The Cowboys (TV series)

The Cowboys is a short-lived Western television series based on the 1972 motion picture of the same name starring John Wayne. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network from February 6 to May 8, 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, like the movie, followed the exploits of seven boys who worked on a ranch in 1870s New Mexico. The Cowboys began as an hour-long series, but ABC decided to reduce 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
Composer(s)	Harry Sukman
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	6 February – 14 August 1974

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".