Airing from 1955 to 1962, Cheyenne was the first Western TV show ever aired. Clint Walker’s titular character was the only cast member to appear throughout the show, which speaks to his impressive charisma as the show relied on his performance. Now all seven seasons are remastered in high definition in the new Cheyenne: The Complete Series Blu-ray set.
“In the 1950s, a posse of popular Warner Bros. TV Westerns galloped into American living rooms: Maverick, Sugarfoot, Bronco, Lawman, Colt .45. The sagebrush rage began with Cheyenne, an epic series of gunblazing action and panoramic prairie vistas that ran for seven top-rated seasons and helped turn a nation of accountants, sales clerks, and kids into armchair cowpokes. The source of Cheyenne’s significant popularity was its charismatic and heroic leading man, Clint Walker, who rose to instant TV-star fame as Cheyenne Bodie, six-and-a-half feet of cowboy brawn, courage, and integrity. The series is highlighted by early television appearances of such future stars James Garner, Edd Byrnes, Alan Hale, Jr., Dan Blocker, Lee Van Cleef, Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, Angie Dickinson, Connie Stevens, and Ellen Burstyn,” says the synopsis.
Cheyenne made Clint Walker a star, and it’s easy to see why. Tall with a physically impressive presence, the actor was both imposing and charming, as he was able to be effortlessly cool to men and a hunk for women. While there are plenty of Western tropes, such as fights in saloons and shootouts, the show takes full advantage of its longer episodes by giving the stories time to breathe. While the best episodes are mostly in the first couple of seasons, Walker’s charm made the show a winner throughout its entire run.
The Cheyenne: The Complete Series Blu-ray comes from Warner Archive, which has once again outdone itself with its remastering of the show. Every episode looks fantastic as they’ve all been remastered from 4K scans of the original camera negatives. It looks much better than the previous DVD release and is easily the definitive way to watch the show. The audio restoration is also impressive, as it’s been cleaned up well.
While many massive complete series sets have subpar packaging, that isn’t the case with the Cheyenne: The Complete Series Blu-ray. Instead, it comes with a nice box that holds seven individual Blu-ray cases — one for each season. While there aren’t many special features, there is a 13-minute interview with the late Clint Walker that was made for the DVD release. It’s a great inclusion as Walker is charismatic and discusses the show’s lasting impact.
Cheyenne: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict
The legendary Western series has never looked better than in the Cheyenne: The Complete Series Blu-ray set. All 100-plus hour-long episodes are included in the massive 30-disc set that spans 5,560 minutes. Any fan of the Western genre will appreciate this series, which is still fun to watch thanks to Clint Walker’s stellar performance.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from the distributor for our Cheyenne: The Complete Series Blu-ray review.
