Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1970s Television
    1970s Television Comedy Shows D 2 Mins Read

    Dusty’s Trail

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 3 (USA)
    26 x 30 minute episodes

    “Let’s follow the path of Dusty’s Trail . . . a stage and a wagon headin’ West, part of a wagon train lost from the rest”.

    dustystrail3Dusty’s Trail was a Western sitcom starring Bob ‘Gilligan’ Denver. The series’ premise was not complicated: creator Sherwood Schwartz had previously presented the sitcom Gilligan’s Island – reviled at first but a cult in re-runs.

    In that show, a group of people out on a pleasure cruise were shipwrecked on a tiny island. Dusty’s Trail repeated the same formula but was set in the wild west of the 1880s, with a wagon train heading from St Louis to California replacing the Minnow.

    The main star, Bob Denver, was back again, and his character – the dunce-headed trail scout Dusty (with a horse called ‘Freckles’) – was a clone of his earlier Gilligan persona.

    dustystrail4Virtually all the other roles were mirror-images of Gilligan characters too. The comedy was provided via the problems encountered when five members of a wagon train get separated from the main body and get lost in the Wild West – attempting to avoid bears, Indians, and outlaws along their way.

    Among the pioneers were gorgeous dancehall girl Lulu McQueen (Jeannine Riley) who was travelling to California to open her own saloon; shy and demure schoolteacher Betsy McGuire (Lori Saunders); resourceful and inventive Andy Boone (Bill Cort); and wealthy Boston couple Carter (Ivor Francis) and Daphne (Lynn Wood) Brookhaven – echoing the Howell’s on Gilligan’s Island – who were journeying West to cash in on the recent gold rush and open a bank.

    dustystrail6The series also starred Forrest Tucker (who had already made a successful name for himself in another comedic Western, F Troop) as Mr Callahan the Wagonmaster – ostensibly the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island –  an ex-army officer with a horse called ‘Barney’

    Voting with their ‘off’ buttons, US audiences quickly dismissed the series from their screens.

    Dusty
    Bob Denver
    Mr Callahan

    Forrest Tucker
    Betsy McGuire

    Lori Saunders
    Carter Brookhaven

    Ivor Francis
    Daphne Brookhaven

    Lynn Wood
    Lulu McQueen

    Jeannine Riley
    Andy Boone

    Bill Cort

    Video

    Related Posts

    • mogul22
      Mogul/The Troubleshooters
      1 9 6 5 - 1 9 7 2 (UK) 136 x 50 minute episodes This BBC series starred Ray Barrett…
    • newpeople1
      New People, The
      1 9 6 9 - 1 9 7 0 (USA) 17 x 45 minute episodes The New People was set on…
    • Rise and Fall of Wellington Boots, The
      Rise and Fall of Wellington Boots, The
      1 9 7 5 (Australia) 6 x 25 minute episodes Alexander "Boots" Wellington (Serge Lazareff) is a latter-day Huck Finn…
    • bradybunch6
      Brady Bunch, The
      1 9 6 9 - 1 9 7 4 (USA) 117 x 30 minute episodes Perhaps the last of the nicey-nice…
    • oregontrail
      Oregon Trail, The
      1 9 7 7 (USA) 14 x 60 minute episodes In 1842, widower Evan Thorpe (Rod Taylor) decides to leave behind…
    • dustyspringfieldshow1
      Dusty Springfield Show, The/Dusty
      1 9 6 6  - 1 9 6 9 (UK) 27 x 25 minute shows During 1966, Dusty Springfield provided a…
    • dobiegillis023
      Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis, The
      1 9 5 9 - 1 9 6 3 (USA) 147 x 30 minute episodes All-American teenager Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman)…
    • Chisholms, The
      Chisholms, The
      1 9 7 9 (USA) 4 x 90 minute episodes 1 9 8 0 (USA) 9 x 60 minute episodes…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticlePolice Squad!
    Next Article French and Saunders

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site
    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small.
    Thank you so much. Enjoy your trip in the time machine!
    You may also like

    • oregontrail
      Oregon Trail, The
      1 9 7 7 (USA) 14 x 60 minute episodes In 1842, widower Evan Thorpe (Rod Taylor) decides to leave behind…
    • New Adventures of Gilligan, The
      New Adventures of Gilligan, The
      1 9 7 4 - 1 9 7 7 (USA) 24 x 30 minute episodes A cartoon spin-off from the hugely popular…
    • Gilligan's Island
      Gilligan's Island
      1 9 6 4 - 1 9 6 7 (USA) 99 x 30 minute episodes Nobody expected Gilligan's Island to survive its first…
    • dustyspringfieldshow1
      Dusty Springfield Show, The/Dusty
      1 9 6 6  - 1 9 6 9 (UK) 27 x 25 minute shows During 1966, Dusty Springfield provided a…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.