The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993–1994)

INFORMATION FROM IMDb#

Plot Summary
Hired by local robber barons, Harvard Law Graduate Brisco County, Jr.
searches for the members of the infamous John Bly gang, the same men
who killed his father, a famous marshal and western legend.
Accompanied by his one-time rival and fellow bounty hunter Lord Bowler,
Brisco rides through the West trying to bring his father's killers to justice.
Along the way, he encounters mysterious golden orbs with strange abilities
and colorful characters who help or hinder his mission
as he hunts down the Bly gang one by one.
Written by Kevin Kibble

Series Cast
Bruce Campbell ... Brisco County Jr. (27 episodes, 1993-1994)
Julius Carry ... Lord Bowler (27 episodes, 1993-1994)
Christian Clemenson ... Socrates Poole (27 episodes, 1993-1994)
Comet ... Comet (11 episodes, 1993)
Ely Pouget ... Jennifer Hart (7 episodes, 1994)
John Astin ... Prof. Albert Wickwire (7 episodes, 1993-1994)
Kelly Rutherford ... Dixie Cousins (7 episodes, 1993-1994)
John Pyper-Ferguson ... Peter Hutter (7 episodes, 1993-1994)
Billy Drago ... John Bly (6 episodes, 1993-1994)
Jeff Phillips ... Whip Morgan (6 episodes, 1994)
and many more....

Series Directed
Kim Manners (7 episodes, 1993-1994)
Andy Tennant (2 episodes, 1993)
and many more

Series Produced
Jeffrey Boam .... executive producer (27 episodes, 1993-1994)
Carlton Cuse .... executive producer (27 episodes, 1993-1994)
and many more....

Series Writing Credits
Carlton Cuse (14 episodes, 1993-1994)
Jeffrey Boam (11 episodes, 1993)
John McNamara (5 episodes, 1993-1994)
David Simkins (4 episodes, 1993)
and many more.....

Series Original Music
Velton Ray Bunch (6 episodes, 1993-1994)
Stephen Graziano (6 episodes, 1993)

Series Cinematography
Richard Thorpe (11 episodes, 1993)

Trivia
Brisco's horse was billed in the credits as "Comet the Wonder Horse," and named Comet in the show, with the implication that he was the smartest character on the show. In fact, "Comet" was actually portrayed by four separate horses, with the horse being used in any particular scene depending on the type of action Comet was expected to perform.

Lord Bowler's real name was James Longfeather, this was first revealed in Hard Rock

Brisco has used the alias, Roscoe Merriweather, which he first invented in the pilot.

Peter Hutter always greeted Brisco the same way, no matter what condition he was in: "Oh hello Briiiisco."

Pete Hutter died in several episodes to be brought back either in that episode or a future episode with outlandish but funny reasoning as to why he was still alive. He died in the pilot in a shoot out, Chinese death star in And Baby Makes Three and again in High Treason: Part 2 death by pitchfork.

Pete Hutter had an obsession with his gun, which he nicknamed Pete's piece.

Was the last production to film on the Laramie Street backlot set at Warner Brothers Studios. It was actually being torn down to accommodate a post-production sound facility during filming of the show, which was used to rerecord the sound for episodes whose audio tracks were disrupted by the construction of said facility.

Lord Bowler is based on Lord Baltimore from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Dixie Cousins was originally supposed to be a one-time character, with Professor Wickwire's daughter Amanda serving as Brisco's recurring love interest. However, due to the popularity of the character - as well as the great chemistry between Bruce Campbell and Kelly Rutherford - Dixie became a regularly recurring character.

Bruce Campbell did a standing back flip during his audition. His reasoning was that because the show would be very action-packed, he wanted to impress the producers with his ability and willingness to handle himself physically.

The pilot episode featured a reporter named Jonah Collier who was played by Dan Gerrity. Collier was originally supposed to be a recurring character who would provide plot explanation at the beginning of episodes while covering news stories. The character was removed because the producers decided that the presence of Socrates Poole and his role as a provider of plot exposition made Jonah Collier unnecessary.

