Wagon Train
Seen it?1957 | 8 seasons | 60 min | Western, Drama, 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 families. If you loved Little House on the Prairie or Bonanza, start here.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- 8 seasons and 284 episodes: a long-haul commitment, hour-long episodes, about 284 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- A big time investment at 8 seasons.
- Made in 1957: an older pace and style.
The series initially starred veteran movie supporting actor Ward Bond as the wagon master, later replaced upon his death by John McIntire, and Robert Horton as the scout, subsequently replaced by lookalike Robert Fuller a year after Horton had decided to leave the series. The series was inspired by the 1950 film Wagon Master directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr. and Ward Bond, and harkens back to the early widescreen wagon train epic The Big Trail starring John Wayne and featuring Bond in his first major screen appearance playing a supporting role. Horton's buckskin outfit as the scout in the first season of the television series resembles Wayne's, who also played the wagon train's scout in the earlier film.
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 8 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 170K 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 7 is the high point.
Season 11957 · 39 episodes · 8.3 out of 10Friday
Season 21958 · 38 episodes · 7.8 out of 10Saturday- Season 31959 · 37 episodes · 8.0 out of 10Saturday
Season 41960 · 38 episodes · 6.4 out of 10Weeknight- Season 51961 · 37 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
- Season 61962 · 37 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
- Season 71963 · 32 episodes · 9.0 out of 10Friday
- Season 81964 · 26 episodesNot rated yet
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Cast & crew
- John McIntireChristopher Hale
- Robert FullerCooper Smith
- Michael BurnsBarnaby West
- Frank McGrathCharlie Wooster
- Terry WilsonBill Hawks