So far no one has mentioned the origin of this show.
The first episode was actually an episode of the weekly series hosted by Dick Powell: Zane Grey Theater. I believe this was a popular Friday night show in around the mid to late '50s. Each show was unrelated to the others. They were just westerns. I have no idea if they were supposed to be based on Zane Grey stories or not.
I know Chuck Connors was the hero and father. He had a son in this episode. I think it was Johnny Crawford, but I'm not sure. I believe he has to kill someone...something he either never did or almost never did on the TV series.
My recollection is that this one episode of Zane Grey was so popular that they decided to make it a series. Thus The Rifleman. It was certainly better than any other Rifleman episode because it was quite an intense drama.
The first episode was actually an episode of the weekly series hosted by Dick Powell: Zane Grey Theater. I believe this was a popular Friday night show in around the mid to late '50s. Each show was unrelated to the others. They were just westerns. I have no idea if they were supposed to be based on Zane Grey stories or not.
I know Chuck Connors was the hero and father. He had a son in this episode. I think it was Johnny Crawford, but I'm not sure. I believe he has to kill someone...something he either never did or almost never did on the TV series.
My recollection is that this one episode of Zane Grey was so popular that they decided to make it a series. Thus The Rifleman. It was certainly better than any other Rifleman episode because it was quite an intense drama.