I’m waxing nostalgic today, pining for the days of yesteryear when good westerns were on practically every night of the week! Today, I thought I’d remember my favorite of them all, the western television series LANCER. It’s one of those shows that didn’t last long enough, and still has many, many followers in the fan fiction world who continue to write stories using these characters in just about every scenario you can imagine. If you’ve never explored fan fiction, it’s pretty amazing, and there’s a fan fiction group for virtually every movie and TV series that ever came down the pike.
My not-so-secret “secret” is that I was so totally in love with Johnny Lancer when that show was airing that it stayed with me for all these years. So in my mind, there are different attributes of his that just about every one of my heroes in my books have “inherited”–and that’s a good thing, except for the fact that most of them are as reckless as he was and that can cause a good deal of anxiety for me! They say that writing is throwing rocks at a man to make him climb a tree and then he has to figure out how to get down unscathed. With those “Johnny Lancer” qualities in my heroes, that makes it doubly hard, but also, soooo well worth it!
Johnny was raised very “rough and tumble” but he survived, and he learned how to read people very well. He’s brash, and he takes chances, but he calculates the risk and he has plenty of confidence–after all, he’s made it this far, growing up with not much supervision in the harsh border towns. Of course, this is what gives his entire character its intriguing quality–his will to take chances, defy the odds, and come out on top. But what if he doesn’t? As a writer, that’s what makes him so interesting!
Here’s a bit about Lancer, which was then, and still is, my favorite TV western ever—and that’s saying a lot, since I was a die-hard western fan from a very early age.
But what can be more exciting to a pre-teen girl than an action–packed TV western with two handsome hunky guys and a ton of family angst? The answer is…not one thing. I was glued to the tv screen every week when Lancer took off, and it was a very, very sad day when they cancelled it.
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it, in a nutshell, just so you can get the gist of the series:
Lancer is an American Western series that aired on CBS from September 1968, to May 1970. The series stars Andrew Duggan, James Stacy, and Wayne Maunder as a father with two half-brother sons, an arrangement similar to the more successful Bonanza on NBC.
Duggan stars as the less than admirable Murdoch Lancer, the patriarch of the Lancer family. Stacy appears as half-Mexican gunslinger Johnny Madrid Lancer. Wayne Maunder was cast as Scott Lancer, the educated older son (though he is younger than Stacy) and a veteran of the Union Army, in contrast to Stacy’s role of former gunslinger. Paul Brinegar also appeared as Jelly Hoskins, a series regular from season two after making a one off guest appearance during the first season. Elizabeth Baur (who later replaced Barbara Anderson in ‘Ironside’ from season five to eight) also was a series regular cast member as Murdoch Lancer’s ward Teresa O’Brien.
Guest stars included Joe Don Baker, Scott Brady, Ellen Corby, Jack Elam, Sam Elliott, Bruce Dern, Kevin Hagen, Ron Howard, Cloris Leachman, George Macready, Warren Oates, Agnes Moorehead and Stefanie Powers.
Lancer lasted for fifty-one hour-long episodes shot in color. The program was rerun on CBS during the summer of 1971.
The episode entitled “Zee” with Stefanie Powers earned scriptwriter Andy Lewis the Western Writers of America “Spur Award“, the first ever designated for a television script.
Pretty impressive! With the regular cast and the very solid and vivid portrayals each of them gave of their characters, and the stellar roster of guest stars, what’s not to love? I was eleven when LANCER made its appearance, and I thought I had never seen anyone as “cute” as half-brothers Johnny and Scott Lancer. But “cuteness” was not the only thing that held my interest.
As the storyline went, Scott’s wealthy mother took him back to Boston, and he was raised as a moneyed gentleman. He served in the Civil War. Johnny’s story was different. His mother took him south of the border, to the territory she was most familiar with, and he was raised in border towns. Life was tough for him, being half white, and as we say here, “the boy run into some trouble.” So much trouble, in fact, that the Pinkerton man Murdoch Lancer sent to find him barely got there in the nick of time, as Johnny was facing a firing squad.
Murdoch offered his sons “listening money”—to come meet him, hear what he had to offer them, and then stay, or walk away. Of course, both Johnny and Scott decide to stay after this stormy encounter.
The mix of the characters, with Johnny having fended for himself most of his life, earning his living as a fast gun, and Scott being raised with everything money could buy, added to every plot and their general interaction. Scott had known hard times too, during the War, and he had to remind his younger brother of that from time to time. But their growing relationship as brothers, and the respect that they had for one another – and in time, for their father, was what made the show special. Growth of the characters and the way that growth was portrayed kept me glued to the screen week after week—though I couldn’t have told you that’s what it was at that age.
