Dakotas, The: The Complete Series

I first learned about The DAKOTAS many years ago, as a pre-teen. I had seen a few episodes and really enjoyed them, but, at some point, the series seemed to just disappear, and I couldn't figure out why.Many years passed, and a friend re-introduced me to this excellent series, because he had copies of all of the episodes. He gave me some of my own copies...and I sat down to watch them.WOW !!!How in the WORLD did this series ever get cancelled ?? It was DYNAMITE !!!The combination of series star LARRY WARD, CHAD EVERETT (who later went on to fame and fortune some six years later as the star of the successful CBS series Medical Center), Legendary Western tough guy JACK ELAM, and MICHAEL GREENE, an actor with a long list of film and movie credits, made for an unlikely , but explosive team, which, when combined, made for an excellent series with strong performances from all four men...which made it's cancellation after only 18 episodes were aired, one of the big crimes in television western history. With all of the silly, stupid series on the air back in 1963 (and the even GREATER number of silly , stupid series on the air TODAY, that get picked up for second, third , even fifth seasons), it is truly a travesty that this well-written, surperbly-acted, truly memorable series only lasted for 20 episodes...only 18 of which aired before ABC cancelled it....BUT WAIT ....WHERE IS EPISODE 20 ??It is common knowledge that a 20th episode, entitled "BLACK GOLD" , was actually completed...but never shown...Maybe this is just an internet rumor, but if it was indeed true..where is it ? and why wasn't it included in this collection?Hopefully, someone at Warner Brothers or ABC can shed some light on this matter.Anyway, I just received my DVD set, and I'm very pleased to FINALLY have this series in pristine condition !!!THE DAKOTAS was the story of U.S. Marshal Frank Ragan and his three Deputies...who patrolled the Badlands of the Dakota Territory...enforcing law and order in the days before Statehood. Unlike other WB westerns, THE DAKOTAS was darker, grittier, more realistic. No Maverick-like light-heartedness or tongue-in-cheek stuff HERE.Yes, it's true that Jack Elam was the series' breakout star, but I still believe thatLARRY WARD , the series' REAL star, turned in a powerful performance as U.S. Marshal Frank Ragan...and the conflict and chemistry between him and Elam truly made this series special. Ragan was a tough, efficient, unstoppable leader who, although he stuck to the letter of the law , wasn't afraid to occasionally bend it to protect his men or others in need. A widower whose young wife was murdered by killers hired by a powerful man whose identity he learns in a later episode. One of his most memorable lines was his answer to a guest star (Claude Akins) who told him he couldn't stop a whole town, was"I'll stop the first SIX !!"Classic line !!! (Don't MESS with Ragan !!!)Still another line, spoken to Chad Everett's character, Del Stark:"You can't make deals with KILLERS. Haven't you learned that yet ?"JACK ELAM as Deputy J.D. Smith , the former preacher's son turned hired assassin, was an incredibly inspired casting choice: a legendary screen bad guy in what may have been his only "good guy" role...yet, even so, he was still a "bad" good guy, the fastest and deadliest gun of the team, who occasionally reverted back to type, with only his friendship and respect for Marshall Ragan keeping him from going all the way back to his dark side, (and sometimes, even THAT wasn't enough).CHAD EVERETT as Deputy Del Stark, was an orphan, the adopted son of a killer, who controlled a town with an iron hand , and whose murder of a close friend of Marshal Ragan was the catalyst for bringing this unlikely team together in the series pilot .The youngest and most sensitive member of the cast, he served as the team's "conscience" (and was also obviously added to draw in the young female viewers) .MICHAEL GREENE as Deputy Vance Porter ,was the Sheriff of the town where the series begins .The most-flawed and "human" of the four; an unsure man that seemed to lose himself in the bottle, until he later found the courage to stand up for what was right ...with help from Ragan, of course . Ragan to Vance: You call what YOU'RE doing...STANDING ??(NOTE at age 85, MIKE GREENE is the LAST LIVING original cast member of this series as of 2019)All four leads in this series played their roles exceedingly well...and were augmented by great guest stars...such as LEE VAN CLEEF, CLAUDE AKINS, DeFOREST KELLY, BEVERLY GARLAND, TELLY SAVALAS, DIANE BREWSTER ("Beaver's'' teacher and Richard Kimble's deceased wife), JOANNA MOORE, STROTHER MARTIN, VICTOR FRENCH, ED NELSON and many more....If you want one of the best western series ever made (despite it's undeservedly short run)....Get The DAKOTAS. YOU WON'T REGRET IT !! FIVE STARS !!!

I viewed this series when I was 14 years old. Gritty, relevant, and well acted, the Dakotas made other westerns playing on T.V. at the time look foolish. I guess it was too real for the uptight America at the time. Shortly after it was cancelled, Kennedy would be assassinated, Viet Nam would escalate, and so forth. I always looked for it on reruns wherever I was living. I had forgotten just how interesting it was. I am thrilled to have the DVDs. I guess Jack Elam was my favorite. He had a great career and was the most powerful of the group. The guest stars were the best of their day . It's in black and white and that added to its dramatic appeal. I highly recommend this series to western fans who want something a little different. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

Saw only a few episodes of this show as a small child but it left a searing impression on my brain that lingered through adulthood, when I tried to track down information and episodes of the series, finally hitting pay dirt briefly on YouTube before the episodes were blocked. Even better is this: a DVD with startlingly crisp resolution. If not for the public overreaction to the shooting of a pastor in episode 19, which caused its sudden cancellation, this series would have lasted and established itself as a landmark series along the lines of Have Gun, Will Travel. Well worth the money. Buy it, put it in the DVD player, and sit back and savor these gems. In an era when most heroes were kissing their horses and talking the bad guys to death, this show was a gritted precursor to the realist western era that arrived in the late 60s and early 70s in film. Best of all, Jack Elam got a chance to show a range of character he never got in other shows or movies, and what a lost treasure that was. But for 20 fantastic episodes, you can enjoy it.

Perhaps the bestwestern series EVER to come to tv or Hollywood. Ther was no better cast ever in a tv series. What can you say about Jack Elam, oneof the best charactor actors in the business. I thought Larry Ward did a fantastic job keeping the guys within the law which as we saw was not easy,props to Warner Bros. Fordoing their best to keep it Real. Please find and show the much talked about 20th episode. That would be most fitting for one, No the best western ever...If there are any of the cast still alive i want to thank you. All of you were SPECTACULAR!!!!!

Marshall Frank Rayan (Larry Ward), Deputies J.D. Smith (Jack Elam), Del Stark (Chad Everett), and Vance Porter (Mike Greene) topped the bill on this series. These four men came from different walks of life, but because of an unjust west they formed an unstoppable, unwaving group of crime fighters who patrol The Dakotas. Joined by some of Hollywood's future heavyweights in the movies and television like DeForest Kelly, Telly Savalas, Russell Johnson, and many more who started their careers in the westerns. They are put into all kinds of trouble as they ride the badlands in search of injustice. Ride with them on their adventures and see what The Wild West was like, and see what "Wild" meant at a time when all that stood between justice and chaos was a man with a badge, and a fast gun arm. Grab this 6 disc, 24 episode set and relive a time when westerns were all the rage on television, and was reacted the next day in the backyards and school playgrounds.

Unable to play as I do not Have a region one DVD player. I didn't notice this requirement on the site, especially as the item was for sale in sterling.

Excellent

Can't remember series as a child but good to watch

quick delivery, good deal

DVD provides good picture quality albeit black and white. Fun to watch old western series even if they are a bit hokey.