User reviews

The High Chaparral is now under investigation for a release 2008 on DVD by Paramount/CBS! This is really good news for all of us that have been waiting for this wonderful TV Western series to be released on DVD. For me it has been the best ever TV Western series. I grew first up with the old classic Bonanza and the Cartwrigh brothers, in the beginning of the sixties. But when this series began to be sent on Swedish television, I were sitting in my chair waiting the program to appear on Friday evenings. It had all a real western series should have. The people that were playing their rolls were almost perfect to this and still they are before my eyes. It was very realistic and had all different kinds of episodes included. It were a very good show of how the life were in the western during the time the shows happened.This is the first western TV series not played in a studio, but in open air. I can already hear the The High Chaparral melody when I am waiting for the worldwide release of this wonderful show. The dust from the horses and ....well all...If you like westerns your only need to see The High Chaparral. And then you will agree! This is western when it is as best as it can be. Paramont/CBS- Hurry up we are waiting!!! If you would like to be updated with very good information about the show, go to the website for The High Chaparral - you will have most of what you want there.

This television series originally aired on NBC-TV on September 10,1967 as part of its Sunday Night Lineup of shows where it aired at 10:00e/9:00c right after the long-running "Bonanza",and faced stiff competition with "Mission:Impossible",and the "ABC Sunday Night Movie" for all 28 color episodes of Season One that aired from September 10, 1967 until March 31,1968. Then from Season Two onward the network moved the series to a different time slot from Sunday nights to Friday nights for the remainder of its four-year run from September 20,1968 until the series finale on March 12,1971 where it aired at 7:30e/6:30c on its Friday night schedule(where it replaced the action-adventure series "Tarzan" after 2 seasons and 57 episodes) right before another one of television's greatest programs,"The Name Of The Game",and the wildly popular science-fiction series "Star Trek". "The High Chaparral",was produced by David Dortort,the creator of the successful "Bonanza" television series where Dortort was the creator and executive producer that ran for four seasons and produced 98 episodes all in color.

The show revolved around "Big" John Cannon(Leif Erickson),a rancher who lived in the Arizona Territory in the 1870's. He ran the ranch with his brother Buck Cannon(Cameron Mitchell),and son Billy "Blue Boy" Cannon (Mark Slade). Blue Boy's mother Annalee(Joan Caulfield)was killed in the first episode by an Indian arrow,and John Cannon then married Victoria Montoya(Linda Cristal),the daughter of the powerful neighbouring rancher Don Sebastian Montoya(played by Frank Silvera,who was one of several African-American actors who played "ethnic" roles for this series)in what is initially a marriage of convenience. His marriage to Victoria brought her brother Manolito Montoya(Henry Darrow) into the picture,and he also not came to live with the family but becoming a hired hand for the ranch. The stories for this series were impeccably written and directed by some of the best in the business while the series was filmed entirely on location. While doing much the same as "Bonanza" would do alternative between high drama and humor with the mix of action-packed and high adventure each week.

The guest stars that were on "The High Chaparral" were some of Hollywood's best ranging from William Windom to Adam West along with Scott Brady, Anthony Caruso, Chief Dan George, Roberto Contreras, Dennis Cross, John Dehner, Paul Fix, Ron Foster, Yaphet Kotto, to Connie Hines, Cesar Romero, William Conrad, Joanna Moore, Dub Taylor, Barry Sullivan and Morgan Woodward. Even Robert Loggia and Ricardo Montalban made guest appearances on this show. Several episodes of this series do stand out as sheer brilliance were the two-part pilot episode "Destination Tucson",and to "The Arrangement" not to mention "The Firing Wall",and "Champion of the Western World","A Time To Laugh,A Time To Cry","A Man To Match The Land", not to mention the two-part episode "The New Lion of Sonara".

