The Adventures Of Brisco County, Junior
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
ALSO KNOWN AS: "Brisco County"<P>
"The Adventures of Brisco County, Junior" was a revisionist Western series, which aired on the FOX Network from 1993-4. The series starred cult-movie hero Bruce Campbell as Brisco County, Jr., whose father, Marshall Brisco County, was "the greatest lawman the West had ever known." County spent most of his one season on the air pursuing the villainous John Bly, (Billy Drago, in a creepily fey role) County was aided in his battles by rival turned ally Lord Bowler (Julius Carry), San Francisco lawyer Socrates Poole, (Christian Clemenson) and Comet, the Wonder Horse.<P>
As County, Campbell portrayed a deep and complex character, going far beyond the classic image of the gunslinger, turning in a man driven to complete his father's task, with one hand on his six-gun and one eye on "the coming thing." Carry's Lord Bowler is the perfect foil, a rough-and-tumble ex-cavalry officer who, despite his gruff exterior, had the proverbial heart of gold.<P>
One of the most interesting points of the show was County's obcession with "The Coming Thing." During his adventures, County ran across primitive versions of everything from tanks, blimps, and powered armor to more harmless and common things, like hot showers, sunglasses, and the hamburger. However, the Coming Thing didn't steal Campbell's thunder, as the show managed to juggle the more sci-fi aspects with a fairly reverential treatment of the Old West. One truly remarkable thing about the show as the ethnic diversity of the West as portrayed. People of all races played a role in the series, generally avoiding stereotypical situations, or using them for hilarious comic effect. (An East Indian stagecoach driver, for example, when called "Chief" responds with "Wrong kind of Indian.")<P>
In Brisco County's West, the good guys are good, and the bad guys are bad, and both are weird as all get out. Among his allies, County included the beautiful saloon girl Dixie Cousins, (Kelly Rutherford) Professor Albert Wickwire (John Astin), a scatterbrained inventor who built, among other things, rockets and a blimp and Sheriff Aaron Viva, of Hard Rock, Colorado (Gary Hudson) an overeating Elvis-lookalike clad in black fringed leather and "dayglasses." His foes included the aforementioned Bly, as well as ninjas, a clan of hick bandits, (the Swill brothers, Gil, Phil, Bill, and Will) and even a corrupt US General. One of the most popular characters was Pete Hutter, (John Pyper-Ferguson) an unusually astute gunslinger with a predilection for getting killed in every appearance.<P>
The show managed to produce an amazing blend of action, adventure, and comedy, mainly through excellent dialogue and creative use of the Invention Du Jour. One memorable sequence involved the following dialogue between County and Professor Wickwire about the Professor's airship:<P>
"A lead Zeppelin, huh? Boy, that could be a real stairway to heaven."<BR/>
"Yeah, but if I sell even one, it'll be a good year."<P>
PRIMARY CAST:<P>
Brisco County, Junior: Bruce Campbell<BR/>
Lord Bowler: Julius Carry<BR/>
Socrates Poole: Christian Clemenson<BR/>
John Bly: Billy Drago<BR/>
Professor Wickwire: John Astin<BR/>
Dixie Cousins: Kelly Rutherford<BR/>
Pete Hutter: John Pyper-Ferguson<BR/>
"Whip" Morgan: Jeff Phillips<P>
EPISODE GUIDE: (shamelessly stolen from www.epguides.com) <P>
1: 27 Aug 93 (pilot) (2 hours)<BR/>
2: 3 Sep 93 The Orb Scholar<BR/>
3: 10 Sep 93 No Man's Land<BR/>
4: 17 Sep 93 Brisco in Jalisco<BR/>
5: 24 Sep 93 Socrates Sister<BR/>
6: 1 Oct 93 Riverboat<BR/>
7: 8 Oct 93 Pirates<BR/>
8: 15 Oct 93 Senior Spirit<BR/>
9: 22 Oct 93 Brisco for the Defense<BR/>
10: 29 Oct 93 Showdown<BR/>
11: 5 Nov 93 Deep in the Heart of Dixie<BR/>
12: 12 Nov 93 Crystal Hawks<BR/>
13: 19 Nov 93 Steel Horses<BR/>
14: 10 Dec 93 Mail Order Brides<BR/>
15: 17 Dec 93 AKA Kansas<BR/>
16: 7 Jan 94 Bounty Hunter's Convention<BR/>
17: 14 Jan 94 Fountain of Youth<BR/>
18: 4 Feb 94 Hard Rock<BR/>
19: 11 Feb 94 Brooklyn Dodgers<BR/>
20: 18 Feb 94 Bye Bly<BR/>
21: 11 Mar 94 Ned Zed<BR/>
22: 1 Apr 94 Stagecoach<BR/>
23: 8 Apr 94 Wild Card<BR/>
24: 22 Apr 94 And Baby Makes Three<BR/>
25: 29 Apr 94 Bad Luck Betty<BR/>
