The fact that a great show ran only one season does not doom it to being forgotten (The Honeymooners is well remembered), but it surely does not help. Most people have never heard of Yancy Derringer, the public at large is not clamoring for it to be featured on TV, and it is hard to find. Nevertheless, even after all these years I fondly remember watching the exciting adventures of Yancy and his silent Indian companion Pahoo (actor X Brands).
The premise of the series is simple enough. After the Civil War, Yancy (actor Jock Mahoney), who fought for the south, returns to New Orleans to find much has changed. His family's plantation is in ruins. The war brought social upheaval and its companion, crime. Yancy travels with Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah (Wolf Who Stands In Water), the Pawnee who saved his life. They communicate in sign language, in which Yancy is fluent. Apparently (I am not sure of this), in his early years Pahoo had his tongue cut out when captured by other Indians, leaving him forever wordless.
Yancy is sought out by John Colton (actor Kevin Hagen), a northerner appointed by the US government to act as administrator of New Orleans. Colton asks Yancy to be his secret agent, fighting against crime and skulduggery of all sorts, and Yancy agrees.
Yancy is well suited for the task. A well-to-do gambler, suave lover, and rich dresser, a man of taste and erudition, he fits in well with those at the top of society. Yet, he is also comfortable with the lowliest dockworker, bar girl or former slave, rebel and Yank, never acting like he is above them, though he is always much better dressed. His ability to befriend those in all walks of life facilitates his task of gathering information for Colton.
His actions often get the bad guys mad, and place him in danger. In addition to his fists, which he uses effectively, he packs hidden derringer pistols. Pahoo secretes a knife and a shotgun, and is proficient in their use. Before the series started, Pahoo had saved Yancy's life, and by his strange code, this made him responsible for Yancy, and fiercely loyal to him. Keep an eye out for Pahoo to disappear, because this usually means he will soon pop up unexpectedly to use his gun or knife at Yancy's service.
The scenery, music, and elegant clothing paint a breathtaking picture of the charm of old New Orleans, while the often-dark lighting and seedy crimes show the other side of this fascinating coin.
There are some shortcomings. Yancy is so pleased with himself he sometimes is insufferable. His clothes are always clean and pressed no matter what he has gone through. The half-hour format does not leave much time for character development. Despite these flaws, the show is always entertaining, and the plots are usually interesting.
Apparently, the show was so successful in its first year (1958-1959) that the network (CBS) wanted to buy the rights to the show from its originators, Mary Loos and Richard Sales. They did not want to sell, so the network pulled the plug.
If Yancy Derringer is televised in your town, consider yourself lucky, and make sure not to miss an episode!
The premise of the series is simple enough. After the Civil War, Yancy (actor Jock Mahoney), who fought for the south, returns to New Orleans to find much has changed. His family's plantation is in ruins. The war brought social upheaval and its companion, crime. Yancy travels with Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah (Wolf Who Stands In Water), the Pawnee who saved his life. They communicate in sign language, in which Yancy is fluent. Apparently (I am not sure of this), in his early years Pahoo had his tongue cut out when captured by other Indians, leaving him forever wordless.
Yancy is sought out by John Colton (actor Kevin Hagen), a northerner appointed by the US government to act as administrator of New Orleans. Colton asks Yancy to be his secret agent, fighting against crime and skulduggery of all sorts, and Yancy agrees.
Yancy is well suited for the task. A well-to-do gambler, suave lover, and rich dresser, a man of taste and erudition, he fits in well with those at the top of society. Yet, he is also comfortable with the lowliest dockworker, bar girl or former slave, rebel and Yank, never acting like he is above them, though he is always much better dressed. His ability to befriend those in all walks of life facilitates his task of gathering information for Colton.
His actions often get the bad guys mad, and place him in danger. In addition to his fists, which he uses effectively, he packs hidden derringer pistols. Pahoo secretes a knife and a shotgun, and is proficient in their use. Before the series started, Pahoo had saved Yancy's life, and by his strange code, this made him responsible for Yancy, and fiercely loyal to him. Keep an eye out for Pahoo to disappear, because this usually means he will soon pop up unexpectedly to use his gun or knife at Yancy's service.
The scenery, music, and elegant clothing paint a breathtaking picture of the charm of old New Orleans, while the often-dark lighting and seedy crimes show the other side of this fascinating coin.
There are some shortcomings. Yancy is so pleased with himself he sometimes is insufferable. His clothes are always clean and pressed no matter what he has gone through. The half-hour format does not leave much time for character development. Despite these flaws, the show is always entertaining, and the plots are usually interesting.
Apparently, the show was so successful in its first year (1958-1959) that the network (CBS) wanted to buy the rights to the show from its originators, Mary Loos and Richard Sales. They did not want to sell, so the network pulled the plug.
If Yancy Derringer is televised in your town, consider yourself lucky, and make sure not to miss an episode!