I have seen the reruns of most of the old western TV series. However, I have never seen Maverick until recently on Encore.
I must say, it is becoming my favorite of all the 1950's & 1960's Western shows.
Anyone else new to Maverick ? How well do you like it, compared to the other shows of their time ?
Maverick was cleverer than other Westerns of the day. Sugarfoot, also a Warner Brothers show, had a tongue-in-cheek tone as well, but its star Will Hutchins was no James Garner (or even Jack Kelly). Compare Maverick's imaginative plots with those hackneyed ones on The Big Valley.
shareFive or so years ago when TVLand showed a very select # of episodes, I was able to see most of them. Out of 124 episodes, I would say that I'm fairly new to the series, & I'm almost through with the 1st season now (still watching ones on DVR).
For a little background, I'm 24, & I've always been a fan of westerns, including the classic ones on t.v. in the 1950s & 1960s. I think Maverick stacks up very well with the following shows that I really enjoy:
**** Bonanza
**** Gunsmoke
**** Wild, Wild West (been a long time since I saw this show; need to get it on DVD)
**** Have Gun Will Travel
**** The Rifleman
**** The High Chaparral
**** Big Valley
I don't know if you've ever seen Alias Smith & Jones, but it's the 1971--1973 western, humor-filled hour show also created by Roy Huggins, the creator of Maverick. I saw "Alias" first when it aired on Encore last year & the year before & enjoyed it; they need to show it some more, because a # of those episodes were recycled story-lines from "Maverick." Now that I'm seeing Maverick, it would be neat to compare the 2 shows.
A lot of the other t.v. westerns from the era I have only read about, like Wyatt Earp, Sugarfoot, Bronco, Wanted: Dead or Alive, since I wasn't around when they originally aired, & tv channels today generally refuse to air episodes from virtually any western series.
When I was about 12, I did purchase a 2-episode VHS of Wanted: with Steve McQueen, & those are the only episodes I ever saw. Legend of Wyatt Earp came on TVLand for a handful of episodes several years back, & I saw those.
Maverick is at least in the top 5 or 7 western series ever produced, though I don't think it ranks as #1, but that's open to discussion as all things are. To me, Bonanza & Gunsmoke are tied at #1, but I'm really basing that on the color episodes of Gunsmoke that I've seen with Festus on TVLand. I've only seen maybe 30 or so of Gunsmoke in black & white with Chester. I've seen all of Bonanza's 400+ episodes, & many of them are memorable.
I'm very new to the show, as I've only seen about 10 or 15 episodes on Encore, but I have to say I was hooked from the first episode i saw. I've got about 40 DVR'd and i watch them every chance i get. The first episode I saw was "Duel at Sundown" that I recorded because I was in a Clint Eastwood mood and now I can't stop watching them.
"You know, if your mouth was loaded we'd all be dead."
I am also new to Maverick. And I have Jack Kelly to thank for that. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MAVERICK. I have seen most of the episodes so far. and I can honestly say AT LEAST 20 to 25 episodes are MY PERSONAL FAVORITES, which is PHENOMENIAL really for 1 t.v.series. Like I said before JACK KELLY is the reason I watch and love Maverick. I LOVE his solo episodes as BART and I like the BRET/BART episodes as well.
shareI'm also new to watching Maverick, have been watching it on Encore Westerns for the past few months and love it to death. I started watching this channel when The Rifleman was on and saw all of those episodes and was a big fan. Then the Big Valley was shown and although it was a step below, I continued to watch them. Now it's Maverick and it is on the top of my list of old TV westerns.
I have to say I like the episodes with Bart the best, then Bret. Not crazy about Beau to be honest.
The Rifleman has been removed from the ENCORE Westerns primetime schedule. To be added in Jan. '09 is Cheyenne, like Maverick, produced by Warner
Bros.
I'm new also, as I just starting watching once I saw it on Encore. Before this I watched The Rifleman, which I became a huge fan of. Then The Big Valley, which I liked but not as much as The Rifleman. Now that Maverick is on, I like this one the best by far. I love the Bret and Bart episodes the best. I've seen the latter ones with ROger More and I don't enjoy them as much.
Not sure why I like these shows, other than good story lines and the way they con the bad guys. Great show!!!!
Jeremylr, (and everyone else!) you should watch 'Bat Masterson'. It's just as good as Maverick, sometimes better. Gene Barry was awesome in his role, playing Bat Masterson (who was a real person) as a professional gambler who risked his life to help people. It comes on Encore Westerns every weekday too.
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