Has anybody else watched this? It was a short-lived TV series from 1967 that my parents have fond memories of watching before I was born. I recently had a chance to view the TV movie pilot and some series episodes with them. In the pilot Jim Bronson (played by Michael Parks) witnesses the suicide of a troubled friend, quits his job, and rides off across country on a Harley Sportster motorcycle his friend left him.

In each episode Bronson comes to town and meets someone. Sometimes he helps them out in some way; sometimes his appearance serves as a kind of catalyst for change in their lives; and sometimes he just serves as a witness to what's happening to them. At the end he always moves on, Lone-Ranger style. He's NOT a vigilante, however. Although each episode has an exciting scene or two, this is a drama, not an action series.

In some ways it's ahead of its time. The acting and dialog tend to be rather naturalistic. If you've spent a lot of time around rural blue-collar folks many of the characters come across as quite believable. The episodes also make more use of music than was usual for the period. There's usually a good deal of humor along with the more serious stuff. All in all, it's quite an offbeat series.

Every episode begins with a shot of Bronson pulling up on his bike beside a tired-looking fellow in a station wagon. He asks Bronson where he's going. "Wherever I end up," he replies. The guy then says "I wish I was you." Bronson says "Hang in there!" and away he goes. The lure of the open road!

I remember it well. We wore our knit watch caps a little longer than needed that Winter. Bronson was the coolest.

The show's theme song, "Long Lonesome Highway," recorded by Michael Parks himself, was a Top 20 hit in 1970.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTf3Tp-RNMw&feature=related[/youtube]

Wonder how many of the old, grey-bearded Harley riders I see when I'm out biking got their inspiration from this show?

I love premises like this. Someday I'd like to write an ongoing comic book series starring a guy who comes into town and fixes stuff, then moves on. Think about how many good TV shows have been built around this core concept.

Quantum Leap, The Hulk, Dog the Bounty Hunter...

The Fugitive
Journeyman
Knight Rider
A-Team

There's also shows where the protagonist stays in the same general area and doesn't wander much.

Magnum PI
Quincy ME
Angel
Columbo

Watched some more Bronson over the holidays with Mom and Dad. One episode had a quite exciting dirt bike race sequence. Bronson competed, naturally, with his big bike stripped down. So stripped down that it turned from a big four-cycle v-twin into a tiny two-cycle single.... Buffy Sainte-Marie co-stars and sings.

Also here's an interesting connection: In an episode called "The Mountain" we see an early screen appearance by actress Melendy Britt. She's best known for her voice work for Filmation cartoons. She played She-Ra. But of more (ir)relevance for this site, she also played Batgirl in the 1970s!