# The Virginian (1962)

> A Wyoming Territory ranch of the 1890s passes through the hands of successive owners while its foreman and hands face the rugged frontier and the people who depend on it.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9454

## Facts

- Seasons: 9
- Episodes: 249
- Episode runtime: 90 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: western, drama
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Doug McClure, James Drury, Lee J. Cobb, Lee Majors, Roberta Shore, Sara Lane, Randy Boone, Diane Roter
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055710/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: wholesome, steady, nostalgic, principled, warm

## Synopsis

The Virginian (1962-1971) is an American network western drama created for NBC and set on the Shiloh Ranch in 1890s Wyoming Territory. The ranch changes hands among its owners, and the series follows the ranch's steadfast foreman, known only as The Virginian (James Drury), and his fellow hand Trampas (Doug McClure) as they handle cattle drives, land disputes, and the unruly newcomers who arrive at their gate. Long-serving owner Judge Henry Garth (Lee J. Cobb) and the Grainger family bring domestic tension to the bunkhouse world, giving the stories an emotional weight beyond the usual gunplay. Running nine seasons of ninety-minute episodes, it is a classic episodic western built around character and relationships, with each installment standing on its own. Its tone is measured, warm, and principled, with a steady sense of frontier honor and loyalty. Fans of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and The Big Valley will find resonance in its portrait of ranch life, a rugged past, and the bonds that hold a community together over time.

## Shows like The Virginian

- [Gunsmoke (1955)](https://ember.film/tv/3534)
- [Longmire (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/39938)
- [Rawhide (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/10187)
- [How the West Was Won (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/2435)
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- [The Waltons (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/4767)
- [Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)](https://ember.film/tv/10215)
- [The Rifleman (1958)](https://ember.film/tv/12916)
- [Little House on the Prairie (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/1679)
- [Laramie (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/12952)

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