0786411986.


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