September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25) – June 18, 1994 (1994-06-18)
Harts of the West is a humorous contemporary Western about a Chicago family moving to a run-down Nevada ranch. The series consists of 15 hour-long episodes that aired on CBS Saturdays, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m., from September 1993 until June 1994.[1]
Much of the series was shot on location in downtown Mayer, Arizona, a small town near Prescott.[2]Clint Black wrote and sang the theme song, In a Laid Back Way.[1]
CBS scheduled the series between two popular Westerns: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and Walker, Texas Ranger,[3] and it received positive reviews. One reviewer wrote "Don’t make the mistake of ignoring Harts of the West",[4] and another stated the show was "One of the fall season's more appealing new series."[3] However, the series left the schedule in January 1994, with a few final episodes being shown in June 1994.[1]
Synopsis
Dave Hart was a lingerie salesman in Chicago who'd always dreamed of being a cowboy. He had named his three children after Western writers and an actor – 16-year-old son Zane after Zane Grey, 15-year-old daughter L'Amour after Louis L’Amour, and 10-year-old son John Wayne (called Duke) after the famous Western star.[5] After suffering a mild heart attack Dave decided to follow his dream, and purchased the Flying Tumbleweed Ranch, sight unseen, after reading a sales brochure published in 1957.[1] Duke is the only other family member in favor of moving out West.[4]
The property is a dude ranch in disrepair, near the town of Sholo, Nevada, population 90. Sholo's business district has a trading post - grocery store run by a Native American named Auggie, and the Hanging Tree Cafe, run by the sheriff, R.O., and his ex-wife Rose.[5]
Dave goes out to the Flying Tumbleweed and is shot at by Jake, a grizzled ex-convict who claims to be the ranch foreman.[4] Jake informs Dave that the man who sold the ranch has died, and his ashes are scattered over the Flying Tumbleweed. The foreman is able to find a group of motley ranch hands, some with a prison record.[5] Dave's wife, Allie, is willing to try ranch life for a while, though the elder children initially have little enthusiasm for the idea.[4]
Jake wants to celebrate Duke’s 10th birthday with a Native American rite of passage. Allie thinks she's pregnant.
Media availability
In 2005 Tango released the Harts of the West series set on DVD.[6] On October 17, 2017 Mill Creek Entertainment released the DVD set Harts of the West The Complete Series.[7]
