The Young Riders

Now with each episode I watch as an adult I think this show should be made again. There were some positive themes passed along and great lessons emphasized (often by Teaspoon) in every episode.

I was in my late twenties when I first discovered this show on a cable channel. Coming from a family of western lovers, my brother was already familiar with the show and enjoyed it as well. I had to record many of the episodes due to being in night classes but I always looked forward to getting home to view them. I was so excited to see the first season come out on DVD and hope the next will be out soon.As soon as I purchased it I came home to watch every episode without commercials and having pieces lost to TV interruptions and running out of tape. I know I missed some of the episodes and still cry when I watch the last one. This is wonderful TV that teaches some valuable lessons for young kids today. They should watch more westerns! (And those were some nice looking young men on that show that grew into even nicer looking men)

I, and many friends, miss this show. While there were many liberties taken in the writing of the show it was very entertaining. The actors did exceptional jobs of expressing the mood and attitudes of the mid 1800's just prior to the Civil War. The Plight of the Native American people was highlighted in several episodes as was slavery. The writers used and developed characters to portray person's trapped in the non-white world. One character, Buck, played by Gregg Rainwater, developed over the three seasons from a relatively minor character of mixed blood to a highly intelligent, well read person who completely broke the misconception of the ignorant drunk Indian. I feel more could have been done with the Civil War aspect of the show but they chose to end it instead. I'm hoping this show will be released to DVD as I would like my children to see it.

I cannot calculate how many hours I have spent watching this show. You only have to check out the fan sites on the internet to see its impact. This must be one of the best (and best-looking) casts ever assembled. Josh Brolin is intense, sexy and magical as 'James Butler Hickock'. Anthony Zerbe hits just the right note as the wise but eccentric 'Teaspoon'. Ty Miller as 'Kid' is sincere and appealing. Gregg Rainwater plays the sensitive 'Buck', a half-breed torn between two worlds but belonging to none. Travis Fine is remarkable as 'Ike', a bald mute. Could any other actor have pulled off such a role? Brett Cullen is the handsome and fair marshal 'Sam Cain', if only he had stayed beyond season 1! Yvonne Suhor gives and amazing and sympathetic portrayal of 'Louise McLoud', a scared but strong woman trying to make it in a man's world by disguising her femininity. Don Franklin plays the intelligent, funny, but frustrated 'Noah Dickson' - who is very far from the usual stereotypical portrayal of blacks in westerns. Chris Pettiet plays 'Jesse James' at 14, a boy anxious to grow up and be a man but badly needing guidance and a sense of family. The comic relief is provided by Stephen Baldwin who gets all the best lines as the obnoxious but endearing 'William F. Cody' (although you may more often than not be laughing at him, not with him). The first housekeeper was 'Emma Shannon' (Melissa Leo), a woman trying to make it in the west after being deserted by her husband. She becomes a mother figure for the riders, something that most of them were lacking. Later came Clare Wren who played the sexy 'Rachel Dunne' who was a lot tougher and wiser than she looked. Well I don't think I missed anyone out. The show also had fantastic guest stars, excellent shoot-outs, and showed the conflicts that were developing between the north and the south at that time. It also showed the true meaning of love and friendship. It was wonderfully shot and had just the right blend of drama, action, and humor. I guess if you've read this far you already know and love the show. Why not write your own comments here? Oh, and "Try a little Jimmyness".

First of all I want to say that I LOVE this show. This was the first new show I watched with my parents as a family on a regular basis, and was second only to The Waltons. The characters are fantastic, it's action-packed, romantic, emotional, and just overall endearing. I believe this show is one of the main reasons that I love American History so much, to this day I search for anything I can find about the Pony Express. And now it has been released on DVD (just season 1 so far), and I have been watching at least one episode a day, reliving the love I felt for this show when I saw it as a young girl who started off simply loving it because it had beautiful horses and a girl that was just as good as the boys.