# Wagon Train (1957)

> A wagon master and his scouts guide a train of settlers across the American frontier in the decades after the Civil War.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/5721

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 284
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: western, drama, family
- Network: NBC, ABC
- Cast: Ward Bond, John McIntire, Robert Horton, Denny Miller, Frank McGrath, Terry Wilson, Robert Fuller, Jay North
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050073/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, wholesome, adventurous, nostalgic, steady

## Synopsis

Wagon Train (1957-1965) is an American network western television series created for NBC and later ABC. The show follows a wagon master and his scouts leading a train of settlers across the frontier in the years after the Civil War. Ward Bond first starred as wagon master Major Seth Adams, with John McIntire later taking over the role as Christopher Hale, while Robert Horton played scout Flint McCullough and Robert Fuller later joined as scout Cooper Smith. Across eight seasons and roughly 284 episodes, the series works in a case-of-the-week format, with each installment built around a new hazard or encounter on the trail: river crossings, hostile tensions, illness, scarce water and the strained relationships among travelers. The engine is simple and steady, a long westward journey whose stakes come from the constant need to keep people alive and moving toward a destination. Its atmosphere is wholesome and earnest, with a classic widescreen sweep and a moral clarity that suits family viewing. Fans of Bonanza, Rawhide and Little House on the Prairie will find a familiar kinship in its rustic dignity and pioneer spirit.

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