Wide Country (1962–1963)

INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary
Mitch Guthrie is a champion bronco rider in the rodeo
who tries to keep his kid brother, Andy, from pursuing the same life.

Series Cast
Earl Holliman ... Mitch Guthrie (28 episodes, 1962-1963)
Andrew Prine ... Andy Guthrie (28 episodes, 1962-1963)
Slim Pickens ... Slim Walker / ... (6 episodes, 1962-1963)
Ray Teal ... Frank Higgins / ... (4 episodes, 1962-1963)
Ted de Corsia ... Chief Henry McMath / ... (3 episodes, 1962-1963)
Jim McMullan ... Johnny Devlin / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Lyle Talbot ... Harry Keating / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Barbara Parkins ... Billie Kidwell / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
David McMahon ... Jimmy / ... (2 episodes, 1962)
Olan Soule ... Hotel Clerk / ... (2 episodes, 1963)
Jody Fair ... Maureen / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Dean Williams ... Phil / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Jonathan Hole ... Clerk / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Nesdon Booth ... Bartender / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Edward Holmes ... Desk Clerk / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Dick Myers ... The Cowboy / ... (2 episodes, 1963)
David Renard ... Eusebio / ... (2 episodes, 1963)
Jay Novello ... Julio Perez / ... (2 episodes, 1962)
Claude Akins ... Bullriver (1 episode, 1962)
Michael Ansara ... Jay Brenner (1 episode, 1962)
Edgar Buchanan ... Walter Guthrie (1 episode, 1962)
Valerie Moore (1 episode, 1962)
Dan Duryea ... Willie Xeno (1 episode, 1962)
Wallace Ford ... Dad Perry (1 episode, 1962)
Steve Forrest Steve Forrest ... Royce Bennett (1 episode, 1962)
John Qualen ... Dr. Henry Demeter (1 episode, 1963)
Bob Steele ... Captain Ainslee (1 episode, 1962)
Jerry Gatlin ... Vern (1 episode, 1962)
James Caan ... Buddie Simpson (1 episode, 1963)
Willis Bouchey ... Judge Spencer (1 episode, 1962)
and many, many more...

Series Produced
Douglas Benton ... associate producer (28 episodes, 1962-1963)
Frank Telford ... producer (28 episodes, 1962-1963)

Series Music
Morton Stevens ... (24 episodes, 1962-1963)
Laurindo Almeida ... (2 episodes, 1963)
Robert Drasnin ... (1 episode, 1963)

Series Cinematography
Walter Strenge ... (26 episodes, 1962-1963)
Bud Thackery ... (2 episodes, 1962)

Series Stunts
Jerry Gatlin ... stunt double (unknown episodes)
Chuck Roberson ... stunt rider (uncredited) (1 episode, 1962)

Series Directed
John Peyser ... (6 episodes, 1963)
Don Weis ... (5 episodes, 1962-1963)
and many more...

Series Writing Credits
Franklin Adreon ... (1 episode, 1963)
Franklin Barton ... (1 episode, 1963)
Jameson Brewer ... (1 episode, 1963)
and many more...

Trivia
The unofficial pilot to this series was the 3/13/62 episode of
Alcoa Premiere (1961) titled "Second Chance."

The opening credits are shown over a scene of the Yosemite Valley
as one enters the national park through "Tunnel View".

Filming Locations
Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

The Wide Country is an American Western television series
which aired on NBC from September 20, 1962 to April 25, 1963.

The series stars Earl Holliman and Andrew Prine as brothers,
Mitch and Andy Guthrie, respectively, who are traveling rodeo competitors.
In the recurring story line, older, wiser brother Mitch, a champion bronco rider,
discourages Andy from following in Mitch's footsteps.

The pilot for the series entitled "Second Chance" was aired on March 13, 1962,
on the anthology series Alcoa Premiere on ABC.
The Wide Country is similar to the ABC series Stoney Burke, starring Jack Lord as a rodeo performer,
which aired thirty-two episodes during the same season.

The Wide Country faced tough competition from ABC's The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
and The Donna Reed Show and CBS's Mr. Ed and the first half of the legal drama,
Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr.
The series was canceled after one season.

Besides Earl Holliman a few of Duke's 'Pals' help out in this series
Slim Pickens ,Edgar Buchanan ,Dan Duryea
Wallace Ford ,John Qualen
Bob Steele ,Jerry Gatlin ,James Caan ,Willis Bouchey

User Review

Not a subject for a television series
24 June 2013 | by bkoganbing (Buffalo, New York)
bko wrote:

The Wide Country was the second of two shows with a rodeo background that came to television in 1962, the other being Stoney Burke. Maybe both could not crack that all important demographic, the young.Those that buy the products the advertisers hawk on shows.

I don't understand why neither show really made it. The rodeo does have some inherent drama within it. The quest to be champion in whatever event you compete in, the personal dangers accompanying trying to do your personal best. The Professional Bullriders do quite well with their attendance and audience today.

Earl Holliman like Jack Lord was a rider of broncos and he also was after a national championship. At the same time Earl had a younger brother Andrew Prine who wants the same life, but Holliman is discouraging it. Still Prine tags along with him, to every event where one or both have some kind of experience.

In a nutshell that was both Stoney Burke and The Wide Country. The success of films like The Lusty Men, J.W. Coop, and 8 Seconds show that rodeo does have a big screen appeal. Maybe someday, someone will capture that appeal for the small screen
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