The Magnificent Seven (TV series)

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The Magnificent Seven
TheMagnificentSevenTV.jpg
Season 1 DVD cover
Based on The Magnificent Seven
by William Roberts
Developed by
Starring
Music by Don L. Harper
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes22
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseJanuary 3, 1998 (1998-01-03) 
July 3, 2000 (2000-07-03)

The Magnificent Seven is an American Western television series based on the 1960 film, which was itself a remake of the 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai . The series was developed by Pen Densham and John Watson and premiered on CBS on January 3, 1998, running for two seasons through July 3, 2000. The cast of The Magnificent Seven included Michael Biehn, Eric Close, and Ron Perlman. Robert Vaughn, who played one of the seven gunmen in the 1960 film, had a recurring role in the series as a crusading judge.

Contents

Plot

Seven men from the western United States band together and form the law in a town that, for better or for worse, needs their protection from the lawlessness of the west. They consist of an infamous gunslinger, an ex-bounty hunter, a smooth-talking con artist, a young eastern amateur, a womanizing gunman, a freed slave turned healer, and a former preacher seeking penance. While they originally band together to protect a dusty Seminole village from renegade former Confederate soldiers (whereas the movie was about protecting a Mexican village from bandits), they later come together to protect a budding town from the constant riffraff that threatens to destroy it.

Characters

The Magnificent Seven

Recurring

Guest stars

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 9January 3, 1998 (1998-01-03)March 21, 1998 (1998-03-21)
2 13January 8, 1999 (1999-01-08)July 3, 2000 (2000-07-03)

Season 1 (1998)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1
2
1
2
"The Ghosts of the Confederacy" Geoff Murphy Teleplay by: Frank Q. Dobbs and Chris Black
Television story by: Pen Densham & John Watson
January 3, 1998 (1998-01-03)

Chris is approached by a Seminole man asking for protection for his village from the Ghosts of the Confederacy; he offers as payment a piece of gold worth $35, which, split into $5 per man, equals seven men. The band of seven — Chris, Vin, Buck, Ezra, J.D., Josiah and Nathan — each from different walks of life, come together to protect the village.

  • Originally shown as a Two-hour Pilot TV movie, but in syndication was sometimes shown as two separate episodes.
33"One Day Out West" Peter Markle Story by: John Watson & Pen Densham
Teleplay by: Josef Anderson
January 10, 1998 (1998-01-10)
A federal judge arrives to straighten out the town and J.D. volunteers to be sheriff; the local cattle baron is trying to run the homesteaders out which gives the judge a reason to ask the seven to stay and become peacekeepers to the town.
44"Working Girls" Christopher Cain Melissa Rosenberg January 17, 1998 (1998-01-17)
The town takes in a group of working girls who are running from their cruel employer and the seven have to protect the women from him and his henchman who see them as property and want them back.
55"Safecracker" T. J. Scott Rick Husky January 24, 1998 (1998-01-24)
Buck and Nathan fetch a prisoner that turns out to be a woman with a young daughter; once a safecracker, her ex-partner comes to town to blackmail her into working for him and rob Four Corners bank.
66"Witness"Bill WagesMelissa RosenbergJanuary 31, 1998 (1998-01-31)
Mary's young son Billy returns to town and is haunted by the demons of his father's murder. Meanwhile Ezra's mother shows up in town to check up on him.
77"Nemesis" Jerry Jameson Steve HattmanFebruary 28, 1998 (1998-02-28)
Chris hunts down the man he believes is responsible for the deaths of his family, and the rest of the band follow him to prevent him from doing something he'll regret.
88"The Collector" Gregg Champion Michael Norell March 7, 1998 (1998-03-07)
A vindictive rancher called Guy Royal viciously takes land that will one day be the home of the railroad to make a profit, but his methods invoke the wrath of the seven.
99"Manhunt"Steve BeersStory by: Tim John & Rick Husky
Teleplay by: Rick Husky
March 14, 1998 (1998-03-14)
Vin hunts down a Native American he believes has kidnapped a missionary's daughter, but soon it becomes clear he only has half the story.
1010"Inmate 78"Gregg ChampionRobert FrankeMarch 21, 1998 (1998-03-21)
Chris gets tossed into a corrupt prison camp and when he doesn't return, the others go looking for him.

