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The Virginian
Opening title
Also known as	The Men from Shiloh
Genre	Western
Developed by	NBC[2] Revue Studios (seasons 1-2)[2] Universal TV (seasons 3-9)[2]
Directed by	John Brahm[1] Richard A. Colla[1]
Starring	James Drury Doug McClure
Opening theme	"The Virginian" by Percy Faith
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	9 [2]
No. of episodes	249 [2]
Production
Executive producer(s)	Norman MacDonnell[3] Charles Marquis Warren[4] Frank Price[4] John Thomas James[4]
Producer(s)	Frank Telford[3]
Editor(s)	Lee Huntington[3] Bob Kagey[3] Robert L. Kimble[3] Tony Martinelli[3] George Ohanian[3] Robert K. Richard[3]
Cinematography	Alric Edens[3] Gerald Perry Finnerman[3] Robert Wyckoff[3]
Running time	90 Min.
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 19, 1962 – March 24, 1971
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Virginian was a Western-themed television series which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. It was unique in that it was the first Western to air in 90-minute installments each week (75 minutes excluding commercial breaks). Two other Westerns later followed the same 90-minute format later in the 1960s, Wagon Train and Cimarron Strip, each for only a single season. The show differed from Wagon Train in that it was filmed in the color format from its inception.^[5]

Loosely based on the Owen Wister novel, the series revolved around a ranch hand, played by James Drury, who went by the name The Virginian; his real name was never revealed in the nine years the show was on the air. The series took place in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and revolved around The Virginian's quest to maintain an orderly lifestyle for the ranch he worked on, which was called Shiloh Ranch. Other key characters included Trampas (played by Doug McClure) and Steve Hill (played by Gary Clarke). The main horse played was named Windsor V.

The ranch had four owners throughout its run: Judge Garth (played by Lee J. Cobb), the Grainger brothers (played by Charles Bickford and John McIntire) and Colonel Alan McKenzie (played by Stewart Granger; the Graingers were replaced by a Granger who didn't play a Grainger). The theme song was titled Lonesome Tree and was written by Percy Faith and conducted by Revue musical director, Stanley Wilson.

In the final year, when Col. McKenzie took over Shiloh Ranch, the name of the program was changed to The Men from Shiloh and the look of the series was completely redesigned, with much broader brims and higher crowns on the hats, beards and moustaches, and jauntier and more imaginative costumes for the characters. Unfortunately, however, after nine years the series was near the end of its run and the improvements could not save it.

James Drury and Doug McClure were the only performers who appeared in all the episodes of the series.

James Drury as The Virginian
Doug McClure as Trampas
Lee J. Cobb as Judge Henry Garth (season 1-4)
John McIntire as Clay Grainger (season 6-8)
Stewart Granger as Alan MacKenzie (season 9)
Sara Lane as Elizabeth Grainger (season 5-8)
Clu Gulager as Deputy Sheriff Emmett Ryker (season 3-6)

Guest stars included Andy Devine, Slim Pickens, Noah Beery, Jr., Alan Hale, Jr., Victor Jory, Royal Dano, Steve Forrest, Scott Brady, Coleen Gray, Mariette Hartley, Catherine McLeod, Strother Martin, Dub Taylor, Bruce Dern, Hugh Beaumont, Barry Sullivan, Charles Bickford, DeForest Kelly, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Susan Oliver, Ricardo Montalban, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, Lee Marvin, Neville Brand, Leo Gordon, Claude Akins, Charles Bronson, Ida Lupino, Harrison Ford, Robert Redford, Tony Franciosa, John Dehner, Bruce Bennett, Pernell Roberts, Burt Mustin, Pat O'Brien, Robert Lansing, Darren McGavin, Vera Miles, Bert Freed, Robert Colbert, Joseph Cotten, Tom Tryon, Leslie Nielsen, Tol Avery, Karl Swenson, Darwin Joston, Walter Woolf King, Don 'Red' Barry, Dick Foran, Lloyd Nolan, Paul Fix, George Kennedy, Aldo Ray, Jane Wyatt, Robert Fuller, Cloris Leachman, Tom Skerritt, Burgess Meredith, and Lloyd Bochner.

• The series was mentioned in the Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Royal Episode 13" in which John Cleese announced that the Pythons would not be engaging in their typical silliness because the Queen (Elizabeth II) would be tuning in to the show later, although, at the time of the introduction, she was watching The Virginian.^[6]
• The Simpsons character "Troy McClure" was named after Troy Donahue and Doug McClure.^[7]
• The Book A History of Television's The Virginian 1962–1971 by Paul Green, with a foreword by former executive producer Frank Price, was published by McFarland & Co. Inc. USA in 2006.
• The Virginian is mentioned by stuntman Mike in Death Proof^[6]

• The Virginian at the Internet Movie Database
• The Virginian at TV.com
• The Virginian at TVIV
• Roy Huggins' American Archive of Television Interview

• Denmark : Die Leute von der Shiloh Ranch
• French : Le Virginien
• Netherlands : The Virginian

• The Virginian (novel) - by American author Owen Wister
• The Virginian (1914 film) - a silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Dustin Farnum
• The Virginian (1923 film) - a silent film directed by Tom Forman and starring Kenneth Harlan [[and Florence Vidor
• The Virginian (1929 film) - directed by Victor Fleming and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Huston and Richard Arlen
• The Virginian (1946 film)