The western-adventure series "Tales of Wells Fargo" premiered on NBC's Prime Time schedule as a mid-season replacement on March 18,1957 where it became one of the network's biggest hits that started in a era filled with television Westerns. Out of the 200 episodes that this series produced only actor Dale Robertson(who played special agent Jim Hardie for Wells Fargo) was with the series throughout it's entire six season run in all 200 episodes. Out of the 200 episodes only Seasons 1 through 5 produced only 166 black and white episodes that ran 30 minutes in length(with commercials)airing from March 18,1957 until July 10,1961. Only the first five seasons aired on Monday nights in prime time at the 8:30 eastern/7:30 central time slot where it produced 166 black and white episodes. In the sixth and final season of the series saw a change in production when NBC moved "Tales of Wells Fargo" from Monday nights to Saturday nights to an earlier time slot where the show expanded to a full hour and was what NBC would say "The Following Program Is Brought To You In Living Color" and this time new cast members were added. The sixth and final season which moved to Saturday nights at the 7:30 eastern/6:30 central time slot where 34 color episodes were produced airing from September 30,1961 to June 2,1962."Tales of Wells Fargo" was the brainchild of creators Frank Gruber and Gene Reynolds where Nat Holt served as executive producer of the series and was produced by Earle Lyon and Al C. Ward which produced a total of 200 episodes airing from March 18,1957 until June 2,1962. Actor William Demarest(later of "My Three Sons" fame)joined the cast in the final season of the series. "Tales of Wells Fargo" as a series was a well written satisfying western that followed the exploits of special agent Jim Hardie, agent for Wells Fargo who served during the first five seasons as narrator/agent and later on became a rancher while still protecting the law and order for Wells Fargo. Big name directors from Earl Bellamy, Sidney Salkow, R.G. Springsteen, to William Witney, Christian Nyby, William F. Claxton, to George Waggner, Boris Segal and Gene Nelson contribute to some of the great episodes. Writers were Samuel A. Peeples, James Brooks, Gene Reynolds, Dwight Newton, D.D. Beauchamp, Ken Pettus, Barney Slater, Jack Turley, Sam Peckinpah, Frank Price, to Louis L'Amour and A.I. Bezzerides. "Tales of Wells Fargo" was produced by Revue Studios(the same studio that brought you "Wagon Train" and "The Virginian") for NBC Television. The guest star roster consisted of Chuck Connors, Michael Landon, Hugh Beaumont, Robert Vaughn, Dan Blocker, James Coburn, Claude Akins, Denver Pyle, Jack Elam, Edgar Buchanan(who appeared in six episodes). Other guest stars were Nick Adams, Charles Bronson, Eddie Albert, John Dehner, Royal Dano, Martin Landau, Simon Oakland, Jan Merlin, Celia Kaye, to Jack Nicholson, Paul Fix(who appeared in six episodes), Buddy Ebsen, to Ray Teal, Lee Van Cleef among others.

The Western Encore channel has only just recently begun to show "Tales of Wells Fargo" here in January of 2016. I haven't watched this black and white cowboy show since it originally aired on network television back in the late Fifties and early Sixties. I must admit that I am really enjoying watching Dale Robertson as the Wells Fargo special agent or troubleshooter. The show brings to mind "Have Gun, Will Travel." Hardie, like Paladin, is a man who would rather use his wits and wiles before resorting to his fists or weapon. Like Paladin, Joe Hardie, travels all over the west and into Canada, tracking down highway agents, frauds and thieves.

Ah yes, another classic TV Western I used to watch regularly as a kid back in the late Fifties. Courtesy of Timeless Video, I've been able to catch up on the adventures of Wells Fargo special agent Jim Hardie over the past few months.The series ran from March, 1957 to September, 1962, the sixth and final season expanding to a one hour format after leaving the normal Monday night time slot (8:30 to 9:00PM) and airing on Saturdays (7:30 to 8:30 PM). The series opener offered an interesting element; on the barrel of Hardie's gun were imprinted the words 'Be not afraid of any man that walks beneath the sky. Though you be weak and he be strong, I will equalize.' In that first episode, the guest star was Chuck Connors who a year later would appear as 'The Rifleman' and begin his own five season Western series run. Interestingly, Connors portrayed an outlaw, and the showdown occurred between him and Hardie while Connors was perched on top of a telegraph pole! Connors returned nine episodes later as the outlaw Sam Bass, with another familiar face as part of the Bass gang - future Little Joe Michael Landon, wearing a mustache! In another Season I episode, 'Leave it to Beaver's Dad, Hugh Beaumont shows up as the outlaw Jesse James, along with one of the Dead End/East Side Kids, Bobby Jordan.That's a good part of the fun watching these old shows today, and that's seeing who shows up in the stories. Another episode had Robert Vaughn as Billy the Kid, and if you were around at the time, it seemed like the prolific character actors of the era showed up in just about every TV Western at one time or another. Names like Leo Gordon, Claude Akins, Denver Pyle, Paul Brinegar, Don C. Harvey and Edgar Buchanan just to name a few. A few others like Dan Blocker (Bonanza), Jack Elam (The Dakotas) and Steve McQueen (Wanted:Dead or Alive) wound up starring in their own series, along with Connors and Landon mentioned earlier.The thing I liked best about Dale Robertson's character Jim Hardie is that he could never be persuaded by arguments of moral equivalency. Hardie was the personification of doing the right thing at all times, he couldn't be bribed or sweet talked, and his word was bond with whoever he dealt with. But you know, that was a different time and place, and individuals like Jim Hardie seem to be a rare commodity today, especially in entertainment media. I guess I'm being a little wistful and nostalgic here, just thinking back on the good old days.

Tales of Well Fargo was a well-written, satisfying western drama that followed the exploits of Jim Hardie, Wells Fargo Agent. In early episodes, he served as narrator/agent & later became a rancher and part-time Wells Fargo agent.Dale Robertson was very good in this series, with a toughness tempered with a sense of humor. The format allowed for a number of interesting stories and characters. I haven't seen this one on DVD yet, but look forward to owning the shows when available.William Demarest (of My Three Sons) was especially good as a supporting co-star. Check this one out, its good, clean fun !