The show is not in syndication here in the States, at last check, but don’t despair! Here’s a link where you can catch season one, at least!
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB278C1B669BEA738
Johnny Lancer has been a “main character” in my imagination from the time I first saw the show. He’d lived a hard life, done some bad things, but was trying to make amends and have the life with a true family that he’d always wanted…and a place to belong. He was the youngest in his family, and so was I. His character portrayal resonated with audiences everywhere, so it was quite a surprise to learn that the show was being canceled. Yet, today, there are still people who love the show and get together online to chat about it and the characters, and write more stories about them—many of which would make fantastic Lancer episodes if the show was still being written.
Do you have a memory of Lancer? Please share if you do! And if you don’t—don’t hesitate to click that link above and see what you missed!
What was YOUR favorite TV western from days gone by?
I’m offering a giveaway today of a digital copy of one of my books, reader’s choice, (USA ONLY) to one lucky commenter!
CHERYL’S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://tinyurl.com/yc6t7vj4
I don’t remember seeing Lancer. I loved Bonanza, Cheyenne , wagon Train Big Valley, and Gunsmoke to name a few.
Hi Linda! You may have missed it–it was only on for a couple of seasons–not sure why they decided to cancel it, because everyone I knew at the time loved it and when it was time for it to come on we’d all be sure we were tuned in. LOL It had a good cast, seemed like the story lines were as good as any other western, but alas…I loved Bonanza, too, and Gunsmoke! Lots of good ones to choose from in that time, for sure!
Oh, what a lovely tribute to a byegone show and era! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Elissa! THANK YOU! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I love the streaming channels now–you can see about anything you ever wanted to see again. I don’t have a lot of time to watch tv anymore, but when one of my dogs developed hip dysplasia we discovered he LOVED “The Rifleman” — so I have become an expert on that show, and I think I have about every episode memorized frontwards and backwards. LOL
Oh, what a lovely tribute to a byegone show and era! Thank you for sharing! Looking at the faces, I know I must have watched it, but growing up as an Army brat and often overseas, we didn’t always have TV, although I vaguely recall The Lone Ranger dubbed into German (Er sagt “Ugh!”).
Elissa, that made me laugh! LOL Yes, overseas I’m sure you missed out on a lot of shows. My husband was in the Navy before we ever met and talked about how, of course when he was in Vietnam he missed out on everything, but when he was stationed in Japan, they had some shows that were dubbed into Japanese. LOL The upside was it helped him learn Japanese.
I don’t remember Lancer, but for a good bit of my childhood, we didn’t
have a television. I did love westerns though and watched them every chance I got.
Hi Rhonda, we had a tv, but it was a tiny black and white until I was about 10 and then we got our color tv–much bigger and COLOR! LOL I think my mom was the most thrilled of all about it because she could finally see the Thanksgiving Day Parade in color.
We didn’t have a TV when I was a kid–I think I was 13 when we finally got one. So I didn’t watch anything at all unless we were at our grandparents’. My grandpa watched Bonanza, Wagon Trail, and Gunsmoke, but my experience with westerns is really limited. I did watch Maverick (ahhh, James Garner) occasionally when it was in syndication. It was delightful.
Hi Nan, I think my parents probably got a tv so we could see the news and weather, living here in Oklahoma. Even though weather reporting was pretty primitive back then, it was still something that gave a bit of information. My dad watched a lot of PBS documentaries, and my mom watched a lot of their art programs and so on, but there were regular network shows they liked, too–I remember Dad wanting to watch Jackie Gleason’s “Honeymooners” and then he became hooked on westerns and so I did, too, except for (of course) I loved to watch Lost in Space and Star Trek!
I don’t remember Lancer but sure my father watched it because he didn’t miss a western. Bonanza was always my favorite because I had a crush on Little Joe.
Quilt Lady, my dad got that way, too. He loved westerns so much. Dad was also an avid reader and when he got older, into his late 60’s-early 70’s, I told him about how I’d been reading all the Louis L’Amour books I could get my hands on. He had seen The Sacketts on tv and I asked if he’d like to borrow my books about them. He mainly read a lot of biographies, and historical books, and not much fiction, but he tried to act “kind of” excited about my offering those books because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings. So I brought the Sacketts series down to him and about 10 days later he called and asked if there were any more of them. LOLLOL! I told him no but I had other books by LL that he would like. I ended up going to the used book store and buying one each of all the LL books they had and taking them to him in a grocery bag. Thrilled him to death!
Maverick with James Garner..I was/am a huge fan of his TV shows and movies.
