You’ve probably never heard ofThe Rebel, but it’s a TV series with some considerable influence.The Rebelwas released at a time when theWesternwas one of the most prominent genres in film and television, fromJohn Wayne’s various exploits on screentoClint Eastwood’s iconicDollarstrilogy. It focuses on Johnny Yuma (Nick Adams), a former soldier in the Confederate army. Johnny feels lost after the end of the Civil War, and decides to seek inner peace byhunting down criminals across the West. This premise keptThe Rebelgoing for two seasons, but it was cancelled before a third season could be greenlit — and the reasoning for doing so was rather ludicrous. Here’s the history ofThe Rebeland the circumstances that led to its cancellation.
‘The Rebel’ Was a True Trailblazer in Western TV
What madeThe Rebela standout program at the time was that Nick Adamswasthe only regular on the series. This was to be expected: after all, the show followed Johnny Yuma’s travels, which meant that each episode could feature afresh new set of faces. It’s the faces that appeared that made the show a standout, particularlyJohnny Cash. Cash performed the theme song forThe Rebel, and also guest starred in the Season 1 episode “The Death of Grey” as a would-be rapist who eventually meets his end at the barrel of Johnny’s trademark sawed-off shotgun. Other notable guest stars includedLeonard NimoyandRobert Vaughn; the latter wasno stranger to Western fare, having previously starred inThe Magnificent Seven. Even the behind the scenes pedigree was impressive;Irwin Keshner, the director behindStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,helmed multiple episodes ofThe Rebel.
The same could be said of producerMark Goodson. Goodson had a knack for creating television series that stood out in terms of concept and presentation, with a few lasting to this day — if you’ve watchedThe Price is RightorFamily Feud, you have Goodson to thank for launching those products.The Rebelwas one of the few times Goodson stepped outside the realm of gaming shows, but it was one of his few successes outside that realm as well.Critical reception was fairly positive, andThe Rebelwas able to hold its own against fellow Western TV shows likeLawmanandThe Alaskans, both of which aired roughly around the same time.
This Western TV Series Got Cancelled After ABC Changed Its Time Slot
The last days of the Old West ended sooner than anyone expected.
ABC Cancelled ‘The Rebel’ Due to Its Violent Content
The Rebelmight have been a ratings success, but ABC wound up passing on a third season due tothe show’s violent content. Given Johnny’s status as a former Confederate soldier and the fact that he was hunting down numerous criminals, nearly every episode ofThe Rebelends with someone being shot, stabbed, or killedin a brutal way. In his article titled “ABC and the Destruction of American Television”,James Lewis Baughmanhighlighted how ABC was moving more toward family-friendly programming and introducing the concept of “counterprogramming”. Counterprogramming often draws audiences to a film or TV show, especially if the competitor offers something different. (Think the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon that swept theaters last year.) ABC wanted to draw viewers in with a variety show starringSteve Allen, but eventually, Allen’s show was cancelled after four months.
It’s a shame as the third season ofThe Rebelwould have truly shaken up the series' format. The series was to be renamedThe Rebel and the Yank, and Johnny Yuma would have been teaming up with a former Union soldier who was now working as a doctor. DespiteThe Rebel and the Yankfalling through,James Drury —who would have played the “Yank” — found success on the long-running Western seriesThe Virginian.The Rebelalso may have influenced another popular Western; following the release ofQuentin Tarantino’sThe Hateful Eight,Western fans noticed that it bore a similarityto an episode ofThe Rebelepisode titled “Fair Game”, including the plot ofa beautiful female prisonerarriving in a stagecoach just as a murder takes place. It shows that, despite its short-lived tenure,The Rebelwas a truly influential Western series.
The Rebelis available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
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