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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1970s Television
    1970s Television Drama Shows H 4 Mins Read

    How the West Was Won

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    1 9 7 6 – 1 9 7 9 (USA)
    1 x Pilot
    28 x 90 minute episodes

    Mountain man Zeb Macahan (James Arness) returns to the Macahan family farm in Manassas, Virginia but when the civil war comes too close to home, his sister in law, Kate (Eva Marie Saint) convinces her husband Tim Macahan (Richard Kiley), to pack up their family, including sons Luke (Bruce Boxleitner) and Josh (William Kirby Cullen) and daughters Jessie (Vicki Schreck) and Laura (Kathryn Holcomb), and move out west to Oregon.

    Once out west the family learn that the first battle of the war is likely to occur at Bull Run, near the home of Zeb and Tim’s parents. Tim returns to Virginia to warn his parents.

    When Tim does not return, Luke rides back east to look for him but finds his grandparents were killed by artillery fire that struck their home during the Battle of Bull Run and that his father was involuntarily conscripted into the Union Army.

    Arriving in Tennessee, Luke is also unwillingly conscripted into the Union Army and is wounded during the battle of Shiloh. He finds his mortally wounded father at an aid station. After all of Luke’s platoon is killed, he returns west to find his family.

    Things are quiet for a time until a bounty hunter named Grey arrives to arrest Luke for desertion, pursuing Luke for months until Kate shoots him dead to protect her son.

    In the second season, Kate dies herself, in a barn fire. Her wealthy widowed sister Molly Culhane (Fionnula Flanagan) arrives from Chicago to reunite with her only remaining family.

    A former southern sheriff, Martin Stillman (Ed Lauter), begins to pursue Luke for vengeance and hires gunmen who torture and nearly kill Josh while pursuing Luke. Stillman is eventually killed by Zeb in a gunfight.

    Luke is forced to spend most of the rest of the series fleeing pursuit while gaining a reputation as a skilled gunfighter.

    He eventually rescues Judge Rensen (Warren J. Kemmerling) who offers to seek a pardon for Luke’s past activities in Missouri. Unfortunately, the judge is murdered before the trial can conclude and Luke flees once again, accompanied by brother Josh.

    Indian tribal wars, gold robbery, land grabs, bounty hunters, kidnapping, rustling, cattle drives across harsh country, stagecoach crashes, slavers, attacking bee swarms, pirate raids on riverboats and assorted bandits and villains – How The West Was Won had it all, and the epic miniseries has been acclaimed as one of the best western productions of all time.

    Zeb Macahan
    James Arness
    Luke Macahan
    Bruce Boxleitner
    Laura Macahan
    Kathryn Holcomb
    Josh Macahan
    William Kirby Cullen
    Jessie Macahan 
    Vicki Schreck
    Molly Culhane
    Fionnula Flanagan
    Major Drake
    Peter Hansen
    Hillary Gant
    Elyssa Davalos
    Sherrif Gant
    Ken Curtis
    Kate Macahan
    Eva Marie Saint
    Martin Grey
    Anthony Zerbe
    Erika Hanks
    Britt Lind
    Orville Gant
    Lloyd Bridges
    Tommy Gant
    Kristopher Marquis
    Satangkai
    Ricardo Montalban
    Col. Jerrod Flint
    Richard Basehart
    Beth
    Vera Miles
    Stone Hand
    Joshua Gallegos
    One Wolf
    Ivan Naranjo
    Tap Henry
    Slim Pickens
    Deek Peasley
    Harris Yulin
    Judge Rensen
    Warren J. Kemmerling
    Martin Stillman
    Ed Lauter
    Doreen
    Kay Lenz
    Francis Britten
    Eric Braeden
    Frank Grayson
    Jared Martin
    General Sheridan
    Ramon Bieri
    Timothy Macahan
    Richard Kiley

    Episodes

    Pilot | Provost Marshal | Erika | Bowie John Christie | Buffalo Story | Mormon Story | Interlude | Orville Gant | Amnesty | Cattle Drive | Robber’s Roost | Deek | The Judge | Gold | Brothers | Secrets | The Hearing | The Posse | The Gunfighter | The Rustler | The Enemy | The Innocent |  Hillary | L’Affaire Riel | The Scavengers | The Forgotten | Luke | China Girl | The Slavers

    Video

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