Storyline
Two coachmen and five passengers of aCast
* Bob Denver as Dusty (The Gilligan role) * Forrest Tucker as Mr Callahan (The Skipper role) * Ivor Francis as Carson Brookhaven (The Thurston Howell III role) *Lynn Wood as Daphne Brookhaven (The Mrs Howell role) * Jeannine Riley as Lulu McQueen (The Ginger role) * Bill Cort as Andy Boone (The Professor role) * Lori Saunders as Betsy McGuire (The Mary Ann role)Episodes
Theatrical film
Four episodes of the series were edited together into a theatrical film, '' The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West'', and released in movie theaters in August 1976. In order the four episodes are: * "Tomahawk Territory" (ep. 8) * "Horse of Another Color" (ep. 3) * "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" (ep. 2) * "The Not So Magnificent Seven" (ep. 1)Reception and cancellation
The show was created for Denver by Sherwood Schwartz, who had also created its progenitor, '' Gilligan's Island''. (At the time, Schwartz had been actively trying to get ''Gilligan's Island'' revived for several years; after ''Dusty's Trail'' ended, Schwartz conceded to an animated ''Gilligan'' adaptation that debuted in fall 1974.) Jeannine Riley and Lori Saunders were both former cast members of '' Petticoat Junction'', while Forrest Tucker had previously played a crusty Old West character in '' F Troop''. According to U.S. television researchers Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, the reason for the show's failure was that it was too obviously a rewrite of ''Gilligan's Island'', deeming it "a derivative flop". Denver professed on several occasions that ''Dusty's Trail'' was his favorite show to perform: During its run in the 1973–1974 season, it was reported ''Dusty's Trail'' barely made the top 50 shows, a fairly respectable showing for a first-run syndicated program; nonetheless the program was canceled after its lone season, with 26 episodes produced out of an originally planned 30.Observations
Each of the seven main characters is derivative of those of '' Gilligan's Island'', a previous series that had been created by Sherwood Schwartz, who had been trying unsuccessfully to sell a ''Gilligan's Island'' revival for several years (and eventually succeeded, in animated form, with '' The New Adventures of Gilligan'' in 1974). * Dusty was based on Bob Denver's ''Gilligan's Island'' character, Gilligan. * Tucker's role as the wagonmaster was based on The Skipper, originally played by Alan Hale Jr. * The millionaire Brookhavens ( Ivor Francis and Lynn Wood) were essentially the same characters as the Howells ( Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer) from ''Gilligan's Island''. * Music hall singer Lulu ( Jeannine Riley) was an adaptation of Ginger Grant, the movie star played by Tina Louise * Girl-next-door Betsy ( Lori Saunders) replaced farm-girl Mary Ann Summers ( Dawn Wells) * Andy ( William Cort) filled the role of the savant Professor ( Russell Johnson) Other elements of the series are reproduced/recycled: *The ''Gilligan's Island'' shipwreck, following what was meant to be a "three hour tour," is now replaced with a wagon being lost in the wilderness after being separated from the wagon train. *The main mission of the plot was to reunite with the main wagon train, mirroring the castaways' attempt at rescue. *Head hunters are now replaced by American Indians, who bear resemblance to the Hekawi, a fictional tribe from Forrest Tucker's previous series, '' F Troop''. *Criminals were encountered in both series; with ''Dusty's Trail'' being bandits and desperados, and occasionally marooned felons would end up on ''Gillian's Island''.Home media
Several ''Dusty's Trail'' episodes, for reasons not entirely clear, were not properly copyrighted; these were among some of the last episodes of a regular TV series (in order of production) to lapse into theReferences
External links
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