Acclaimed movie diginet getTV introduces classic TV series to its lineup for the first time by adding a block of rarely seen Western series starting today, September 12 at 12 p.m. ET. The brand new block is a part of the network's popular ongoing all-day Saturday Westerns lineup, and will debut with five episodes of the 1971 series NICHOLS, starring beloved leading man James Garner and a young Margot Kidder, in one of her first major roles.
Additionally, getTV will present five episodes of the wandering gunslinger series HONDO from 1967, starring Ralph Taeger and Michael Pate, on September 19; and 10 episodes of 1965's A MAN CALLED SHENANDOAH, starring Robert Horton, on September 26; both starting at Noon ET. Following several weeks of mini-marathons, all of the newly added Western series will join the regular Saturday lineup on a weekly basis.
On September 12th, James Garner is a man looking for a fresh start in NICHOLS, set in small-town Arizona in the early 1900s. Having left an 18-year career in the military, Garner as Nichols finds himself blackmailed into the role of town sheriff by the villainous Ketcham Family, who run the town. Riding a motorcycle instead of a horse, and forsaking guns in favor of more peaceful resolutions, the newly-crowned lawman takes on bandits, manages town bullies and woos beautiful bar maid Margot Kidder...all with his own unique style. Created by Oscar®-winning screenwriter Frank Pierson (DOG DAY AFTERNOON, COOL HAND LUKE, MAD MEN), with episodes directed by such notables as John Badham and Ivan Dixon, Nichols also featured Garner's eventual THE ROCKFORD FILES co-star Stuart Margolin and included such guest stars as Tom Skerritt, Scatman Crothers, THE WALTONS' patriarch Ralph Waite, Alice Ghostley, and Ricardo Montalban, and was well-known for being one of James Garner's favorite television roles.
Then, on September 19, Ralph Taeger and his faithful canine sidekick Sam hit the road in 1967's HONDO. Based on the 1953 John Wayne drama of the same name--which, in turn, was inspired by Louis L'Amour's sixth novel--HONDO stars Taeger as a former Confederate officer who lived with the Apaches. Tasked with preventing more violence from occurring between settlers and the remaining tribes, Hondo embarks on a quest to avenge his Indian wife's death, while battling dastardly land-grabbers, nosy reporters, and other outlaws, in the process. Famed movie villain Michael Pate also stars, reprising his big screen role as Apache Chief Vittoro, and the series features such guest stars as Ricky Nelson, Fernando Lamas and Annette Funicello. Noah Beery Jr. (who played James Garner's father in THE ROCKFORD FILES) co-stars in this series.
The month wraps up on September 26, with WAGON TRAIN's Robert Horton in 10 episodes of the well-regarded half hour Western drama A MAN CALLED SHENANDOAH. Horton stars as a man who wakes up after being brutally attacked, with no memory of who he is or why anyone would want to harm him. Searching for clues to his past life, the man dubbed "Shenandoah" travels through the desert, running afoul of lynch mobs, dodging false charges, facing off against violent criminals, and doling out Old West justice along the way. In addition to Horton, the series boasted a number of impressive guest stars, including Oscar® winners Cloris Leachman, Martin Landau, and George Kennedy, and nominees Bruce Dern, Sally Kellerman, Nina Foch, John Ireland, and
ARTHUR O'Connell.
"At getTV, our fans love when we dig into the vaults and find something they haven't seen in awhile - or maybe ever. So, in addition to uncovering hard-to-find movies, we also wanted to deliver our fans some rare TV series," said Jeff Meier, getTV's senior vice president of programming. "One of our most popular programming blocks on the channel is our Saturday lineup of Westerns, so we're especially proud to be able to present lesser known gems from
LEGENDS like James Garner and Robert Horton that haven't been seen on TV in decades. Although each of these series originally had a short run, they all feature classic Old West action that will have viewers agreeing that they were cancelled far too soon."
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