Then Came Bronson
| Then Came Bronson | |
|---|---|
 European pilot poster |
|
| Genre | Adventure Drama |
| Created by | Denne Bart Petitclerc |
| Starring | Michael Parks |
| Theme music composer | George Duning James Richard Hendricks (end theme) |
| Opening theme | "Then Came Bronson" by George Duning |
| Ending theme | "Long Lonesome Highway" by Michael Parks |
| Composer(s) | George Duning, Gil Melle |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Herbert F. Solow |
| Producer(s) | Robert H. Justman |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | MGM Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | September 17, 1969 – September 9, 1970 |
Then Came Bronson is a short-lived adventure/drama television series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970, and was produced by MGM Television. The series, created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, began with a movie pilot on Monday, March 24, 1969. The series was greenlit for one year and began its first run on September 17, 1969. The pilot was also released in Europe as a feature film.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The series featured Michael Parks as the protagonist Jim Bronson, a newspaperman who becomes disillusioned after the suicide of his best friend Nick (Martin Sheen) and, after a heated argument with his editor, "working for the man."
In order to renew his soul, Bronson becomes a vagabond searching for the meaning of life and seeking the experiences life has to offer (as revealed in the series pilot). During his travels, he shares his values with the people he meets along the way and lends a helping hand when he can. Bronson rides a Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle and, as such, was viewed by some as a modern version of the solitary cowboy wandering the American west. The motorcycle had previously been sold by Bronson to his friend. After it is left at the suicide scene by his friend, Bronson buys it back from the widow.
Curiously, though the opening promises a journey of self-discovery, the premise of each episode is that Bronson enters someone else's life at a crucial point and acts as a catalyst for change. When Bronson encounters an Amish community, for example, a local boy becomes enraptured by the outside world and steals Bronson's motorcycle to run off to Reno, Nevada. In another episode, located in Reno, Nevada, Bronson meets his cousin Eve on her wedding day and lends her money for the wedding service, but she runs off to the casinos and blows it.
The first three episodes, including the end credits scenes, were shot in and around Jackson, Wyoming. The premier pilot movie was also shown at the town's then only theatre to give the locals a sense of what the series was about since they were shooting in town and at local area popular spots.
Bronson is committed to pacifism and often redirects an antagonist's anger into self-examination. Always, like a true catalyst, he rolls out of every episode unchanged.
The show was sometimes accused of being a knock-off of the movie Easy Rider, but it actually preceded the release of that movie.
[edit] The motorcycle
Bronson's motorcycle, a 1969 XLH 900cc Harley-Davidson Sportster,[1] figures in many episodes. In one episode he enters several motorcycle races; in another, he makes an emergency run to fetch a doctor. But in some stories the motorcycle serves merely as transportation.
[edit] Cast and crew
Michael Parks had acted on television and starred in three anti-establishment movies, Wild Seed, The Happening, and Bus Riley's Back in Town. He went on to have a steady career in drive-in horror movies and TV shows. He recorded three pop/jazz albums: Long Lonesome Highway, Closing the Gap, Blue, and several gospel albums.
Several production staff and cast members of Bronson had previously worked on the original Star Trek series, including executive producer Herbert F. Solow and producer Robert H. Justman, actors James Doohan ("Scotty") and Meg Wyllie, and writer D.C. Fontana.
The series is also notable for providing the first television script credit for writer-producer Susan Harris, who went on to create Soap and The Golden Girls.
[edit] Music
The opening instrumental theme song was titled, "Then Came Bronson" and was written and performed by George Duning. The closing vocal theme for the series was titled, "Long Lonesome Highway," sung by Parks and written by James Hendricks and was a Billboard Hot 100 hit reaching #20 1970.
[edit] Series opening
The opening of the show served as a metaphor for the premise of the show: getting away from the "big city" and leading a more simplistic life. The opening begins with Bronson driving up to a red light in San Francisco and he briefly chats with a commuter. The scene also introduces Bronson's signature-phrase which he used often in the episodes, "Hang in there."
- Driver: "Taking a trip?"
- Bronson: "What's that?"
- Driver: "Taking a trip?"
- Bronson: "Yeah."
- Driver: "Where to?"
- Bronson: "Oh, I don't know. Wherever I end up, I guess."
- Driver: "Man, I wish I was you."
- Bronson: "Really?"
- Driver: "Yeah."
- Bronson: "Well, hang in there."
From here he heads out to California's State Route 1 and then crosses over the Bixby Creek Bridge, made famous from the opening credits in every episode.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Novel Tie-Ins
Three novels with original stories were published during the show's run: Then Came Bronson by William Johnston, and Then Came Bronson #2: The Ticket and Then Came Bronson #3: Rock! by Chris Stratton.
[edit] DVD releases
The pilot telefilm was made available on DVD as a part of the Warner Archives collection from Warner Bros. on November 17, 2009. [1]
There have been no announcements on whether the 26 episodes will be released.
[edit] Guest stars
Among the many guest stars on the show were:
[edit] Awards
- Episode #10, "Two Percent of Nothing" (guest-starring Steve Ihnat and Patricia Quinn) written by D.C. Fontana, was nominated for the Writers Guild Award.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Then Came Bronson (pilot movie) at the Internet Movie Database
- Then Came Bronson (TV series) at the Internet Movie Database
- Everything Bronson www.JimBronson.com episode guide/DVD/MP3 Music/Replica Bikes/TCB Reunion information
- Then Came Bronson fansite at Tulsatvmemories.com
- Then Came Bronson at Super70s.com
- TCB Multimedia Site
- TCB Theme Lyrics
- Then Came Bronson television series opening scene at You Tube
