# The Young Riders (1989)

> A fictionalized account of young Pony Express riders at Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory on the eve of the American Civil War.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1576

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 68
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: western, drama
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Stephen Baldwin, Josh Brolin, Travis Fine, Brett Cullen, Don Franklin, Ty Miller, Melissa Leo, Gregg Rainwater
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096732/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, adventurous, wistful, hopeful, rugged

## Synopsis

The Young Riders (1989-1992) is an American Western drama created by Ed Spielman for ABC. Stephen Baldwin plays Buffalo Bill Cody and Josh Brolin plays Wild Bill Hickok, two of the young Pony Express riders based at Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory. Travis Fine, Ty Miller and Gregg Rainwater round out the group of riders, while Brett Cullen plays Marshal Sam Cain and Melissa Leo plays Emma Shannon in the wider frontier community. The engine of the series is the daily work of carrying mail across dangerous country, where the riders face outlaws, weather, and the pressures of growing up too fast. Each episode is largely self-contained, built around a new threat or personal problem, while friendships and rivalries carry across the run. The show spans three seasons and sixty-eight episodes. It is set in the years leading up to the American Civil War, when the frontier was uneasy and the nation was splitting apart. The tone is earnest and adventurous, with a wistful, hopeful undercurrent about youth and loyalty. Fans of Maverick, Lonesome Dove and Hell on Wheels will find resonance in its rugged horseback action and its portrait of frontier camaraderie.

## Shows like The Young Riders

- [Into the West (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/10329)
- [Texas Rising (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55745)
- [Lonesome Dove (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/38195)
- [Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/5431)
- [Broken Trail (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/18517)
- [1883 (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/98430)
- [Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/23106)
- [Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/119807)
- [Rough Riders (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/42609)
- [Wildfire (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/2338)

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