When this series was canceled on March 12,1971 after 98 episodes,the powers that be at NBC-TV moved the show around different time slots resulting in its cancellation where it went opposite two powerhouse shows "The Wild,Wild West",and "The Brady Bunch" were it got clobbered on that same Friday night schedule. On September 12,1971, the show that replaced "The High Chaparral" after four seasons was the Jack Webb produced drama "The D.A." starring Robert Conrad(formerly of "The Wild,Wild West" fame),and on January 22,1972,the show that replaced both "The D.A.",and "The High Chaparral" was the comedy "Sanford and Son".

From David Dortort, one of the producers of the popular "Bonanza," "The High Chaparral" told the story of two families, The Cannons and The Montoyas, brought together by a marriage of convenience. Leif Ericson played "John Cannon," the patriarch of the family that lost his wife when they were making their way west. Linda Crystal played "Victoria," the headstrong daughter of Don Sebastian de Montoya (Frank Silvera) and brother to Don Sebastian's equally assertive son, Manolito (Henry Darrow). Mark Slade played John's son, "Blue," while perennial heavy Cameron Mitchell played John's brother "Buck." Rounding out the cast were frequent western performers Don Collier and Rodolfo Acosto.

What set the program apart from other "sagebrush sagas" of the period were its strong portrayals of Native Americans, as well as non-condescending looks at life among our Mexican neighbors. Set against the sprawling American southwest, the stories were engaging, filled with brilliant character studies, along with typical western situations.

It had a great casting coup by having black actor Frank Silvera assay the role of Don Sebastian. Silvera made a career out of playing a variety of "ethnicities," a tribute to his talent, as well as his "chameleon-like" appearance.

Another noteworthy bit of casting would be that of Crystal, Darrow, and Acosto, all Hispanic actors.

This television series originally aired on NBC on Friday nights from 7:30 to 8:30 PM for almost its entire run. It ran right before another one of television's greatest programs, "The Name of the Game." I used to wonder if the reason I remembered this show with such admiration was due to the age that I was when the show originally ran, but recently seeing it again, I have to say that it stayed with me so long because it's just a fantastic show.

The show is centered around the character of John Cannon, played flawlessly by Leif (pronounced "Life") Erickson, and his brother Buck, played by Cameron Mitchell. Also in the cast were Linda Cristal as John's wife Victoria, Henry Darrow as Victoria's brother Manolito, and Mark Slade playing John's son Billy Blue Cannon.

When I was just a kid in grade school, my cousins and others I knew were tuned in to ABC's Friday night line-up, which was quite popular at the time. I couldn't tear myself away from this show though, and it's difficult to explain why without revealing too much about it. Let's just say that the stories were impeccably written and directed, doing much the same thing as Bonanza would do, alternating between high drama and humor. A good example of this is an episode entitled "The Firing Wall." If you ever get to see this series, keep an eye out for that episode. My personal favorite is an episode called "Champion of the Western World." Fun episode! The casting was perfect. Every regular cast member really seemed to like the characters they were portraying. Henry Darrow was outstanding in giving his character real depth and range of emotion. Cameron Mitchell also did some really fine work in this series. In fact, when you get right down to it, they all did!

I could go on about this show by using all the known adjectives, stupendous!, wonderful!, ect..., but if you're reading this, then you probably already share a certain amount of the same enthusiasm that I have for this show. If you're reading just out of curiosity however, then if you ever get the opportunity to do so, by all means, treat yourself to one of the finest programs that television has ever offered.

Noble but flawed and very human heroes, credible villains, realistic story-lines and family dynamics. "High Chaparral" had high adventure, powerful drama, some of the funniest moments on television and tender romance. This series combined brilliant actors, writers, producers and directors. Together, they brought memorable characters, 1870s Arizona & Mexico to life. Thirty years after it aired, I still remembered episode plots and dialog. The remarkable thing is, so could many other fans!

People all over the world love High Chaparral -- its themes and characters are universally appealing. New generations of fans have discovered it in re-runs. Hopefully, remastered, uncut DVDs will be released soon -- this treasure should be preserved and enjoyed, not forgotten.

When I was a child, watching The High Chaparral was something the whole family was looking forward too. We would sit on the couch at least 15 minutes before the broadcast started and were 'glued' to the screen during the whole show. The rest of the week we would talk about what happened. Almost 40 years later the show hasn't lost anything of it's charm, my children love it. It is not just an 'adventure' western. Teenagers identify themselves with the troublesome relationship of Blue and his father John. There is something in it for everyone.

