Watch The Deputy
- 1959
- 2 Seasons
The Deputy was a western television series that aired on NBC from 1958 to 1961. Created by Roland Kibbee and Norman Lear, the series followed the adventures of Deputy Marshal Clay McCord, played by Henry Fonda, as he patrolled the Old West in the 1880s. The premise of the show was unique for its time, as it depicted a lawman who was not a typical gunslinger or lawbreaker, but rather a man of principles who sought to maintain law and order through diplomacy and negotiation. McCord was a thoughtful and intelligent man who used his intellect and reasoning skills to bring justice to the wild frontier.
The series was set in the town of Silver City, New Mexico, and focused on the various challenges that McCord faced while trying to uphold the law. The town was a hotbed of criminal activity, and the deputy was often faced with difficult decisions that put his own safety at risk.
The show was known for its strong supporting cast, which included Allen Case as McCord's young deputy, Simon Fry, Wallace Ford as the town drunk, and Read Morgan as the local newspaper reporter. The relationship between McCord and Fry was a particularly interesting dynamic, as Fry looked up to McCord as a mentor and father figure.
Throughout the series' three-year run, The Deputy tackled a variety of social issues that were relevant to the time period in which it was set. The show explored themes of prejudice, racism, and injustice, and often spoke out against these societal ills in its storylines.
Despite its short-lived run, The Deputy was a well-received series that gained a dedicated following. It offered a fresh take on the western genre, with a protagonist who was less interested in violence and more interested in diplomacy and mediation. Its legacy as a groundbreaking and socially-conscious series has endured long after its cancellation, and it continues to be a beloved classic of the western television genre.
The Deputy is a series that ran for 2 seasons (76 episodes) between September 12, 1959 and on NBC