The Quest (1976 TV series)
The Quest | |
---|---|
![]() Series title screen | |
Genre | Western |
Created by | Tracy Keenan Wynn |
Written by | Anthony Lawrence Michael Michaelian Katharyn Powers Tracy Keenan Wynn |
Directed by | Bernard McEveety |
Starring | Kurt Russell Tim Matheson |
Theme music composer | Richard Shores |
Composer | Richard Shores |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 15 (4 unaired) |
Production | |
Executive producer | David Gerber |
Producers | James H. Brown Mark Rodgers |
Cinematography | Al Francis |
Editors | Hugh Chaloupka John Elias Richard L. Van Enger Ken Zemke |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 44 mins. |
Production companies | David Gerber Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | September 22 December 29, 1976 | –
The Quest is an American Western series which aired on NBC from September to December 1976. The series stars Kurt Russell and Tim Matheson. The pilot episode aired as a television movie on May 13, 1976.
Overview
Two brothers Morgan (Kurt Russell) and Quentin Bodine (Matheson) are seeking the whereabouts of their long-lost sister, Patricia, being held by the Cheyenne. Morgan, known as "Two Persons", was a captive of the Cheyenne for eight years until he was freed by the United States Army.
In the story, Quentin is a young physician from San Francisco. The pair crosses thousands of miles across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains in search of Patricia; hence, the title The Quest.
Cast
- Kurt Russell as Morgan 'Two Persons' Bodeen
- Tim Matheson as Quinton Beaudine
- Brian Keith as Tank Logan
- Keenan Wynn as H.H. Small
Guest actors
- John Anderson
- Neville Brand
- Erik Estrada
- Brian Keith
- Gary Lockwood
- Hal Miller
- Cameron Mitchell
- Read Morgan
- Morgan Woodward
- Keenan Wynn
Production
The series was created by Tracy Keenan Wynn, son of Keenan Wynn, who also made two appearances on the series. David Gerber served as the executive producer. Much of the filming was in Arizona.
Reception and cancellation
The Quest aired at the 10 p.m. Eastern Wednesday slot opposite ABC's popular Charlie's Angels.[1] Low ratings, coupled with the fact that Westerns had fallen out of favor with networks and audiences, contributed to the demise of the series. The Quest was canceled during its first season. The final episode aired on December 29, 1976. Four of the fifteen episodes produced never aired.
Episode list
Season 1
Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "The Captive" | September 22, 1976 |
2 | "The Buffalo Hunters" | September 29, 1976 |
3 | "Shanklin" | October 13, 1976 |
4 | "Day of Outrage" | October 27, 1976 |
5 | "Seventy-Two Hours" | November 3, 1976 |
6 | "Prairie Woman" | November 10, 1976 |
7 | "Welcome to America, Jade Snow" | November 24, 1976 |
8 | "The Longest Drive" (Part 1) | December 1, 1976 |
9 | "The Longest Drive" (Part 2) | December 8, 1976 |
10 | "Portrait of a Gunfighter" | December 22, 1976 |
11 | "The Freight Train Rescue" | December 29, 1976 |
12 | "The Last of the Mountain Men" | Never aired |
13 | "Dynasty of Evil" | Never aired |
14 | "The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts" | Never aired |
15 | "Incident at Drucker's Tavern" | Never aired |
Awards and nominations
The Quest was nominated for a prime time Emmy Award for costume design. One episode, "Hatcher's Drive" won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for script writers Katharyn Powers and Michael Michaelian. The writers tied with Jim Byrnes of ABC's How the West Was Won.[2]
DVD release
While the entire series has not been released on DVD, a two-part episode, "The Longest Drive", was released on Region 1 DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 2005.[3] The television film which served as the series' pilot episode was also released on DVD by Sony in 2011.[4]
References
- ^ 1976-1977 American network television schedule
- ^ IMDb, The Quest, Awards
- ^ "The Quest - The Longest Drive". tvshowsondvd.com. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
- ^ "The Quest - TV Movie". tvshowsondvd.com. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
External links
- The Quest at IMDb (TV Movie – Pilot film)
- The Quest at IMDb (TV Series)
- The Quest: The Longest Drive at IMDb (DVD Release)
- The Captive: The Longest Drive II at IMDb (DVD Release)
- The Quest at epguides.com
- 1976 American television series debuts
- 1976 American television series endings
- 1970s American television series
- American drama television series
- English-language television programming
- NBC network shows
- Western (genre) television series
- Television series by Sony Pictures Television
- Television shows set in Arizona