It has a wonderful cast, Leif Erickson as patriarch John Cannon, Cameron Mitchell as his brother Buck, Mark Slade as his handsome blue-eyed son Blue, Henry Darrow is a playful Manolito, and Linda Cristal the beautiful Victoria. The Bunkhouse boys add a little extra to this series, Don Collier, Bob Hoy, Ted Markland, Roberto Contreras and Jerry Summers are a treat to watch.

All actors are outstanding and their characters are so believable, that you forget you are watching a TV series. You are 'there', with the heroes in the Arizona Territory , fighting their fights, crying their tears, and laughing their laughs.

It was and is one of the most realistic Westerns series. Apaches were often played by Apaches, Mexicans by Spanish speaking actors. The heroes sweat, get tired, upset and the aren't infallible.

Unlike most of the unadulterated admirers here, I have mixed feelings about High Chaparral. Yes, it was one of the best western of the late Sixties (though it never approached Gunsmoke or the late lamented Rawhide, and apart from the short-running The Outcasts, Cimarron Strip and about on a par with Lancer and Hondo), because Bonanza had taken a terrible dip in quality of average episode after Pernell Roberts left, and there were so few westerns still running by the end of the decade to compete with. The Virginian had become uneven, and The Big Valley somewhat soapish. Chaparral was best at the end only for lone-man dramas featuring Cameron Mitchell (as brother Buck on a mission). The distraction of "Blue Boy" and his ever-ongoing growing pains had gone. But the most predictable character, Victoria (Linda Cristal), as a supposedly strong woman, never learnt one lesson: Never trust a ruthless, homicidal bandido in chains and locked up in the back room when he starts to play on your sympathies. She fell for Alejandro Rey as her long-lost true love returned as a land-grabber who had her "so confused" (she told new husband-of-convenience Big John); Robert Loggia as a half-breed who tugged at her always exposed heart strings; and Ricardo Montalban as a fake revolutionary -- and maybe Cesar Romero and Fernando Lamas for all I know. Every time, she put the whole family and crew at the enemies' mercies all for the sake of her overweening 'virtue'.

The High Chaparral was the best of the many TV westerns. Bonanza was equally excellent, especially in character development. The difference for me was the quality of the writing in High Chaparral. This show compelled me to visit Tucson, Bisbee, and surrounding Southwest Arizona and Mexican locations several times. Tucson seems like a second home to me.

The use of the landscape, the development of distinct characters such as John Cannon, Victoria, Manolito, Don Sebastian, and especially Buck, and the treatment of Native Americans in story lines was the most balance I have seen in this genre. Native Americans, especially the Apaches, were presented as having good and bad people, just as the whites were presented, good and bad. I particularly think the actors were outstanding - Cameron Mitchell, Frank Silvera, and Henry Darrow especially.

This show unfortunately does not show up on TV much at all, and I'm afraid it will disappear as more years go by. I can't believe it is not on DVD, especially since there's so much bad stuff on DVD, why not put something quality like this out? Next time it is on, I'll be sure to record as many as I can for viewing later when it's gone for good. Like the old West, this show may have seen it's last sunset. Too bad.

The High Chaparral was the best western series ever. It 'touched' many interesting subjects. One of them is the relationship between it's family members. The difficult relationship between Blue and his father John, was portrayed in a very convincing way by the extremely talented actor Mark Slade and Leif Erickson. It reminded many teenagers of their own problems with their parents, and was no doubt one of the reasons of the popularity of the series. Blue's relationship with his Uncle Buck (Cameron Mitchell) was one of warmth and understanding, allowing the actors to show a different side of 'their' character, often leading to humorous scenes, but also deeply emotion scenes. The inter cultural relationship between John and his wife Victoria was something very few other TV series dared to touch in the 60's. In many ways 'The High Chaparral' was ahead of it's time, and according to it's numerous fans 'timeless'. It's a pity there were only 3 seasons with the original cast. I would have loved to see more of it.

