Most Obscure TV Westerns - #1 – Alias Butch & Sundance

By Bennett Owen

Image courtesy of Sarcastig.com

Image courtesy of asjcollection.com

Of course you may remember it as Alias Smith & Jones but its two loveable outlaws were obviously based on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The movie was a smash in 1969 and Alias S&J debuted a little over one year later as a mid-season replacement on ABC. The premise was laid out every week in the show opener.

Here’s a blurb for in the Seattle Post Intelligencer dated January 17, 1971.

And this is a sampling of the star chemistry that made it a hit:

As unlikely as it seems, the characters were based on two real life late 19^th century outlaws who were given amnesty and legitimate employment as guards on the Union Pacific Railroad.  The Alias S& J was a big hit and its young leads, Pete Duel and Ben Murphy became instant teen idols…Murphy, considered a dead ringer for Butch Cass….oops, I mean, Paul Newman.

Image courtesy of asjcollection.com

Unfortunately, less than a year after its debut, Pete Duel, a Broadway actor suffering from depression, shot himself while watching an episode of the series.  That was on December 31, 1971. In true Hollywood fashion, production was halted for half a day and Duel’s replacement was on the set on January first. 

But the unique chemistry of the two stars couldn’t be re-created and the show was cancelled after 50 episodes. Both it and Bonanza were taken off the air within weeks of each other in 1973, leaving Gunsmoke the only TV western in production.  Alias S & J producer Glen Larson went on to produce what was considered the first western set in space…Battlestar Galactica, starring none other than Bonanza’s Lorne Greene.  “Everybody likes to identify with the freewheeling cowboy, gun-at-hip with no restraints," said Larson. Well said.  

Now I know, there are a lot more obscure TV westerns out there but Alias Smith & Jones gave me the idea, so it gets top billing, deservedly or not.  Nevertheless, I will post the honorable mentions next week.

Courtesy of asjcollection.com