Then Came Bronson

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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
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] Series overview

The series featured James Dean lookalike 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 nomadic vagabond searching for the meaning of life and experience what 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, it is purchased back from the widow.

Curiously, though the opening promised a journey of self-discovery, the premise of each episode was that Bronson enters someone else's life at a crucial point and acted as a catalyst for change. When Bronson encounters an Amish community, for example, a local boy becomes enraptured of the outside world and steals Bronson's bike 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.

Yet, Bronson is committed to pacifism and often redirects a competitor's anger into self-examination. Always, like a true catalyst, he rolls out of every episode unchanged.

The show sometimes faced the perception that it was a knock-off of the movie Easy Rider, but it actually preceded the release of that movie.

Scenes were mostly shot outdoors, which made for spectacular views, and Michael Parks employed the low-key "James Dean" method of acting. Some shows were funny, some sad, some serious.

[edit] The bike

Bronson's bike, a 1968 XLH 900cc Harley-Davidson Sportster, figures in many episodes. In one episode he entered several bike races; in another, he made an emergency run to fetch a doctor. But in some stories the bike was merely 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 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 series of Star Trek, 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 TV 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

Then Came Bronson Pilot

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 Highway 101 and then he will cross over the Bixby Creek Arch Bridge which is famous from the opening credits in every episode.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Then Came Bronson episodes

[edit] Guest stars

Among the many guest stars on the show were:

[edit] Awards

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Then_Came_Bronson"
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