You get to be a certain age--old--and you yearn to see some of the old TV shows from your youth. Thanks to COZI and ANTENNA TV and DVD's a lot of those shows have become available. If your watching on TV you catch a couple of episodes and realize just how bad the acting and writing were. The reaction is worse if you bought a few seasons only to realize at twelve your critical viewing skills were minimal at best. However there are a few that not only live up to your memory but surpass your expectations and Yancy Derringer is one of those like Maverick. The writing was smart, the plots interesting, and the acting remarkably good. Jock Mahoney is fine as the lead and X Brands steals scenes even though he never speaks. I have a suspicion the success of the series owes much to the writing, producing, and directing team of Richard Sale and Mary Loos who apparently had total control over their collaboration. It's unfortunate this series ended after only one year. My wife suggested Sale and Loos may have divorced and that caused the demise. They did divorce but I have no idea when but regardless they did create a memorable show that still holds up. Another reason may have been the inclusion of A list character actors of that period including John Dehner, Robert Rockwell, Gene Evans, Dennis Patrick, Charles Maxwell, Ray Danton, Marie Windsor, Bill Williams, Claude Akins, John Qualen, and Robert Lowery to list a few. It was a rare episode that didn't include someone of contemporary note. If you can, try to get the series of 34 episodes, I believe you will be quite satisfied especially if you are of a certain age.
Review of Yancy Derringer
