Starring Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, Johnny Crawford as his son Mark, and Paul Fix as Marshal Micah Torrance.
This series ran from 1958 through 1963. I was too young for the early seasons, but got to see some of the later ones - and most all of them in reruns afterward in the '60s. Recently, Encore Westerns channel has been showing it again. Plus, the 'On Demand' feature on our Comcast cable has been rotating them as well. I hadn't seen the show in many years and forgot just how good it truly was. My youngest son (who's now 14) and I are really enjoying them together.
The show centers around widower Lucas, who's raising his son Mark alone on a ranch near North Fork, New Mexico. McCain is lightning fast with a Winchester rifle and often assists Marshal Torrance in fending off bad guys from the town. There are many exciting action scenes, but this is no ordinary western. The stories deal with real characters and their problems. Lucas' relationship with his son is often very moving as he tries to raise him right in such a tough environment. Some episodes were ahead of their time - dealing with prejudice and injustice.
Chuck Conners' character is a decent role model who tries to do the right thing, but is not always perfect. In fact, when I was a kid he made a real impression and when I saw him playing some nasty roles later in his career, it was a bit hard to take. He was a fine actor, none the less. He and Johnny Crawford remained friends the rest of his life.