This was an enjoyable piece of hokum and the half hour format worked well on this show, just at a time when westerns were starting to go out of fashion. Although in B/W, this gave the series an edge of its own giving a real depth to the wild west.In TV land there is a prejudice against B/W programmes ensuring they get very little air time, this a shame as likable series like this deserve a second chance. The leads were amiable and from what I remember, it is unique amongst western serials in that this looked like it was made by a bunch of hippies. However I would take a bet and say an episode of this is much more watchable today, than say an episode of Bonanza or Gunsmoke from the same time. Also not forgetting the catchy 'groovy' theme tune.

The golden age of the television Western was over. Gunsmoke still limped on but the Warner Brothers' classics had ridden off into the sunset and Bret Maverick was a fond (though oft resurrected) memory. Into this void rode a James Dean clone, a stale Robin Hood plot attached to the name of a famous robber, and a theme song that sticks in the brain with the tenacity of skunk oil. The drawing behind the opening title is more memorable than the stories. But "the lasting fame, the lasting shame of the man with the hungry gun" lives on.

This show should be made available on DVD. So many like myself had to miss this one because ABC wasn't available in my town.(pre cable) Christopher Jones was great in the movies, having this tv show would be a great addition to my CJ collection.

Television spots of the time promoting the series "The Legend of Jesse James" shamelessly pointed out the similarity in physical appearance between Chris Jones and James Dean. It was pretty obvious early on in the series that Chris Jones was being packaged as a gun tooting western version of Jim Stark. The series portrayed Jesse James as an idealistic, sensitive youth who was driven to rob banks and trains by the corrupt society in which he lived. Chris Jones also portrayed the bandit as a charismatic Robin Hood figure. The first year of the series was in black and white. The second year was in color. But the by the second season, it was pretty obvious that the producers of the show didn't know where they were going with this vehicle and the character of Jesse really did become a rebel without a cause.