h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Every Friday night, as soon as our evening meal was consumed, we'd settle down in front of the television to await the appearance of the galloping white horse that signified the beginning of The Virginian. Set in the Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming, it starred James Drury as the eponymous Virginian, who was Ranch Foreman. Very little time seemed to be spent acting as Foreman as I seem to recall the local Sherriff (Clu Gallager) was often in need of assistance, though there were problems to be overcome on the ranch as well. Trampas was leading hand and, amongst others, the ranch was owned by Mr & Mrs Grainger, who had a daughter called Becky (I think). In it's later days, Stewart Granger took over the starring role and the programme changed its name the The Men From Shiloh. Lee Majors appeared, in pre 6 Million Dollar Man days. I don't suppose a bionic man would have fitted into a western setting too well.

It ran from the early 1960s for about 10 years.

It was the first television programme I saw in colour and, perhaps because of the romanticism of distant memory, I would love to see it repeated once more. During the brief run of repeats recently, it seems to have dated reasonably well, but then setting the series in the past helps that. Alias Smith & Jones was another favourite.

I would be deeply saddened if such programmes are denied us due to the ever-increasing restrictions of political correctness, as gunfights in the old west were commonplace when gun crime wasn't and I will never accept that it has an influence one way or the other.