A Man Called Shenandoah

When Robert Horton got done with Wagon Train, he starred in this short-lived t.v. show. It was a Western about a guy who gets shot in the head, gets amnesia and wanders around the West trying to remember who he is.

I barely remember this show, but remember liking it.

It was one of those shows like The Fugitive, or The Guns of Will Sonnett that would give a little hope of finding what the point of what the show was about but would fall just short at the end and dash all your hopes. In Horton's case, it would be finding a clue or almost remembering who he was and then losing it.

It didn't last too long. Perhaps the premise didn't allow for enough development of plot and character.

I have just discovered this show via GetTV. I had never seen or heard of this show; my family did not own a television in 1965.

"A Man Called Shenandoah" only lasted one season. I would guess that this was due to it being on ABC (a poor third in television ratings at the time), and coming near the end of the run of Western shows on television. The show may have also suffered by having somewhat more adult themes than most other Westerns, although that never seemed to hurt "Gunsmoke"…

At any rate, Horton is excellent as a man who has lost his memory due to being shot in the head (a grazing shot, one would assume). He wanders to various places in the West, searching for clues to his identity. While we initially know nothing about Shenandoah's past, we find him to be a competent man of great integrity who finds interesting situations wherever he goes.

While lasting only one season, shows produced more episodes back then. There were 34 episodes made, although apparently about five are lost. Watchers will recognize many of the guest stars; in just a few episodes, I have seen Sally Kellerman, Leonard Nimoy, George Kennedy, and John Dehner.

It's too bad that the show only got one season. While amnesia has been long used as a gimmick in movies and television, I thought it worked in this show. Perhaps eventually, the producers would have let him find out about his past and moved on to other conflicts.

There are several other reviews that are good, and there is really little more to say, except: Robert Horton wrote the lyrics and sang the excellent and somewhat haunting theme song; and, the writing of the episodes was uncommonly good, often leaving moral questions open, and presenting realistic circumstances. The premise itself -- an amnesiac wandering in search of his lost identity -- is inherently weak and could not by itself sustain the series, but Horton's acting and the strength of the writing carry it. The theme song is a classic all by itself. An ill-fated show, but one that was well-done and is still well worth watching.

I would compare this show to Branded. It was a quest western vehicle for an established western star. Both Horton and Chuck Connors were huge stars and easily able to carry the leading roles. It was an interesting time in the life of the TV western. Most of the 50s shows were gone except Bonanza and Gunsmoke, and the new shows were these quest westerns or lavish productions like The Big Valley/High Chaperel/Virginian.

He roams the West meeting all types of people and geting into all types of danger. I watched a few episodes recently and they were well written and intelligent.

I've concluded that he can never find out who he is because he no longer exixts. He's in Hell.