Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series)
From Iwe
| Big Bad Beetleborgs | ||
| Genre | Action Police procedural | |
| Created by | Albert S. Ruddy Leslie Greif Paul Haggis Christopher Canaan | |
| Starring | Chuck Norris Clarence Gilyard Sheree J. Wilson Noble Willingham Nia Peeples Judson Mills Floyd Westerman Jimmy Wlcek Marco Sanchez | |
| Theme music composer | Tirk Wilder (Seasons 1, 2–8) Jerrold Immel (Season 2, last used on "Tiger's Eye") | |
| Opening theme | "Eyes of the Ranger" Performed by Chuck Norris (Mid-Seasons 2–8) on DVD (Mid-Seasons 3 (Ep. 12)–8) | |
| Country of origin | United States | |
| Original language(s) | English | |
| No. of seasons | 8 | |
| No. of episodes | 203 (including TV movie) (list of episodes) | |
| Production | ||
| Camera setup | Single-camera Super 16mm | |
| Running time | 42‒46 minutes | |
| Production company(s) | Cannon Television (1993) Top Kick Productions (1993–1998) (seasons 1-5) Norris Brothers Entertainment (1998–2001) (seasons 6-8) The Ruddy Greif Company (1993–2001) CBS Productions Columbia Pictures Television | |
| Distributor | Columbia TriStar Television (1997–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–present) CBS Broadcasting International (1993–2008) CBS Television Distribution (DVDs, 2008–present) CBS Studios International (2009-present) | |
| Release | ||
| Original network | CBS | |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround 2.0 | |
| Original release | September 25, 1993 – May 19, 2001 | |
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American Indian crime action television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full seasons followed with new episodes airing from September 25, 1993, to May 19, 2001, and reruns continuing on CBS until July 28, 2001. It has been broadcast in over 100 countries and has since spawned a 2005 made-for-television movie entitled Trial By Fire. The movie ended on a cliffhanger, which was never resolved. DVD sets of all seasons have been released (with the three pilots packaged with the first regular season). At various times since 1997, reruns of the show have aired, in syndication, on the USA Network and Action in Canada. Reruns can currently be seen on CBS Action, WGN America, INSP and Grit and One, being part of Network Ten in Australia.
The series was noted for its moralistic style. The characters refrained from the use of drugs, and they participated in community service. Martial arts were displayed prominently as the primary tool of law enforcement and occasionally as a tool for Walker and company to reach out to the community.
Contents |
[edit] Background
[edit] Episodes
- Main article: List of Walker, Texas Ranger episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| Pilot | 3 | April 21, 1993 | May 1, 1993 | |
| 1 | 23 | September 25, 1993 | May 21, 1994 | |
| 2 | 23 | September 24, 1994 | May 13, 1995 | |
| 3 | 26 | September 23, 1995 | May 18, 1996 | |
| 4 | 27 | September 21, 1996 | May 17, 1997 | |
| 5 | 25 | September 27, 1997 | May 16, 1998 | |
| 6 | 23 | September 26, 1998 | May 22, 1999 | |
| 7 | 25 | September 25, 1999 | May 20, 2000 | |
| 8 | 23 | October 7, 2000 | May 19, 2001 | |
[edit] Cast and characters
- Main arctile: List of Walker Texas Ranger characters
| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation | Seasons | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
[edit] Main characters
- Chuck Norris as Texas Ranger Sgt. Cordell Walker, a former Marine and a modern-day Ranger who believes in the Code of the Old West. He is a decorated Vietnam vet and a martial arts expert. He is the show's main protagonist. Appeared in all episodes.
- Clarence Gilyard as Texas Ranger Sgt. James "Jimmy" Trivette, Walker's partner and best friend. Appeared in all but two episodes.
- Sheree J. Wilson as Tarrant County Assistant D.A. Alexandra "Alex" Cahill, whom Walker dates for a few seasons and finally marries. Appeared in all but five episodes.
- Noble Willingham (Gailard Sartain pilot) as retired Texas Ranger Captain C.D. Parker, Walker's buddy and ex-partner who owns a bar-restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, and was the only one to address Walker by his first name Cordell regularly. Appeared in 155 episodes.
- Nia Peeples as Texas Ranger Sydney "Syd" Cooke, a rookie Ranger who joins Walker in Seasons 7–8. Appeared in 47 episodes.
- Judson Mills as Texas Ranger Francis Gage, another rookie Ranger who joins Walker in Seasons 7–8. Appeared in 46 episodes.
- Floyd Westerman (Apesanahkwat, Season 2) as Walker's paternal uncle Ray Firewalker (also known as Uncle Ray), who raised Cordell after his parents – John and Elizabeth Firewalker – were murdered. Ray disappeared at the end of Season 2. Appeared in 14 episodes.
[edit] Supporting characters
[edit] Reception
[edit] Nielsen ratings
[edit] Critical reception
[edit] DVD releases
CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released all seasons on DVD in Region 1. The Complete 1st Season contains the three pilot episodes and the first full season being labeled as just the first season. This has confused some fans, as the episodes are wrongly numbered. Seasons 1–6 have been released in regions 2–4.
On May 12, 2015, CBS DVD released Walker, Texas Ranger- The Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1.
DVD name
| Eps
| Release dates
| ||
Region 1
| Region 2
| Region 4
| ||
[edit] Spin-offs and merchandise
[edit] Television movies
- Main artcile: Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire
[edit] Sons of Thunder
- Main artcile: Sons of Thunder (TV series)
Most episodes were based on true stories. A short-lived series, Sons of Thunder, featured recurring character Carlos Sandoval, who resigns from his post with the Dallas police and teams up with childhood friend Trent Malloy (a protégé of Walker's), to start a private investigation firm.
[edit] Novels
[edit] In other media
[edit] Notable guest stars
| Actor | Character | Episode title | Year |
|---|
[edit] Companies
The series began with Cannon Television, but after Cannon folded, CBS assumed production responsibilities and is the ancillary rights holder for this series. Other companies as listed below have also been involved with the series production and/or distribution.
| Production companies |
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