Oh, Kate, yes. Maverick! James Garner is from Norman, OK, and my sister lived there most of her adult life and knew his sister. They were both very nice, and down-to-earth people, from what my sister told me. I just imagined him to be that way, anyhow. I love his movies and the tv shows he did, too!
Good morning Cheryl! The show looks familiar, but it must not have been a channel we could get at the time. I only remember High Chaperel, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, and Big Valley. Now later,we did see the black and whites like Rawhide and Wagen Train Cheyanne, Wells Fargo,Dead or Alive(Steve McQueen) and another one which slips my mind now! The name of it! But his name was Jess and he went to work with (John Smith) on a weigh station with his little brother and an old guy(last name Carmichael)…Ulgh! I’ll think of it later! LOL I guess I liked Little Joe on Bonanza. But, truthfully, Gunsmoke was my favorite. I guess because I remember it being on so long. While all my friends liked Heath on Big Valley, my favorite was Nick.
So, it’s Gunsmoke.i loved all the characters, but none were “hunk” worthy to me, but I liked it. I feel like I’m forgetting a few more of those westerns!
I found it! Laramie! And I forgot The Rifleman! And Have Gun, Will travel. So many really!
Tracy, I loved The Rifleman then and now! I mentioned in an earlier comment when one of our dogs got hip dysplasia and had to spend a lot of time inactive, he loved The Rifleman. even now, in the mornings when I get up and go into the living room he’ll come in there and lie down on his bed (front and center of the TV!) and look over his shoulder at me until I put on The Rifleman. Then he settles down and takes a little morning rest while he watches “his show”. LOL
LOL That is hilarious! Dogs with personalities! Too cute!
Hi Tracy! High Chaparral was on about the same time as Lancer, best I recall. I loved it, too. I just loved the characters they put together in that show! I watch a lot of reruns of Perry Mason now, and Mark Slade (Billy Blue) was on one of the Perry Mason shows I saw not too long ago. BOY was he young! I didn’t watch a lot of The Virginian, I think because it was an hour and a half long, and I was too young to really be interested in some of the more intricate plots. I loved Rawhide then and still do–watch it in reruns a LOT. I knew just who you were talking about from your description about Laramie. I was in love with Robert Fuller, too. I liked Nick on The Big Valley, too–and also saw him on a couple of reruns of the old Perry Mason show since I’ve been watching it. There are some really interesting roles that some of the future leading starts had as guests on Perry Mason! Loved, loved, loved GUNSMOKE, too!
My favorite western is Laramie, I love Slim Sherman, he is the epitome of the ultimate gentleman cowboy. Jess is pretty cool too but Slim is the best. He always protects and fights for and stands up for what is wrong, he knows how to treat a woman, he raised his younger brother, runs a ranch and a stage station.
I’ve never heard of Lancer
Naomi, on one of the western channels, probably Grit, they had reruns of Laramie. I never watched it much when I was growing up, but I started watching it because it came on right after High Chaparral and I got hooked on it. Yes, I agree. Slim really does know how to be a gentleman. Very good man!
I LOVED Lancer!! I was younger than you when it first aired, but I had such a crush on James Stacy!! To this day, when the old episodes of Gunsmoke with him in them airs, all I have to do is hear his voice and I KNOW it’s him! Same with Sam Elliott, though, and a few others! My all-time favorite western TV show was The Guns of Will Sonnet, as I though Dack Rambo was such a dreamboat!! I think I was about five or six, no more than seven, when it aired its last episode, and I almost cried! I remember being very upset!!
Trudy, in earlier comments I mentioned how I’ve gotten hooked on old Perry Mason reruns, and I saw one not long ago with James Stacy on it. He was sooo young! Oh, i had forgotten about The Guns of Will Sonnet! Yes, Dack Rambo was a hunk, wasn’t he? SIGH…
Cheryl, I know exactly what you’re talking about! Lancer (James Stacy) REALLY drew me and I was probably maybe a year or two older than you but that didn’t matter. Nope. He was soooo dreamy with that dark hair and those silver conchos running up the side of his black trousers. Fantasize I did! I, too, watched it until it was canceled and I went into withdrawal. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Duel McCall aka Alex McArthur came out about that time and wow! Desperado gave me that “fix” for the void Lancer left.
But back to Lancer and James Stacy. I was really heartbroken when I learned he lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. So sad. He turned kind of bitter about life.
Loved your blog! And the trip down memory lane, Miss Okie!
Linda, I KNEW you would be a James Stacy fan! LOL! Yes, he was very dreamy. Loved Wayne Maunder, too, but “Johnny” was the one I loved–probably because he lived on the edge like he did. Well, and those PANTS he wore…SIGH… I don’t remember Desperado! I will have to look it up.