Season 2 (1999–2000)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
111"The New Law"Christopher CainMelissa RosenbergJanuary 8, 1999 (1999-01-08)
To protect their interests, the railroad sends a federal marshal into town that dismisses the seven, but after they leave all hell breaks loose when Guy Royal and Stuart James team up to turn the town into a ghost town.
122"Sins of the Past"Gregg ChampionSteve HattmanJanuary 15, 1999 (1999-01-15)
Vin's past comes back to haunt him when he is accused of a crime he didn't commit; Ezra's biggest competition in his dream of owning the saloon is his own mother.
133"Love and Honor"Gregg Champion Rob Wright January 22, 1999 (1999-01-22)
Buck attempts to protect a young woman's honor by defending her against the men that come looking for her.
144"Vendetta"William Wages Mark Haskell Smith January 29, 1999 (1999-01-29)
Chris's father-in-law comes to town, bringing in his wake a bloodthirsty family bent on vengeance for a crime he committed against them.
155"Wagon Train: Part 1"Christopher CainStory by: Melissa Rosenberg and Sara Davidson
Teleplay by: Melissa Rosenberg
February 12, 1999 (1999-02-12)
Vin is attracted to a married woman and considers leaving the group while the seven escort a wagon train to their disputed territories.
166"Wagon Train: Part 2"Christopher CainStory by: Neil Landau
Teleplay by: Richard Kletter
February 19, 1999 (1999-02-19)
A rancher who wants the land awarded to the settlers follows the wagon train with the idea of revenge.
177"The Trial"William WagesMichael NobellMarch 5, 1999 (1999-03-05)
Nathan's father is falsely accused of a crime he did not commit but the odds of the town are stacked against him. Ezra is forced to ferret out the truth after his mother claims she has been framed for petty theft.
188"Chinatown"Christopher CainNeil LandauJuly 9, 1999 (1999-07-09)
The group investigates claims of corruption along the railroad with disappearing Chinese workers.
189"Achilles"Gordon C. LonsdaleMark Haskell SmithJuly 16, 1999 (1999-07-16)
J.D. accidentally kills an innocent bystander while catching, and killing, a bank robber and the brother of the slain man comes to collect the body. He also wants revenge. Meanwhile, Ezra finally meets his match in a fellow gambler he can't beat.
2010"Penance"Gregg ChampionStory by: Jeff Vlaming
Teleplay by: Don Michael Paul
May 3, 2000 (2000-05-03)
After returning from an extended absence Josiah becomes the prime suspect in a string of murders where all the victims were young independent women. Meanwhile, Nathan learns Rain is getting married.
2111"Lady Killers"William WagesMelissa RosenbergMay 31, 2000 (2000-05-31)
The seven help a pair of female bounty hunters who are in town targeting a gang leader, but all is not what it seems.
2212"Serpents"Steve BeersStory by: Melissa Rosenberg
Teleplay by: Mark Haskell Smith & Richard Kletter
June 7, 2000 (2000-06-07)
When a legendary assassin is found dead with $10,000 in his hotel room, it is up to the seven to find out who he was after, who killed him, and what to do with the money.
2313"Obsession" Kevin Dowling Richard KletterJuly 3, 2000 (2000-07-03)
An old flame of Chris' comes to ask for help in defending her honor and he finally comes face-to-face with the person that killed his family.

Production

The series was largely filmed in Newhall, California. [1] The pilot, directed by New Zealander Geoff Murphy ( Young Guns II ), was shot in Mescal, Arizona and the Dragoon Mountains of Arizona, near Tombstone. The pilot was scripted by Chris Black and writer/director Frank Q. Dobbs ( Streets of Laredo ).

DVD releases

MGM Home Entertainment (distributed by Fox) has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 was released on December 6, 2005 and season 2 on May 22, 2007. They also released a complete series set on May 13, 2008. [2]

Awards

Won

Nominations

References

  1. Rowan, Terry (2013). The American Western A Complete Film Guide. Lulu Press, Inc. Page 252. ISBN   9781300418580.
  2. MGM/Fox Delivers the Press Release for The Complete Series Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine