Cast
* Riders in the Sky – themselves: **Puppeteers
* Julianne Buescher *Production
Development
''Riders in the Sky'' was originally pitched as a sitcom in which the Riders moved from a frontier town in the American west to Hollywood, California, with most of the humor of the series coming from the trio being "fish out of water". The idea was unappealing to television executives due to the premise sounding too similar to that of '' The Beverly Hillbillies'', and the show was passed on. Later, producer Alan Sacks developed the idea of a children's show starring the Riders and pitched it to CBS executives, who after seeing the Riders perform, were immediately interested.Writing and filming
CBS assigned George McGrath to write the series, although Sacks would later say, "that was a big mistake, we should have had the Riders writing." The series began taping on July 17 and wrapped up on September 14, 1991, the same day it premiered.Crew
* Puppets by the Puppet Studio * Producers - Chris Plourde, George McGrath, Alan Sacks * Costume Designers – Jacqueline Saint Anne, Roberta Samet * Camera Operator – Keeth Lawrence * Animatronic Puppeteer – Kirk Skodis * Sound Mixer- Laura King * Sound Effects Editor – Chris Trent * Videotape – Scott TuchmanTie-in album
A few weeks before the series premiered, Riders in the Sky released ''Harmony Ranch'', their second children's album and their first on theEpisodes
# Saddle Pals (September 14, 1991) # Harmony Ranch (September 21, 1991) # Horsenapped (September 28, 1991) # Save the Buffalo (October 5, 1991) # Cook Out (October 12, 1991) # Sourdough's Surprise (October 19, 1991) # Muley's Revenge (October 26, 1991) # Trail Weevils (November 2, 1991) # Fool's Gold (November 9, 1991) # Bad Brothers (November 16, 1991) # Curse of the Mine (November 23, 1991) # The Contraption (November 30, 1991) # Mail Order Brides (December 7, 1991)Home video releases
The series has never been officially released on any home media, either physical or digital, due to rights issues. This was revealed while answering a question for the "Youth Wants To Know" article on the Riders in the Sky website, with "Ranger Doug" Green stating that "far too many people have a little piece of that series to make a video viable".Awards
* Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design – WonReferences
External links
* {{Children's programming on CBS in the 1990s 1990s American children's comedy television series 1990s American musical comedy television series 1991 American television series debuts 1991 American television series endings American children's musical television series American television series with live action and animation American television shows featuring puppetry CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series based on singers and musicians