I used to watch this show back in the seventies and I loved every minute of it, unfortunately that was before the VCR or the DVD. I anxiously waited for Saturday night to come around so I could find out what had happened to Big John and Victoria, it was a big night in our house when it was High Chaparral night. I have not come across it since even though I subscribe to the Lonestar channel, I even remember the theme music. If anyone knows of any channel that shows it or where you can download it, let me know. Besides Alias Smith and Jones, which is a comedy/western, I have never come across another western show that was better or more entertaining than High Chaparral.

I remember The High Chaparral from when I was a child and rediscovered it as an adult from reruns. What is most noticeable about THC as opposed to other TV westerns are two things; it was actually filmed outdoors instead of on a soundstage, unlike large chunks of other TV westerns such as Rawhide and Gunsmoke and especially The Big Valley. Because of this the show and the actors have an authentic dirty and sweaty look to them appropriate to the period and place. I mean hey, cattle ranching in Arizona now is hard, sweaty and dirty, think about how is was before running water. The other thing I liked about it is that not only did the recurring characters not always get along, some of them flat out just didn't like each other. Kind of like in the real world and unlike other TV westerns. These distinctive features along with superb acting, writing, and technical work (just watching the shows makes me want to sweat) adds to up to one heck of a show.

Here we are 40 years down the track and I've just discovered this series. I was a young lad during the first runs of the show and too busy growing up to spend time watching too much TV.

A couple of months ago I discovered The High Chaparral listed in my Pay TV guide and decided to give it a go. I had recently become interested in westerns of that era and had never seen an episode of High Chaparral until then. Much to my surprise I was instantly hooked on the series and have become a big fan. Lucky for me, today I'm still enjoying brand new episodes of this fantastic show. Such great entertainment. I'm so glad I found this show, it would have been so sad to have lived my life and never experienced it.

I watched this series as a kid in Australia. It was my favorite western. Right from the opening credits it had a more contemporary and gritty feel. The outside location in AZ and not California made it stand out. The desert colors, the complex and not stereotypical western characters. The intercultural marriage, lead characters who reflected the mix of people who made the west the Wild West - awesome.

You have to wonder now how a high definition version on a streaming site would do. I think young people would like it. It was ahead of its time. If it doesn't sound too strange it reminds me a bit of the beloved Firefly series, refugees, outcasts and explorers in a gritty hot dusty Wild West of space instead of Arizona..,, Camaraderie and humor and danger and everyday patching stuff up to get by because you're out there on the frontier...

This series is worth watching. I had never heard of it until I stumbled upon it recently on one of the tv channels I do not normally watch. Great acting and scenery, realistic indian confrontations. This series is on par with some great western movies I remember. So glad to have found it.

'Bonanza' was a soap. "Chapparal" was a great period drama, telling us as much about its own times as the times it portrays.

In hindsight, this is the grand-daddy of American ensemble drama: the prototype from which all subsequent triumphs have flowed - Hill Street, NYPD Blue, St. Elsewhere, even 'Lost'.

It's very difficult for me to think of a prior US drama series such real GRUNT in the writing. The characters are splendidly rounded; the relationships are excellent and interesting. Hell, the POLITICS are interesting. (Leif Erikson vs. Linda Cristal. Cor. It's like the 60's zeitgeist in a bottle. But not nearly as clonky as 'Star Trek').

The acting was, as I recall, pretty much impeccable (within the conventions of the time). The Mitchell / Darrow double act is simply iconic.

Reading the headings of the other messages posted here, it's interesting to see what a respectful, affectionate international audience this has.

Great theme-tune. GREAT, GREAT theme.

