The Wide Country was the second of two shows with a rodeo background that came to television in 1962, the other being Stoney Burke. Maybe both could not crack that all important demographic, the young.
Premiering on September 20,1962 the short-lived series "The Wide Country" was in fact NBC's answer to "Stoney Burke"(which was on a rival network) that lasted one season and produced 28 episodes,all in classic black-and-white. At the time "The Wide Country" aired,almost half of the programming that dominated prime-time were television westerns with "Gunsmoke", "Wagon Train",and "Bonanza' being the top three programs that dominated the Nielsens.
Earl Holliman and Andrew Prine were in their heyday in the early 60s when this series was showing. The plot was simple: a professional rodeo cowboy, Holliman, was shepherding his kid brother, Prine, while having various kinds of adventures along the way.
