Harts of the West

Theme music composerClint BlackCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo. of seasons1No. of episodes15ProductionExecutive producersRunning time60 mins.Production companyThe Kushner-Locke CompanyOriginal releaseNetworkCBSReleaseSeptember 25, 1993 (1993-09-25) –
June 18, 1994 (1994-06-18)

Harts of the West is a humorous contemporary Western about a Chicago family moving to a run-down Nevada ranch. The series consisted of 15 hour-long episodes that aired on CBS Saturdays, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m., from September 1993 until June 1994.^[1]

Much of the series was shot on location in downtown Mayer, Arizona, a small town near Prescott.^[2] Clint Black wrote and sang the theme song, In a Laid Back Way.^[1]

CBS scheduled the series between two popular Westerns: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and Walker, Texas Ranger,^[3] and it received positive reviews. One reviewer wrote "Don’t make the mistake of ignoring Harts of the West",^[4] and another stated the show was "One of the fall season's more appealing new series."^[3] However, the series left the schedule in January 1994, with a few final episodes being shown in June 1994.^[1]

Synopsis

Dave Hart was a lingerie salesman in Chicago who'd always dreamed of being a cowboy. He had named his three children after Western writers and an actor – 16-year-old son Zane after Zane Grey, 15-year-old daughter L'Amour after Louis L’Amour, and 10-year-old son John Wayne (called Duke) after the famous Western star.^[5] After suffering a mild heart attack Dave decided to follow his dream, and purchased the Flying Tumbleweed Ranch, sight unseen, after reading a sales brochure published in 1957.^[1] Duke is the only other family member in favor of moving out West.^[4]

The property is a dude ranch in disrepair, near the town of Sholo, Nevada, population 90. Sholo's business district has a trading post - grocery store run by a Native American named Auggie, and the Hanging Tree Cafe, run by the sheriff, R.O., and his ex-wife Rose.^[5]

Dave goes out to the Flying Tumbleweed and is shot at by Jake, a grizzled ex-convict who claims to be the ranch foreman.^[4] Jake informs Dave that the man who sold the ranch has died, and his ashes are scattered over the Flying Tumbleweed. The foreman is able to find a group of motley ranch hands, some with a prison record.^[5] Dave's wife, Allie, is willing to try ranch life for a while, though the elder children initially have little enthusiasm for the idea.^[4]

Cast

• Beau Bridges as Dave Hart (ranch owner)
• Harley Jane Kozak as Alison (Allie) Hart (Dave's wife)
• Lloyd Bridges as Jake Tyrell (ranch foreman)
• Sean Murray as Zane Grey Hart (16-year-old son, infatuated with Cassie)
• Meghann Haldeman as L'Amour Hart (15-year-old daughter)
• Nathan Watt as John Wayne (Duke) Hart (10-year-old son)
• Saginaw Grant as Auggie Velasquez (trading post owner)
• Talisa Soto as Cassie Velasquez (Auggie's granddaughter)
• Stephen Root as R.O. Moon (sheriff and cafe owner)
• O-Lan Jones as Rose McLaughlin (cafe waitress and R.O.'s ex-wife)
• Sterling Mucer, Jr. as Marcus St. Cloud (ranch hand and ex-convict lawyer)
• Dennis Fimple as Garral (ranch hand who is always spitting)

Episodes

No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Pilot"	Robert Lieberman	Robert Moloney	September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25)
After Dave Hart has a coronary episode he follows his dream of being a cowboy and puts a down payment on a ranch shown in a 1957 sales brochure.
2	"The Right Stuff"	Bill D'Elia	Robert Moloney	October 2, 1993 (1993-10-02)
Dave hires a former rodeo champ (Mark Harmon), and a moving company loses the Hart’s belongings.
3	"Guess Who’s Coming to Chow?"	James Hayman	Robert Moloney	October 30, 1993 (1993-10-30)
Allie’s mother (Diane Ladd) visits the ranch, and is attracted to Jake.
4	"Dead Man’s Leap"	James Hayman	Chris Ruppenthal	November 6, 1993 (1993-11-06)
Zane risks his life to try and make friends, and R.O. claims to channel the dead after being struck by lightning.
5	"Goodnight, Irene"	Bill D'Elia	Jill Gordon	November 13, 1993 (1993-11-13)
Someone killed Garrel's cow, Irene, plus Allie takes a teaching job and learns that Duke is failing in school.
6	"Cowboyz in the Hood"	Scott Brazil	Unknown	December 4, 1993 (1993-12-04)
Marcus brings a troubled teen to the ranch, and Zane follows Cassie to a roundup.
7	"Auggie’s End"	Greg Beeman	Mark Masucka	December 11, 1993 (1993-12-11)
Auggie begins to prepare for his death, but Dave tries to convince the man his time to die has not come.
8	"Jake's Brother"	Bill D'Elia	Jill Gordon	December 25, 1993 (1993-12-25)
A family feud is rekindled when Jake’s brother (Dale Robertson) comes for a visit.
9	"Ghost Run"	Neal Israel	Trish Soodik	January 8, 1994 (1994-01-08)
The local buckboard race becomes a battle of the sexes when Allie competes, and R.O. tries to talk Rose out of entering a beauty contest.
10	"You Got to Have Hart"	James Hayman	Unknown	January 15, 1994 (1994-01-15)
When Marcus breaks his leg Dave represents Sholo at the annual local rodeo. L'Amour tells an admirer she's nineteen.
11	"Home Alone … With Friends"	Greg Beeman	Trish Sookik	January 22, 1994 (1994-01-22)
Rose kicks out ex-husband R.O. so he moves to the Flying Tumbleweed.
12	"Hart's Vacation"	Mel Damski	Chris Ruppenthal	January 29, 1994 (1994-01-29)
During a family camping trip Dave falls down an abandoned mine shaft. After that the Harts are threatened by a bear and a tornado.
13	"Back in the Panties Again"	James Hayman	James Kramer	June 4, 1994 (1994-06-04)
When the ranch well runs dry Dave works at a Las Vegas lingerie convention.
14	"Drive, He Said"	Neal Israel	Robert Moloney	June 11, 1994 (1994-06-11)
When a trucking company raises the price of shipping livestock to the market Dave organizes a cattle drive.
15	"Jake and Duke's Excellent Adventure"	Helaine Head	Robert Moloney	June 18, 1994 (1994-06-18)
Jake wants to celebrate Duke’s 10th birthday with a Native American rite of passage. Allie thinks she's pregnant.

Media availability

In 2005 Tango released the Harts of the West series set on DVD.^[6] On October 17, 2017 Mill Creek Entertainment released the DVD set Harts of the West The Complete Series.^[7]

References