It was produced by the same individuals who brought you "Bonanza",but this was one not set in the hills of Nevada mind you. It was set in the desert wasteland of the Arizona Territory in the mid-to-late 1800's and it was based on the adventures and hardships of the Cannon Family. The show centered around "Big" John Cannon(Leif Erickson),a rancher who lived in the Arizona Territory in the 1870's. He ran the ranch with his brother Buck(Cameron Mitchell),and son Billy Blue(Mark Slade).Blue Boy's mother Annalee(Joan Caulfield)was killed in the first episode by an Indian arrow,and John Cannon then married Victoria Montoya(Linda Cristal),the daughter of the powerful neighbouring rancher Don Sebastian Montoya(Frank Silvera),in what was an arranged marriage of convenience. His marriage to Victoria Montoya brought her brother Manolito Montoya(Henry Darrow)into the picture,and he also came to live with his family on the ranch.

"The High Chaparral" under its creator and executive producer David Dortort premiered on NBC-TV on September 10,1967 as part of its Sunday Night Line-Up of programming which consisted of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom","The Wonderful World of Disney',and the long-running Western "Bonanza". All 28 episodes of Season 1 were telecast at the 10:00pmEST/9:00pmCST Sunday night time slot after "Bonanza" where it was placed opposite stiff competition with "Mission:Impossible",and "The ABC Sunday Night Movie". Season 1 consisted of 28 episodes in color that ran from September 10, 1967 until March 31, 1968. From Season 2 of the series onward NBC moved the show from Sunday nights to Friday nights in an earlier time slot at 7:30pmEST/6:30pmCST for the remainder of its run(where the show replaced "Tarzan" which was canceled after two seasons) where it went up against two very popular programs... the hugely popular "The Wild,Wild West",and family situation comedy "The Brady Bunch" for the battle of the Nielsen ratings until its cancellation on March 12,1971. Seasons 2 thru 4 aired from September 20, 1968 until its cancelled on March 12, 1971. A total of 98 Technicolor episodes were produced and was filmed on location at Tucson Studios in Arizona and on the lot of Paramount Studios in Hollywood(Seasons 1- 3),and at the Burbank Studios(it is final season) that was produced under Xanadu Productions for the NBC Television Network.

Each week they would fight off hostile Indians(apaches),greedy landowners,Mexican bandits and ruthless cattle rustlers as well as gunslingers who would try their best to take over the Cannon empire. "The High Chaparral" was known for its portrayal of outstanding top notch actors not to mention lots of action packed excitement and Western adventure each week. There were some great stories along with some of the most impressive acting ever conceived. Great production values and terrific writers and some of the top name directors in Hollywood brought some great episodes and brought along an array of guest stars that included Adam West, Gilbert Roland, Morgan Woodward, Diana Muldaur, William Conrad, to Strother Martin, Jack Kelly, Yaphet Kotto, Bruce Dern, John Saxon just to name a few. When "The High Chaparral" was abruptly canceled in 1971 after 98 episodes the network on September 12, 1971 replaced this Golden Globe winning Western series with the Jack Webb produced drama "The D.A." starring Robert Conrad......

My very first memory of colour TV was watching The High Chaparral at my pals house at the age of 11 in 1967. I never forgot it and now over 50 years later I still remember the impact it had on me back then. Nothing has ever come close to the colour, the drama and the brilliant theme music of this legendary series. Buck, Blue, Manolito and Big John were indelibly imprinted on my young mind and I've loved westerns ever since. Revisiting the episodes now has been better than I could have imagined.

The wonderful Linda Cristal, as Victoria was my first screen crush and watching her again now I can see why. She was absolutely beautiful. Her presence made the series perfect.

Leif Erickson always embodied the archetypal strong 1870's western ranch owner for me in the same way that John Wayne did on the big screen. The superb Cameron Mitchell was the TV equivalent of Clint Eastwood; the hard as nails, no nonsense ranch hand throwing caution to the wind and always standing up for what was right whatever the consequences.

Great performances in every episode from Henry Darrow and Mark Slade add immeasurably to the sensitivity and feeling of each episode rounding out the storyline whatever the content.

From the moment David Rose's epic signature tune cranks up with it's iconic graphic only title sequence to the reprise and end credits it's action all the way with the storyline being carried purely by the skill of the actors. No special effects, no cleverness or camera trickery, just a plot with a beginning a middle and an end making each different story a mini movie in it's own right, with a huge canvass being painted in just an hour, something which is difficult to achieve with this level of characterisation.

