Season 5 • Episode 26
LatestMark and his girlfriend Laurie discover that an old hermit is very lonely.
The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black-and-white, half-hour episodes. "The Rifleman" aired on ABC from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963 as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first prime time series to have a widowed parent raise a child.
Acting
Chuck Connors' towering presence anchors every scene.
Writing
Sam Peckinpah's early work—grit beneath the family sheen.
Practical Effects
That Winchester reload is pure practical magic.
Creator
Sam Peckinpah
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The iconic opening rifle spin was performed by Connors himself, a former pro baseball player with the athleticism to make it look effortless.
One of television's first realistic portrayals of single fatherhood, it quietly influenced everything from The Andy Griffith Show to The Mandalorian.
US