By the end of the show's run, only ten of the thirteen members of John Bly's gang were shown to be apprehended or killed. They were: Big Smith, Jack Randolph, Brett Bones, Blackbeard LaCutte, Winston Smiles, Juno Dawkins, Doc McCoy, Ned Zed, Pepe Bendix, and Bly himself. The remaining three gang members are unaccounted for, although it is implied that they were captured at some point before the episode "Bye Bly", based on dialog between Brisco and Bowler where they mention that Pepe Bendix is the last remaining gang member.

Bruce Campbell cited Brisco County Jr. as his favorite role. On the special DVD featurette he commented "it was the most exhausting, physically demanding year of my life. It was also the best." The other cast members all shared similar sentiments.

Though the show only lasted one season, the series' majestic theme song composed by Randy Edelman found a new life as part of NBC's sports productions, namely during NBC broadcasts of the World Series and the Olympic Games (played while announcing the upcoming events).

Christian Clemenson could never get used to riding on horses. But since Socrates was supposed to be a studious sort, he thought it was entirely in character and helped his performance.

Pete Hutter's middle name is Leviticus.

Dixie Cousin's real name is Myra Simon.

In the Special Features DVD, writer Carlton Cuse said that when coming up with ideas for the series, he was studying various B-movies from the 50s and 60s, and noticed that many of them were Westerns or Sci-Fis. Cuse then decided to create the series as a combination of the two, creating it as a Western, but with sci-fi elements.

According to writer Carlton Cuse, had the series been renewed for a second season, the main plot line would have centered around Brisco County Jr. eventually settling down, marrying Dixie Cousins, and becoming a sheriff to a town populated by all sorts of characters with similar characteristics to many of the guest characters from Season One.

The show's theme music was featured in the 2010 Winter Olympic coverage on NBC.

Memorable Quotes

Filming Locations
Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA
Laramie Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Red Hills Ranch, Sonora, California, USA
Stages 11 & 19 Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., often referred
to as just Brisco or Brisco County,
is an American western television series created by
Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse,
which ran for 27 episodes on the Fox network starting
in the Fall 1993 season.
Bruce Campbell played the title character,
a Harvard-educated lawyer-turned-bounty hunter,
who is hired by a group of wealthy industrialists to
track and capture John Bly and his gang.
Brisco is joined by a colorful group of supporting characters,
including
Julius Carry as bounty hunter Lord Bowler and Christian Clemenson
as stick-in-the-mud lawyer Socrates Poole.
The series is set in 1893, and while ostensibly a western,
it routinely includes elements
of the science fiction and steampunk genres.
A large number of episodes involve the mysterious Orb,
a Macguffin which is from the future.
Actor John Astin played Professor Wickwire,
an inventor who provides Brisco assistance with
anachronistic technology,such as diving suits,
motorcycles, rockets, and airships.
During its broadcast run, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
garnered a small but dedicated following and was well-received by critics.
However, the show suffered from low ratings and was
canceled at the end of its first season.

User Review

5 October 2003 | by Rob Taylor (London)

Quote

It's one of those sad things that sometimes, shows don't really market themselves very well and, as a result, are woefully undervalued. Such is Brisco County, a western genre light comedy show with a hint of sci-fi thrown in for good measure.

When this show first came out I didn't watch it, primarily because I assumed it was simply another Western series, like Bonanza, or High Chapparal, to which I had been forced to endure by my parents as a kid. So I missed out (first time round) on something really fantastic.

Luckily, I have since started gathering up any episodes I can find and have been able, at last, to appreciate the wonder that is Bruce Campbell. Is there nothing he can't do? If ever there was an actor that is deserving of fame and fortune, it is him.

As for Brisco County, Bruce's portrayal is surprisingly subtle to those familiar with his Evil Dead work. But the trademark quips and facial expressions are all still there, just slightly understated.

As a show Brisco is harmless and great fun. It won't tax your brain, and is a welcome way to unwind with a beer or two. The supporting cast are all good, even the Mr T clone, Julius Carry. I haven't seen all the episodes yet, but I look forward to watching Messrs Campbell and Co eagerly.

Look out for Comet, Brisco's horse. He's as much a character as any of the human cast.

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