One aspect of this series always bothered me as I got a little older. Here's Lucas, the perfect, loving, sensible and respected single Dad - except that before the end of nearly every show he loses it and blasts people into ragdoll shreds. Now how is little Mark going to cope with that trauma growing up? Makes you wonder if old Lucas got mad at his wife for burning the beans one night and he and the kid set out for a new place to live the next morning.
We deal in lead, friend.
Sam Peckinpah was the originator of this show. He wrote a teleplay called "The Sharpshooter" that was a very downbeat story about a sharpshooter who throws a contest when his life is threatened. The producers liked it and suggested that Sam add a son and the contest is thrown because the boy's life is threatened. The script was reworked and was filmed for Zane Grey Theater.
The suits liked it so much, they bought the concept as a series before the pilot was even shown.
Sam directed the first episode of the series which featured Warren Oates, R. G. Armstrong and James Drury.
We deal in lead, friend.