That really was horrible that James Stacy had that accident. Lost a leg AND an arm, too! Yeah, I heard that too, about the bitterness. Guess it would be hard not to be bitter, having everything you ever wanted and dreamed of and then it came to a sudden stop. :(((
I’m glad you liked the blog! That was one of my very favorite tv shows ever! Love you, Filly Sister!
Growing up I enjoyed all westerns, although I don’t remember Lancer. I remember Branded with Chuck Connors.
Karijean, Branded was such a good show, and such a different concept! I loved that show. I guess I just loved Chuck Connors, because I was crazy about The Rifleman (and still am!) LOL
I always enjoy watching Gunsmoke and Wagon Train.
I liked Gunsmoke, too! Don’t know why but I never watched Wagon Train that much–must have come on at a time when I had something else going on. SIGH. I need to catch up NOW!
I didn’t watch much tv, but I did, and still do, enjoy watching Silverado.
Bridgette, I love Silverado! That is such a good western!
Most of the westerns I saw as a kid were reruns. Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Big Valley.
I was pretty young when some of them were on and don’t really remember them from that time in my life, but I’ve spent a long time watching reruns through the years! LOL
My favorite was The Virginian. What a handsome man! I do remember Gunsmoke , Big Valley, and Bonanza. but John Wayne and Sam Elliot were the ultimate cowboys.
Ann, I saw James Drury on a “The Rifleman” re-run the other day–he was a BAD GUY! Did a great job of it, too. Also saw him on Perry Mason, too. I love coming across other reruns with the stars that later made it big on them in guest roles. Also, I remember Doug McClure on the OLD movie Beau Geste. It has been years since I saw that! But yes, I agree with you about John Wayne and Sam Elliot!
My dad watched a bunch of western movies when I was growing up… but TV shows, not so much. I loved Dr. Quinn even though it was not a true oldie.
Colleen, my dad loved westerns too, and we watched those a lot, but in all fairness, that was a lot of what was available during that time period, too. So glad of it! When I was growing up, even putting old movies on tv was fairly new, but gosh, when it became common, he watched all the westerns that were available.
Hi, I dont think I ever watched Lancer, we used to watch Bonanza, The Rifleman, The Lone Ranger, Rawhide, The Virginian and also Have Gun Will Travel, I loved watching them all. (not entering this ebook giveaway as I am not tech savvy, but Thank you) Have a great day and a great week.
Alicia, there were just so many good westerns, and many of them didn’t run for very long due to one thing or another. I discovered THE TEXAN after I was an adult, and OH MY GOSH, I loved that show, but there were only 2 or 3 seasons of that. There’s also one called The Deputy, I think, that starred Henry Fonda in it. I had not ever even heard of it–both of those were all in b&w so they were very old. Also discovered Wanted Dead or Alive after I was an adult, too. It’s kind of fun to find these “gems” now and binge watch them! LOL
I do remember Lancer. Stacy was my favorite. I loved the old westerns like High Chaparral and Iron Horse as well as Big Valley.
I love them all, too, Debra. I was happy to find TALES OF WELLS FARGO on…Grit, I think it was. We watched a TON of those. I like Dale Robertson because he was from here in OK, and grew up on a ranch—one of the best horsemen in Hollywood, because he’d done it forever. I met him once when I worked at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum here in OK City.
I don’t remember “Lancer” at all. My favorite western TV show was “Alias Smith and Jones,” although it didn’t last very long either. My mom and I watched “Gunsmoke” every Monday night until it went off the air after 19 years.
Oh, my goodness, yes! I remember Alias Smith and Jones. LOVED that show, too! That was great casting for that show. I remember how my parents watched Gunsmoke every week, too. I love that one too, because it was so familiar and the cast was wonderful.
I don’t remember Lancer. When my sisters and I were in jr high and high school Gunsmoke was a half hour show at 10 pm on Saturday. My dad would watch it and then leave home to pick us up at the school dances. It really threw off his schedule when they switched to an hour long. (As part of the community recreation program our school had dances every Saturday, 7:30-11:00, no disc jockey just records on a jukebox with no cover on the money box so you put your money in and got it back.)
I liked Gunsmoke and loved The Virginian as well as many of the others that have been mentioned. Summer reruns were great because then we got to see the ones we had missed because of school activities.