26: 13 May 94 High Treason (1)<BR/>
27: 20 May 94 High Treason (2)<BR/>
"The Adventures of Brisco County, Junior" was a revisionist Western series, which aired on the FOX Network from 1993-4. The series starred cult-movie hero Bruce Campbell as Brisco County, Jr., whose father, Marshall Brisco County, was "the greatest lawman the West had ever known." County spent most of his one season on the air pursuing the villainous John Bly, (Billy Drago, in a creepily fey role) County was aided in his battles by rival turned ally Lord Bowler (Julius Carry), San Francisco lawyer Socrates Poole, (Christian Clemenson) and Comet, the Wonder Horse.<P>
As County, Campbell portrayed a deep and complex character, going far beyond the classic image of the gunslinger, turning in a man driven to complete his father's task, with one hand on his six-gun and one eye on "the coming thing." Carry's Lord Bowler is the perfect foil, a rough-and-tumble ex-cavalry officer who, despite his gruff exterior, had the proverbial heart of gold.<P>
One of the most interesting points of the show was County's obcession with "The Coming Thing." During his adventures, County ran across primitive versions of everything from tanks, blimps, and powered armor to more harmless and common things, like hot showers, sunglasses, and the hamburger. However, the Coming Thing didn't steal Campbell's thunder, as the show managed to juggle the more sci-fi aspects with a fairly reverential treatment of the Old West. One truly remarkable thing about the show as the ethnic diversity of the West as portrayed. People of all races played a role in the series, generally avoiding stereotypical situations, or using them for hilarious comic effect. (An East Indian stagecoach driver, for example, when called "Chief" responds with "Wrong kind of Indian.")<P>
In Brisco County's West, the good guys are good, and the bad guys are bad, and both are weird as all get out. Among his allies, County included the beautiful saloon girl Dixie Cousins, (Kelly Rutherford) Professor Albert Wickwire (John Astin), a scatterbrained inventor who built, among other things, rockets and a blimp and Sheriff Aaron Viva, of Hard Rock, Colorado (Gary Hudson) an overeating Elvis-lookalike clad in black fringed leather and "dayglasses." His foes included the aforementioned Bly, as well as ninjas, a clan of hick bandits, (the Swill brothers, Gil, Phil, Bill, and Will) and even a corrupt US General. One of the most popular characters was Pete Hutter, (John Pyper-Ferguson) an unusually astute gunslinger with a predilection for getting killed in every appearance.<P>
The show managed to produce an amazing blend of action, adventure, and comedy, mainly through excellent dialogue and creative use of the Invention Du Jour. One memorable sequence involved the following dialogue between County and Professor Wickwire about the Professor's airship:<P>
"A lead Zeppelin, huh? Boy, that could be a real stairway to heaven."<BR/>
"Yeah, but if I sell even one, it'll be a good year."<P>
PRIMARY CAST:<P>
Brisco County, Junior: Bruce Campbell<BR/>
Lord Bowler: Julius Carry<BR/>
Socrates Poole: Christian Clemenson<BR/>
John Bly: Billy Drago<BR/>
Professor Wickwire: John Astin<BR/>
Dixie Cousins: Kelly Rutherford<BR/>
Pete Hutter: John Pyper-Ferguson<BR/>
"Whip" Morgan: Jeff Phillips<P>
EPISODE GUIDE: (shamelessly stolen from www.epguides.com) <P>
1: 27 Aug 93 (pilot) (2 hours)<BR/>
2: 3 Sep 93 The Orb Scholar<BR/>
3: 10 Sep 93 No Man's Land<BR/>
4: 17 Sep 93 Brisco in Jalisco<BR/>
5: 24 Sep 93 Socrates Sister<BR/>
6: 1 Oct 93 Riverboat<BR/>
7: 8 Oct 93 Pirates<BR/>
8: 15 Oct 93 Senior Spirit<BR/>
9: 22 Oct 93 Brisco for the Defense<BR/>
10: 29 Oct 93 Showdown<BR/>
11: 5 Nov 93 Deep in the Heart of Dixie<BR/>
12: 12 Nov 93 Crystal Hawks<BR/>
13: 19 Nov 93 Steel Horses<BR/>
14: 10 Dec 93 Mail Order Brides<BR/>
15: 17 Dec 93 AKA Kansas<BR/>
16: 7 Jan 94 Bounty Hunter's Convention<BR/>
17: 14 Jan 94 Fountain of Youth<BR/>
18: 4 Feb 94 Hard Rock<BR/>
19: 11 Feb 94 Brooklyn Dodgers<BR/>
20: 18 Feb 94 Bye Bly<BR/>
21: 11 Mar 94 Ned Zed<BR/>
22: 1 Apr 94 Stagecoach<BR/>
23: 8 Apr 94 Wild Card<BR/>
24: 22 Apr 94 And Baby Makes Three<BR/>
25: 29 Apr 94 Bad Luck Betty<BR/>
26: 13 May 94 High Treason (1)<BR/>
27: 20 May 94 High Treason (2)<BR/>
