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How the West Was Won 

Western | TV Series (1976–1979)
Episode Guide
29 episodes
How the West Was Won Poster
The Macahans, a family from Virginia, headed by Zeb Macahan, travel across the country to pioneer a new land and a new home in the American West.

Creators:

Jim Byrnes, Al Ruddy

Stars:

James Arness, Bruce Boxleitner, Kathryn Holcomb | See full cast & crew »
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Reviews
Popularity
1,062 ( 23)

Episodes

Seasons

Years


3   2   1  
1979   1978   1977   1976  
Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 89 photos »
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Cast

Complete series cast summary:
James Arness ...  Zeb Macahan / ... 26 episodes, 1976-1979
Bruce Boxleitner ...  Luke Macahan / ... 26 episodes, 1976-1979
Kathryn Holcomb Kathryn Holcomb ...  Laura Macahan / ... 26 episodes, 1976-1979
William Kirby Cullen William Kirby Cullen ...  Josh Macahan / ... 26 episodes, 1976-1979
Vicki Schreck Vicki Schreck ...  Jessie Macahan / ... 26 episodes, 1976-1979
Fionnula Flanagan ...  Molly Culhane 22 episodes, 1978-1979
See full cast »
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Storyline

Episodes revolving around the Macahan family as they try to fulfill their dream of going to Oregon. They run into many setbacks along the way and are forced to delay their move many times as a result. Common wild west themes and characters abound, such as Native Americans and crazy mountain men. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

west | uncle | fugitive | civil war | native american | See All (11) »

Genres:

Western

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 1976 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Macahans See more »

Filming Locations:

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site - 35110 Highway 194 East, La Junta, Colorado, USA See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

MGM Television See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The first shot of the title sequence where the camera zooms over the treetops of Oregon's Rogue River was first used in Gunsmoke (1955), season eighteen, episodes one and two, "The River: Parts 1 and 2", which was filmed along the Rogue River. See more »

Connections

Edited from Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) See more »

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User Reviews

 
How The West Was Won is one of the best westerns ever made; Jim Arness' best work.
23 July 2006 | by slfreedjafreed – See all my reviews

Few shows (mini-series) except for "Centennial" have depicted the gritty realism of the west as well as How The West Was Won. Jim Arness brought the character of Zeb Macahan to life / bigger, rougher and tougher than Matt Dillon could have ever hoped to be. I have the entire multi-season mini series, including the premiere movie, on 15 year old VHS tapes that are losing their quality. I wish the series would be released on DVD in a boxed set. Gunsmoke has been released, and considering some of the awful shows that HAVE been released I don't know why they don't. Does anyone know the status of this situation? I would like to find out who produced the series and perhaps recommend that there is a large audience out there for this kind of DVD release. Perhaps Jim Arness' website could help.
16 of 18 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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