The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

There were a lot of Briscoe County fans who went postal when it was canceled. I had mixed feeling about it. Yes, it was one of the best TV series of all time, but I'd seen too many other great series turn mediocre after the creative well ran dry. Given a choice between ending where it did and seeing it slip into formulaic mediocrity, I was satisfied. The original story arc was neatly wrapped up with lots of diverting side trips along the way.

I've always been a big fan of shows that aren't easy to categorize. This was one such show. A western with elements of SF, overlaid with clever writing and wit without self-consciousness. Each character was eccentric in his/her own way and great fun to watch.

There isn't a bad performance in sight! Bruce Campbell as Briscoe is perfect, as always. It's to his credit that the late Julius Carry as Lord Bowler was able to routinely steal scenes from him. Kelly Rutherford as Dixie does the best Mae West since the original. John Astin as Professor Wickwire is excellent, as usual. Billy Drago as John Bly has to be one of the creepiest villains ever, and John Pyper-Ferguson as Pete Hutter has to be one of the funniest and most bizarre villains of all time. All of the "minor" roles, stating with Comet "the wonder horse" are equally excellent.

But what makes the characters stand out is uniformly excellent writing from a team of certifiable eccentrics in their own right. With the talent in front of and behind the cameras, everything just clicks!

WB finally brought out a boxed set of DVDs and it's great! I just watched it again and felt compelled to update this review. The only sad note was learning of the death of Julius Carry this year. Highly recommended!

THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR. was a really bizarre show, but I guess that's why I loved it so much. Bruce Campbell played the title character who was a Harvard-educated attorney turned bounty hunter that fought bad guys in the year 1893. Most of the episodes were focused on Brisco chasing after John Bly [Billy Drago], the criminal responsible for the murder of Brisco's father during a train robbery, though it was the episodes with more tongue-in-cheek humor that I liked the best. Sadly, Fox canceled this fantastic show after only one year on the air and in my opinion, it was the biggest mistake the Fox network has yet to make. The show will most likely never become available on video or DVD, which is a shame since this is possibly the most underrated show in the history of television.

I loved this show! I spent more time laughing at this show than any other on tv with maybe the exception of I Love Lucy.

Bruce Campbell plays Brisco County, Jr. who is a bounty hunter trying to find his father's killer, John Bly. Julius Carry is his friend Lord Bowler. While Brisco and Bowler travel around looking for John Bly, they run into Dixie Cousins, Brisco's sometime girlfriend and saloon girl, and a host of other characters that make up this show.

My favorite episode is one I've always called The Elvis Episode because I can never remember the real name of the episode. In this episode, Brisco and Bowler are aided by Aaron, the sheriff, who happens to dress in leather, has his hair slicked back into a DA, and runs around acting like singer Elvis Presley. In one scene, with the gang in jail, while Brisco and company are given a meal of bread and water, Aaron gets a huge tray full of food. He then gives the delivery person a tip and then says to him "This don't feel like no pound and a half of bacon". When the delivery person hands over the bacon, Aaron takes his tip money back.

What I love about this show is it is just plain hilarious from the get go. Brisco's horse, Comet, thinks he's human and not a horse. Socrates Poole is a friend of Brisco and the proverbial wet blanket.

I'm just sorry this show had to be canceled so quickly because it was such a laugh.

It's one of those sad things that sometimes, shows don't really market themselves very well and, as a result, are woefully undervalued. Such is Brisco County, a western genre light comedy show with a hint of sci-fi thrown in for good measure.

When this show first came out I didn't watch it, primarily because I assumed it was simply another Western series, like Bonanza, or High Chapparal, to which I had been forced to endure by my parents as a kid. So I missed out (first time round) on something really fantastic.

Luckily, I have since started gathering up any episodes I can find and have been able, at last, to appreciate the wonder that is Bruce Campbell. Is there nothing he can't do? If ever there was an actor that is deserving of fame and fortune, it is him.

As for Brisco County, Bruce's portrayal is surprisingly subtle to those familiar with his Evil Dead work. But the trademark quips and facial expressions are all still there, just slightly understated.

As a show Brisco is harmless and great fun. It won't tax your brain, and is a welcome way to unwind with a beer or two. The supporting cast are all good, even the Mr T clone, Julius Carry. I haven't seen all the episodes yet, but I look forward to watching Messrs Campbell and Co eagerly.

Look out for Comet, Brisco's horse. He's as much a character as any of the human cast.

Without a doubt, THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR. was one of the most unusual shows on television at the time. One part Bond, one part Indiana Jones, one part western, and one part sci-fi, it was also one of the most fun shows. It had the right combination of cast, characters, comedy, action, and adventure. And unlike the shows that would try it later (HERCULES, XENA, and others), BRISCO knew how to make its contemporary stylings work. The show never took itself too seriously. Billy Drago was a great villain as John Bly, a character that appeared in a story arc running through the season. Whenever Brisco wasn't busy tracking Bly, he was busy searching for one of Bly's gang or some other bad guy. It was also interesting to see the buddy cop concept (one white, one black) in a western setting. Bruce Campbell and Julius Carry had great chemistry. The interplay between them was often hilarious. I also liked how Brisco and Bowler weren't friends at first, but rather were more like competitors, and only after several episodes of crossing paths and being forced to work together did they learn to like one another and partner up. Of course, Kelly Rutherford was hot as Brisco's on-again/off-again love interest, saloon singer Dixie Cousins. Many episodes featured some nice father/son moments as Brisco found himself talking with the ghost of his legendary bounty hunter/father, well-played by Lee Ermy. Those scenes, while sometimes brief, were always a nice addition. It's tame violence and family-friendly stories helped make it an audience favorite and develop a following that continues to this day, but Fox ultimately decided to pay attention to THE X-FILES instead, and they canceled BRISCO after just one season, despite it's big audience and decent ratings. But I'm glad the show was then and not now, as it would have been canceled after just the third episode to make way for some lame drama or comedy. Cudos to Carlton Cuse and (the late) Jeffrey Boam for creating such a good show.