Harts of the West

Western television series

Harts of the West

Genre| Western
Starring|

* Beau Bridges
* Harley Jane Kozak
* Lloyd Bridges

Theme music composer| Clint Black
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 15
Production
Executive producers|

* Robert Moloney
* Peter Locke
* Donald Kushner

Running time| 60 mins.
Production company| The Kushner-Locke Company
Original release
Network| CBS
Release| September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25) –
June 18, 1994 (1994-06-18)

Harts of the West is a humorous contemporary Western TV series about a Chicago family moving to a run-down Nevada ranch. The series consists of 15 hour-long episodes that aired on CBS Saturdays, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m., from September 1993 until June 1994.[1]

Much of the series was shot on location in downtown Mayer, Arizona, a small town near Prescott.[2] Clint Black wrote and sang the theme song, In a Laid Back Way.[1]

CBS scheduled the series between two popular Westerns: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Walker, Texas Ranger,[3] and it received positive reviews. One reviewer wrote "Don't make the mistake of ignoring Harts of the West",[4] and another stated the show was "One of the fall season's more appealing new series."[3] However, the series left the schedule in January 1994, with a few final episodes being shown in June 1994.[1]

## Synopsis

[edit]

Dave Hart was a lingerie salesman in Chicago who'd always dreamed of being a cowboy. He had named his three children after Western writers and an actor – 16-year-old son Zane after Zane Grey, 15-year-old daughter L'Amour after Louis L'Amour, and 10-year-old son John Wayne (called Duke) after the famous Western star.[5] After suffering a mild heart attack Dave decided to follow his dream, and purchased the Flying Tumbleweed Ranch, sight unseen, after reading a sales brochure published in 1957.[1] Duke is the only other family member in favor of moving out West.[4]

The property is a dude ranch in disrepair, near the town of Sholo, Nevada, population 90. Sholo's business district has a trading post - grocery store run by a Native American named Auggie, and the Hanging Tree Cafe, run by the sheriff, R.O., and his ex-wife Rose.[5]

Dave goes out to the Flying Tumbleweed and is shot at by Jake, a grizzled ex-convict who claims to be the ranch foreman.[4] Jake informs Dave that the man who sold the ranch has died, and his ashes are scattered over the Flying Tumbleweed. The foreman is able to find a group of motley ranch hands, some with a prison record.[5] Dave's wife, Allie, is willing to try ranch life for a while, though the elder children initially have little enthusiasm for the idea.[4]

## Cast

[edit]

* Beau Bridges as Dave Hart (ranch owner)
* Harley Jane Kozak as Alison (Allie) Hart (Dave's wife)
* Lloyd Bridges as Jake Tyrell (ranch foreman)
* Sean Murray as Zane Grey Hart (16-year-old son, infatuated with Cassie)
* Meghann Haldeman as L'Amour Hart (15-year-old daughter)
* Nathan Watt as John Wayne (Duke) Hart (10-year-old son)
* Saginaw Grant as Auggie Velasquez (trading post owner)
* Talisa Soto as Cassie Velasquez (Auggie's granddaughter)
* Stephen Root as R.O. Moon (sheriff and cafe owner)
* O-Lan Jones as Rose McLaughlin (cafe waitress and R.O.'s ex-wife)
* Sterling Mucer, Jr. as Marcus St. Cloud (ranch hand and ex-convict lawyer)
* Dennis Fimple as Garral (ranch hand)

## Episodes

[edit]

No.| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original release date

|
|
|
|

1| "Pilot"| Robert Lieberman| Robert Moloney| September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25)

After Dave Hart has a coronary episode he follows his dream of being a cowboy and puts a down payment on a ranch shown in a 1957 sales brochure.

2| "The Right Stuff"| Bill D'Elia| Robert Moloney| October 2, 1993 (1993-10-02)

Dave hires a former rodeo champ (Mark Harmon), and a moving company loses the Hart's belongings.

3| "Guess Who's Coming to Chow?"| James Hayman| Robert Moloney| October 30, 1993 (1993-10-30)

Allie's mother (Diane Ladd) visits the ranch, and is attracted to Jake.

4| "Dead Man's Leap"| James Hayman| Chris Ruppenthal| November 6, 1993 (1993-11-06)

Zane risks his life to try and make friends, and R.O. claims to channel the dead after being struck by lightning.

5| "Goodnight, Irene"| Bill D'Elia| Jill Gordon| November 13, 1993 (1993-11-13)

Someone killed Garrel's cow, Irene, plus Allie takes a teaching job and learns that Duke is failing in school.

6| "Cowboyz in the Hood"| Scott Brazil| Unknown| December 4, 1993 (1993-12-04)

Marcus brings a troubled teen to the ranch, and Zane follows Cassie to a roundup.

7| "Auggie's End"| Greg Beeman| Mark Masucka| December 11, 1993 (1993-12-11)

Auggie begins to prepare for his death, but Dave tries to convince the man his time to die has not come.

8| "Jake's Brother"| Bill D'Elia| Jill Gordon| December 25, 1993 (1993-12-25)

A family feud is rekindled when Jake's brother (Dale Robertson) comes for a visit.

9| "Ghost Run"| Neal Israel| Trish Soodik| January 8, 1994 (1994-01-08)

The local buckboard race becomes a battle of the sexes when Allie competes, and R.O. tries to talk Rose out of entering a beauty contest.

10| "You Got to Have Hart"| James Hayman| Unknown| January 15, 1994 (1994-01-15)

When Marcus breaks his leg Dave represents Sholo at the annual local rodeo. L'Amour tells an admirer she's nineteen.

11| "Home Alone … With Friends"| Greg Beeman| Trish Sookik| January 22, 1994 (1994-01-22)

Rose kicks out ex-husband R.O. so he moves to the Flying Tumbleweed.

12| "Hart's Vacation"| Mel Damski| Chris Ruppenthal| January 29, 1994 (1994-01-29)

During a family camping trip Dave falls down an abandoned mine shaft. After that the Harts are threatened by a bear and a tornado.

13| "Back in the Panties Again"| James Hayman| James Kramer| June 4, 1994 (1994-06-04)

When the ranch well runs dry Dave works at a Las Vegas lingerie convention.

14| "Drive, He Said"| Neal Israel| Robert Moloney| June 11, 1994 (1994-06-11)

When a trucking company raises the price of shipping livestock to the market Dave organizes a cattle drive.

15| "Jake and Duke's Excellent Adventure"| Helaine Head| Robert Moloney| June 18, 1994 (1994-06-18)

Jake wants to celebrate Duke's 10th birthday with a Native American rite of passage. Allie thinks she's pregnant.

## Media availability

[edit]

In 2005 Tango released the Harts of the West series set on DVD.[6] On October 17, 2017 Mill Creek Entertainment released the DVD set Harts of the West The Complete Series.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 589\. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
2. ^ Gordon, William A. (1995). Shot on This Site: A Traveler's Guide to the Places and Locations Used to Film Famous Movies and TV Shows. Citadel Press. p. 88\. ISBN 978-0-8065-1647-9.
3. ^ a b "Arizona Republic 25 Sep 1993, page Page 82". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
4. ^ a b c d "The Philadelphia Inquirer 25 Sep 1993, page Page 45". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
5. ^ a b c Bob Leszczak, Single Season Sitcoms of the 1990s: A Complete Guide, page 81, McFarland, Inc., 2018
6. ^ "Newsday 13 Dec 2005, page 96". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
7. ^ Wild About Movies

*[No.]: Number