The Young Riders

45min

Western

Drama

The Young Riders was an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War. The series premiered on ABC on September 20, 1989 and ran for three seasons until the final episode aired on July 23, 1992.

Production Companies

MGM Television

Ogiens/Kane Company

Episodes

Cast

The Kid

1. The Kid

20th Sep 1989

Young men of the Pony Express brave harsh conditions.

Gunfighter

2. Gunfighter

21st Sep 1989

The boys attempt to save Wild Bill Hickok from an unnecessary gunfight.

Home of the Brave

3. Home of the Brave

28th Sep 1989

Buck is the target of hostility when Sweetwater is threatened by a local tribe.

Speak No Evil

4. Speak No Evil

5th Oct 1989

Robbery witness Ike McSwain is pursued by the criminals he is to testify against.

Bad Blood

5. Bad Blood

12th Oct 1989

The riders help Lou track down her younger brother and sister who were kidnapped by a ruthless gunrunner.

Black Ulysses

6. Black Ulysses

26th Oct 1989

Col. Savage and a band of militia hunt down a runaway slave accused of murder.

Ten-Cent Hero

7. Ten-Cent Hero

2nd Nov 1989

A novelist avenges a beating by Hickok with writing a story that incites others to challenge the cowboy.

False Colors

8. False Colors

9th Nov 1989

The Kid is torn when his long-lost brother turns up just as nearby fugitives are planning to steal a gold shipment.

A Good Day to Die

9. A Good Day to Die

16th Nov 1989

A Sioux brave who claims to be innocent is denied justice when brought to trial for an Indian massacre.

The End of Innocence

10. The End of Innocence

30th Nov 1989

Hickok and Emma face hostile Indians and a ruthless commanding officer at a remote Army post.

Blind Love

11. Blind Love

7th Dec 1989

Hickok's heart is lassoed by a mysterious woman, but he is caught in a dangerous tangle when he discovers that she is bound to another man.

The Keepsake

12. The Keepsake

14th Dec 1989

Teaspoon is given claim to a small fortune, but he may lose it to a young woman he thinks is his lost daughter, and to a crooked gambler willing to kill for the cash.

Fall from Grace

13. Fall from Grace

4th Jan 1990

Hickok has a falling-out with Teaspoon, and he falls in with a gang of outlaws who are after a store of Army guns and ammunition.

Hard Time

14. Hard Time

11th Jan 1990

Kid is sentenced to hard time on a trumped-up charge by a small-town sheriff carrying out the policies of the sadistic man who keeps the town under a cloud of fear.

Lady for a Night

15. Lady for a Night

18th Jan 1990

Dressed as a lady for a night, Lou meets a vicious brute who develops an obsession for her, while he masterminds a series of heists in the territory.

Unfinished Business

16. Unfinished Business

1st Feb 1990

After surviving a massacre of wealthy settlers near Sal Lake, Emma's estranged husband arrives in Sweetwater looking for shelter from Emma, and raising the suspicions of Sam and the riders.

Decoy

17. Decoy

8th Feb 1990

On a wild ride to deliver a top-secret Government message, Cody helps a mortally wounded mountain man, who asks Cody to care for his pet bear. Meanwhile, back in Sweetwater, the other riders look after an abandoned baby.

Daddy's Girl

18. Daddy's Girl

15th Feb 1990

A new girl in town has Buck in her sights, but he is caught in the cross-fire between her, her tyrannical father and her cruel suitor.

Bulldog

19. Bulldog

22nd Feb 1990

An Eastern college boy arrives with dreams of meeting his Western idol, Hickok, but he is used as an unwitting accomplice in a scheme that endangers all the riders.

Matched Pair

20. Matched Pair

8th Mar 1990

Hickok helps a friendly rival search for their gunfighting mentor's kidnapped daughter, who actually has escaped with evidence of her dad's corruption.

The Man Behind the Badge

21. The Man Behind the Badge

22nd Mar 1990

Sam finds himself on the wrong side of the law in his own town when the man responsible for the murder of Sam's wife takes over Sweetwater.

Then There Was One

22. Then There Was One

5th Apr 1990

Teaspoon sets out for Texas with an old comrade in arms to warn three other veterans that someone has been murdering the last men who truly remember the Alamo.

Gathering Clouds (1)

23. Gathering Clouds (1)

7th May 1990

The Kid finds himself secretly helping the Army learn the identity of the Hawk.

Gathering Clouds (2)

24. Gathering Clouds (2)

14th May 1990

The men of the Pony Express find themselves taking different sides as the start of the Civil War approaches.

First air date

20th Sep 1989

Last air date

23rd Jul 1992

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks