As caretaker to Boot Hill, Gospel Cummings carried a Bible on his left and a black-butted six-gun in a low-slung holster on his right. Gospel had a personal interest in those who died with their boots on, and of late, there had been so many that he could barely keep up with praying for their souls. Some of the trouble was caused by Cord Demingway, ramrod of an outlaw gang, and some of it was the fault of Pug Jones, who had his own band of followers. But more and more, the cause was a secret map pointing the way to an old Spanish treasure. It was making ruthless gunslingers out of usually honest cowboys who could then become the targets of other bonanza hunters - or they could draw first. One thing for sure was that getting to the treasure was treacherous business.

Considers four blockbuster sitcoms, defined as a series program that achieved audience ratings markedly higher than those of any of its contenders, looking at The Beverly Hillbillies, All in the Family, Laverne and Shirley (with Happy Days), and The Cosby Show. Staiger teaches communication at the University of Texas- Austin. c. Book News Inc.

Bonanza aired on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973, playing to 480,000,000 viewers in over 97 countries. It was the second longest running western series, surpassed only by Gunsmoke, and continues to provide wholesome entertainment to old and new fans via syndication. This book provides an in-depth chronicle of the series and its stars. A history of the show from its inception to the current made-for-television movies is provided, and an episode guide includes a synopsis of each show and lists such details as the main characters of each episode and the actors who portrayed them, the dates they stayed with the show, date and time of original broadcast, writer, director, producer, executive producer, and supporting cast. Also provided are character sketches for each of the major recurring characters, career biographies of Lorne Green, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon, brief biographical sketches of the supporting cast, a discography of recordings of the Bonanza theme and recordings of the four major stars, and information on Bonanza television movies.

This series of biographical profiles shines a spotlight on that special place "Where the West meets the Guitar." From Gene Autry and Roy Rogers to contemporary artists like Michael Murphy, Red Steagall, Don Edwards and Riders in the Sky, many entertainers have performed music of the West, a genre separate from mainstream country music and yet an important part of the country music heritage. Once called "Country and Western," it is now described as "Country or Western." Though much has been written about "Country," very little has been written about "Western"--until now. Featured are a number of photos of the top stars in Western music, past and present. Also included is an extensive bibliography of works related to the Western music field.

This primary source reader assembles key documents and firsthand accounts that are emblematic of American life from the end of World War II to the present. Designed to complement a core text for a typical post-1945 U.S. history course, the book offers conciseness and selectivity with balanced coverage of domestic and foreign, societal and cultural issues grouped together chronologically. The readings afford students compelling and sometimes startling insights into the nation's postwar adaptation to its new position of global power and responsibility, wealth, and rapid social change; on through years of energy and ambition, conflict and tragedy, to the post-Vietnam malaise and the rise of Ronald Reagan, the frenzied nineties, and the arrival of the new millennium. Each chapter includes an introduction that sets the documents in historical context, a biographical sketch of a significant person of the time, study questions, and suggestions for further reading.

Livy Two is happy that Daddy is finally out of his coma, but the befuddled man who comes home is not the daddy the Weems family once knew. He forgets their names, he wanders off—he won’t even touch his beloved banjo. Set in Appalachia in 1963, this heartwarming, and heart-wrenching, follow-up to Gentle’s Holler is narrated by the irrepressible Livy Two, and traces the ups and downs of her large mountain family. Shy and awkward 11-year-old Louise (Louisiana) becomes the reluctant hero as she develops a talent for painting, takes care of Daddy, and shows a surprised Livy Two that sometimes the quietest sibling turns out to be the strongest.

This cultural journey down memory lane showcases how major Western figures, events, and places have been portrayed in folk legends, art, literature, and popular culture. Ever since the days of the 49ers and George Armstrong Custer, the Old West has been America's most potent source of legend. But it is sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. Did you know, for example, that Annie Oakley was a talented marksman who shot an estimated 40,000 rounds per year while practicing and performing for Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show in the late l800s? Or that many interpreters believe that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is not just a fairy tale, but also a Populist allegory? These are just two of the folk legends dissected and examined in this veritable cultural geography. The volume covers everything from billionaire Howard Hughes and composer Aaron Copeland to Aztlan (the legendary first city of the Aztecs) and Area 51, the top-secret U.S. Air Force base at Groom Lake, Nevada, that has fascinated UFO and conspiracy buffs.

In June 1949, Hopalong Cassidy. Then Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, Zorro, Davy Crockett, the Cisco Kid, Matt Dillon, Bat Masterson, the Cartwrights, Hec Ramsey, Paladin ("Have Gun Will Travel")--no television genre has generated as many enduring characters as the Western. Gunsmoke, Death Valley Days, Bonanza, Maverick, and Wagon Train are just a few of the small-screen oaters that became instant classics. Then shows such as Lonesome Dove and The Young Riders updated and redefined the genre. The shows tended to fall into categories, such as "juvenile" Westerns, marshals and sheriffs, wagon trains and cattle drives, ranchers, antiheroes (bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns), memorable pairs, Indians, single parent families (e.g., The Big Valley, The Rifleman and Bonanza), women, blacks, Asians and even spoofs. There are 85 television Westerns analyzed here--the characters, the stories and why the shows succeeded or failed. Many photographs, a bibliography and index complete the book.

(Applause Books). Announcing the first volume in an exciting new series sure to become a fan favorite. Here is the inaugural edition of TV Year , a new survey of the most recent complete season of over 200 drama, comedy, reality, and game shows, and more, from all the major networks. Readers will now be able to make up their own minds as to whether or not we've entered "the new golden age of television," as Jon Cassar remarked upon accepting his 2006 Emmy Award for best director for a drama series for 24 . This book includes: * Every significant prime time (8 to 11pm) broadcast series, both new and returning, that aired on television from August 2005 through July 2006. * Complete credits and detailed, opinionated summaries of each show with excerpts of reviews and behind the scenes gossip. Initial air date and closing date, cast changes, and notations about cancellation. Each entry also notes the DVD availability of each series. * TV Year includes the season's mini-series and TV movies and lists the nominees and winners of the Emmy Awards. Film and TV expert John Kenneth Muir also can't help but add a few non-prime time shows as well that have become cultural events in their own right, including "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report," and "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"Recognized as the 'Head Walnut' by Dick Van Dyke and 'the other DVD' [The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited, 2004] by Carl Reiner ... Van Deusen has been publishing 'The Walnut times', the Dick Van Dyke Show newsletter, since 1995. Besides Van Dyke and Reiner, Van Deusen has done interviews and established relationships with nearly every member of the cast and crew including Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Larry Mathews, Ann Guilbert, Bill Idelson, director John Rich, music man Earle Hagen, writer/producer Sam Denoff, film editor Bud Molin, and the now deceased Morey Amsterdam and Sheldon Leonard"--Page 183.