Alice, that made me smile. I was thinking of all the small inconveniences we have as parents — the things we do for our kids to be sure they have a fun time in life– when you mentioned your dad and his having to miss part of the show to come get y’all. And no VHS recorders then! LOL Gosh, I wish we’d had those when Dark Shadows was on and we were racing home from school to get there in time! LOL
I had no choice but to love westerns! I grew up glued to the tv playing nothing but westerns, bookshelves full of Louis L’Amour, and Marty Robbins, Frankie Lane, and Johnny Horton singing western ballads over the record player and radio. Even though I strayed from it as I got older (mostly because westerns weren’t on tv much anymore) and developed interest in things such as CSI, Law and Order, etc., I still believe that stemmed from my love of westerns…because I did love the lawmen (and the cowboys, of course.) Thankfully, tv isn’t what it was 40 years ago, and it offers channels like INSP that are non-stop westerns. And when I’m not writing about my western lawmen and cowboys, you can find me totally engrossed in a rerun that I can quote because I’ve seen it so many times! I call it research! LOL!
Lynne, I felt the same way. Being raised here in Oklahoma in the cowboy culture, and during a time period when we had SO MANY westerns on tv and being made into movies, how could we NOT love them? Marty Robbins was my favorite singer and my husband found a way to cut a part of El Paso to use as my ringtone on my phone–I’m forever grateful to him. Embarrassed the heck out of my kids but every time my phone would ring SOMEONE in the room would smile and say, “Hey, El Paso!” or “Marty Robbins!” I still love Marty Robbins! AND Johnny Horton, and Frankie Laine! Like you, I still watch a LOT of reruns from the old days and thank my lucky stars I live in an age where that’s possible for us to do. I’ve got a lot of those memorized, too, but I don’t mind!
I don’t remember Lancer but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen him in westerns. My Dad was big on westerns when I was growing up in the 70 and 80’s. John Wayne and Clint Eastweeod were the big stars in what we watched.
Carrie, my dad loved westerns, too, which was fortunate because I sure did, too. Oh, yes, Clint Eastwood–loved him in so many of his movies. And of course, John Wayne had sooo many good ones!
I can’t believe you talked about Lancer. That was my favorite, but I was Scott (Wayne Maunder) fan. I was surprised they were only on two years unless I misunderstood you. How fun. Thanks for sharing.
Tammie, it only ran from September 1968 to May 1970. so it wasn’t even a FULL 2 years! Isn’t that shocking? They just didn’t know what they had. I loved both the brothers because I guess even then at that age I was studying relationships between people–between the brothers, the way they interacted with their father, and so on. I really soaked it up. It was a very sad day when they canceled that show!
no fav
Thanks for stopping by!
Never heard of Lancer until tonight and my favorite Western is McClintock starring John Wayne
Please enter me in giveaway
Crystal, McClintock is a family favorite with us, too. From the time my daughter was little, she loved that show and was so thrilled one Christmas when I bought that for her–that was back in the VHS days! I think that was the best gift she got that year. I’m dropping your name in the hat for the giveaway! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi Cheryl, I, always loved Raw Ride with Clint Eastwood. But, enjoyed a lot of John Wayne also.
Cowboy shows were the BEST!!!!!
Hi Lois! I loved Rawhide, too! Oh my gosh, what a great show! I still love to watch the reruns and thank goodness we live in a day and age when we can have that at our fingertips. You are so right–cowboy shows were and are the BEST!
I’m sorry I missed this giveaway, but glad I read the post. I had many favorite westerns growing up. From the early days of Zorro, Annie Oakley, and Sky King to Bonanza, Maverick, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. I couldn’t figure out why I never followed Lancer until I checked the listing for when it aired. I left for the Peace Corps In June of 1968 and got back August of 1971. I may have caught a rerun two the summer I got back.but that would have been all. I had favorites on all the shows and some still stay quite clear in my mind. I really miss having westerns on TV, but the cowboy ethic just doesn’t fit today as well as it did back then. That is sad since we really need it today.
Thanks for a trip down memory lane. I hope you are starting the new year off well. Take care and stay warm and safe.
Patricia, I’m so glad you stopped by! And you know, that’s a perfect explanation of why you missed Lancer–you had a LIFE that was taking you to exciting places! LOL You can catch up on it all NOW when you get a chance. That link I put in the post will at least let you see Season 1–and boy, I envy you–getting to watch it for the very first time! LOL Wouldn’t it be great if westerns made a comeback? But, alas. One does pop up every once in a while and usually does have good results, but as far as a steady diet of them on tv like we used to have, I don’t think that will come again.
Yes, we are well, and bracing for a HARD cold spell this weekend. UGH. Just laid in another full rick of firewood, and I’m feeling much better about stuff. Now I have to get out and buy the bread, milk, and toilet paper. LOL Hugs, my friend! I’m so glad you stopped by.