The Cowboys (TV series)

The Cowboys is a short-lived Western television series based on the 1972 motion picture of the same name. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network from February 6 to June 27, 1974. The television show starred Jim Davis, Diana Douglas, Moses Gunn, A Martinez, Robert Carradine, and Clay O'Brien. David Dortort, best known for Bonanza and The High Chaparral, produced the series. The television show followed the exploits of seven boys who worked on a ranch in 1870s New Mexico. The Cowboys was conceived as an hour-long series, but ABC decided to reduce the running time to a half-hour format.

The Cowboys
Main cast screenshot
Genre	Western
Starring	Jim Davis Belinda Balaski Moses Gunn Walter Brooke Robert Carradine A Martinez
Theme music composer	John Williams
Opening theme	Open Prairies
Ending theme	Open Prairies (instrumental)
Composer	Harry Sukman
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	6 February (1974-02-06) – 27 July 1974 (1974-07-27)

The format change did not lead to increased viewers, and the show was the victim of early cancellation.

Guest stars included Cal Bellini as Wa-Cha-Ka in "The Indian Givers", Kevin Hagen as Josh Redding in "Death on a Fast Horse", and Lurene Tuttle as Grandma Jesse in "Many a Good Horse Died".