When we say “The Californians” you probably think ofthatSaturday Night Livesketchwith the obnoxious blondes parodying soap operas. For years, that sketch has lived on through social media and been the subject of many quotables thanks to its shiny roster of celebrities at the forefront of such a comedy. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. In fact,The Californianswas a TV Western well before itsSNLfame.
In the late 1950s, when televisionWesternswere at their absolute peak, NBC put together a half-hour drama set during the California Gold Rush of the early 1850s — a period not as often explored in standard cowboy affairs. The show wasThe Californians, and it centered on a large cast of characters who banded together to protect their new-found home in the aptly-named Golden State. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s time to give this one a go.
‘The Californians’ Was a Different Approach to Western Law and Order
When the image of aclassical television Westernis conjured to mind, one instantly thinks of desert landscapes coupled with riders on horseback engaging in vicious shootouts with outlaws, Indians, or other unseemly opponents. These shows usually follow a single lawman or perhaps a gun-for-hire, either based in a small Old West town or traveling across the open country. Even shows that break this mold,such asWagon Train, still follow a group of travelers heading west in search of a better life, often dealing with the same sort of man-to-man, man-to-nature conflicts that other programs do.
Whether your favorite TV horse opera isGunsmoke,Bonanza, orHave Gun — Will Travel, there’s something to love about each of them. ButThe Californianswasn’t your typical Western program. It stood apart from the very beginning. In the series opener, “The Vigilantes Begin,” we’re met with not only open prairies or snow-capped mountains, but a coastline full of ships and newcomers hoping to strike it rich in the gold business. San Francisco, 1851, is a strange picture to open a Western on. But the plot quickly takes shape as Dion Patrick (Adam Kennedy) arrives in town after his gold fever has pushed him as far West as he could go.
Unfortunately,Patrick’s dreams of a peaceful California are quickly unraveled when he realizes that the city is run by con men, criminals, and other white-collar figures. After being taken in by the kindly storekeepers Jack (Sean McClory) and Martha McGivern (Nan Leslie), Patrick decides that the only way to bring justice to San Francisco is to fight back.
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The Californiansfirst premiered on July 28, 2025, and it caused quite a stir when it did. Unlike the rest of the Western shows on the Big Three at the time — which all fanciedbadged lawmen or morally upright gunslingers—The Californians' heroes were all vigilantes. From the very first episode,Dion Patrick unites the people of San Francisco, sparking a revolution in the form of good, old-fashioned vigilantism. With the vigilance committee backing him, Patrick restores law and order. In a half-hour, the program changed the Western game, but not everyone was happy about it.
‘The Californians’ Switched Up Its Cast (and Premise) Midway Through Season 1
In the very next episode, “Gentleman from Philadelphia,“The Californianswasted no time introducing its new series lead. Replacing Kennedy’s Dion Patrick was Richard Coogan as Matt Wayne, a gambling man who arrives in San Fran in search of the man who killed his former gold-digging partner. While the whole thing turns into a quick mess afterWayne is framed for shooting a man in the back, he soon finds an ally in Jack McGivern, who helps prove his innocence. In the very next episode, “The Marshal,” the vigilante committee decides — after Wayne has been around town for about six months — that he ought to run for Marshal. When he’s elected, the vigilantes disband, and amore familiar brand of law and orderis introduced to San Francisco.
As noted in Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh’sThe Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, “[Wayne] continued his fight against crime [into the second season] with a newly reorganized 50-man police force.” That’s not quite likeany usual Western programyou’re likely familiar with. Over time, the McGiverns were written out of the series entirely, just like Dion Patrick had been midway through the first season. In their place, a young lawyer named Jeremy Pitt (Art FlemingofJeopardy!fame) is introduced, and Wayne finds himself a love interest in the widow Wilma Fansler (Carole Mathews).
AlthoughThe Californiansonly ran for two seasons on NBC, and a total of 69 episodes, the series was a strange horse opera unlike any other. For that reason alone, it’s a time capsule of Western television well worth a quick binge.
