The Rifleman
Seen it?1958 | 5 seasons | 30 min | Action & Adventure, Western, Family
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It's still drawing plenty of interest. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for action fans and families. If you loved Bonanza, start here.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- 5 seasons: a few months of evenings, short, snackable episodes, about 84 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Made in 1958: an older pace and style.
The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black-and-white, half-hour episodes. "The Rifleman" aired on ABC from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963 as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first prime time series to have a widowed parent raise a child.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 5 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 186K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 1 is the high point.
Season 11958 · 40 episodes · 10.0 out of 10Friday- Season 21959 · 36 episodesNot rated yet
- Season 31960 · 34 episodesNot rated yet
Season 41961 · 32 episodes · 8.0 out of 10Saturday- Season 51962 · 26 episodesNot rated yet
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Created by Sam Peckinpah
- Chuck ConnorsLucas McCain
- Johnny CrawfordMark McCain
- Paul FixMicah Torrance