The High Chaparral remains the iconic western tv series, often imitated back then but in my view, never bettered.

the high chaparral is fantastic and good. it shows the people the fight of an piece of country between the Indiana and the white people. And thats make it so special for me.

Some of the situations are happened in the past. It is a history from many years ago where the fight was started between the Indian's and the white people on a peace of land. the actors are special for me too,they playing there roles very good. I like Mark Slade and Henry Darrow and Cameron Mitchel. they are good actors.But Mark is one of the actors that is special for me too. I like him very much and try to collect everything from him.

heleen

By the time the Bonanza production team got to the High Chaparral they had more or less perfected the trick of compressing exciting and believable characters in tight relevant plots, expert screenwriting, sharp dialogue, interesting sets and filming. There are themes: generational strains, sibling rivalry, relationship problems, racial equality, fairness and the philosophy of hard work and independence that lies at the heart of 1870s pioneers in the West. The mixture of veteran film actors such as Leif Erikson and Cameron Mitchell as well as well known guest stars such as Anthony Caruso with new faces like Mark Slade and Henry Darrow, plus a supporting cast team of interesting characters led by Bob Hoy and Don Collier offered a solidity range and scope not seen before on television. The results for many of us lucky to grow up with this show were thrilling and a loyal following of fans that continue to grow year on year. While the actual location of much of the filming, especially the outdoor shots which were a real pleasure in the show, The Old Tucson film studios (just outside the city) containing the iconic HC Ranch and outbuildings, languishes in a post covid financial limbo, this wonderful creation will continue to live in the minds of people of all ages and generations yet to come forever.

Thank you to everybody who helped to create and assist this marvelous piece of television history. Wonderful!

Been watching The High Chaparral for many years. It was a fun adventure every episode. Loved the characters, especially Henry Darrow's and Cameron Mitchell's. Would have loved to hang out and "work" with Manalito and Buck.

The High Chaparral was an excellent western. The show had it all-- superb acting, awesome writing, great storylines, characters that had a sense of humor, and gorgeous horses.

Cameron Mitchell was clearly outstanding as Buck Cannon. Never one to back away from a fight, Buck always came to the rescue when needed.

Henry Darrow also did a wonderful job of portraying Manolito Montoya.

Although other westerns were on the air longer than The High Chaparral, I loved this one more than the other ones that did run longer. The characters were more lovable and more believable.

While I never was as devoted to Big John and Victoria Cannon the way I was to Matt Dillon, Miss Kitty, or the Cartwrights as a kid, it's still right up there with them near the top. Especially when I watch it now as an old man and am savvy to some of the more nuanced aspects of the characters. They just don't make em like this anymore.

A good one to watch with the grandkids!

Growing up in Iran during the late 1960s and '70s, The High Chaparral was undoubtedly one of our favorite shows. We had Fridays off, and the show aired at Noon every Friday, so we would make sure we got home from whatever adventure we were involved in to have lunch and watch the show.

I remember returning to school after the weekend and excitedly sharing and discussing the latest episode with our friends. Henry Darrow's Monolito Montoya was one of the most popular characters in the show. Most girls were crazy about him! Leif Erickson's Big John Canon and Don Collier's Sam Butler were the most respected characters, and Roberto Contreras' Pedro was a much-beloved clown who could step it up when needed. Linda Cristal and Mark Slade (Victoria and Blue) were liked but did not necessarily stand out! There was a small split regarding Cameron Mitchell's Buck Cannon! He was viewed in different lights! Some thought he was a lazy but beloved clown. Some others thought he was rugged and lazy but was very capable when he wanted to, and some thought he was a fool! And everyone got a kick out of Frank Silvers's Don Sebastian Montoya. We all got a kick out of the show and were sad when we heard it was canceled.

To give you an idea of how popular the show was, there was a wealthy family in Iran who had a big ranch. They named it The High Chaparral and started riding their horses and role-playing in their day-to-day lives, running the daily ranch affairs! Yes! That is how popular the show was!