ABC finally gave up and replaced Jaimie’s travels with reruns of NBC’s ‘62-‘63 modern day Western “Empire”. More than the elements, Indians and outlaws during their trek west, Jaimie and his friends faced an even rougher road competing in a black and white series against “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” on NBC and “My Favorite Martian” and the first half of “The Ed Sullivan Show” on CBS. Thomas and Russell were only months apart in age and the producers did not want Russell harmed because of insurance liabilities. Gutherie Thomas, the now veteran singer-songwriter of “Bound For Glory” (‘76), doubled Russell when horses were involved. The rather bland Witney was trampled to death saving Jaimie’s life and was replaced by the mysterious and troubled, but more powerful Charles Bronson as wagon master Linc Murdock. Michael Witney appeared in the initialġ5 episodes as wagon master Buck Coulter. (James Westerfield) and his shady, seedy-looking con-man cohort Shep Baggot (Sandy Kenyon). Coe (Hedley Mattingly) and his valet Othello (Vernett Allen) as well as the blustery Bible quoting, cunning thief John Murrel Also on the perilous trek westward we encountered blue-blooded Henry T. Mark Allen and Meg Wyllie portrayed the young Kissel brothers’ God-fearing parents. Younger viewers could, hopefully, identify with Russell, or fetching 17 year old orphan Jenny, played in the initial episode, “The Day of Leaving”, by Jena Engstrom but replaced as of the second episode by Donna Anderson, the Kissel Brothers (Micah, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Lamentations, played by The Osmond Brothers who also sang the show’s catchy themesong composed by Leigh Harline and Jerry Winn). Wagon train bound for the goldfields of California in 1849.ġ2 year old Jaimie was surrounded by an ensemble cast of colorful characters, not the least of whom was his stovepipe hat wearing/cane carrying father, an eccentric, irresponsible scalawag of a doctor prone to alcohol and cards who left Paducah, KY, with Jaimie in tow just ahead of creditors.
This hour long b/w MGM produced Western adventure series followed ‘Doc’ Sardius McPheeters (Dan O’Herlihy) and his young son Jaimie (Kurt Russell) as they traveled westward on a “The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters” aired for 26 episodes on ABC, 7:30-8:30pm, Sunday nights from Septemto March 15, 1964.
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