Harts of the West – Nostalgia Central

1 9 9 3 – 1 9 9 4 (USA)
15 x 60 minute episodes

Dave Hart (Beau Bridges) is a 41-year-old underwear salesman in Chicago. He is married to Allison (Harley Jane Kozak) and he has a fascination with the Old West.

He even named his children after his western heroes –  Duke (Nathan Watt) is named after John Wayne; L’Amour (Meghann Haldeman) after writer Louis L’Amour; and Zane (Sean Murray) after writer Zane Grey.

After a mild heart attack, Dave feels he has been given a wake-up call and a second chance at life.

He buys the 100-acre Flying Tumbleweed Ranch in Sholo, Nevada (population 90), quits his job, uproots his family and heads west to begin a new life. But when the Harts arrive, they find the previous (now deceased) owner, Alonzo Pike, had misrepresented the place, and the ranch is a broken-down, decaying mess.

Having lost his down payment and with no other choice, Dave decides to rebuild and return the dude ranch to its former 1950s glory with the help of his reluctant family and irascible ageing cowpoke Jake Tyrell (Lloyd Bridges), who once worked for Pike.

Other regular characters included ranch hands Cassie Valesquez (Talisa Soto) and Marcus St. Cloud (Sterling Macer, Jr); Allison’s crusty mother, Nina (Diane Ladd); Jake’s brother, Zeke (Cliff Robertson); and Auggie, the grouchy American Indian who owned Auggie’s Trading Post (Saginaw Grant).

The cook at Sholo’s only diner was also the sheriff (Stephen Root), who wasn’t at all concerned about crime (he had an “open cell policy”) but was deeply worried about Canadians taking over the United States.

Dave Hart
Beau Bridges
Allison Hart
Harley Jane Kozak
L’Amour Hart
Meghann Haldeman
Zane Grey Hart
Sean Murray
John Wayne “Duke” Hart
Nathan Watt
Marcus St. Cloud
Sterling Macer, Jr.
Cassie Valesquez
Talisa Soto
Auggie
Saginaw Grant
Jake Tyrell
Lloyd Bridges
Nina Vandergrath
Diane Ladd
Zeke Tyrell
Cliff Robertson
R.O
Stephen Root
Rose
O-Lan Jones