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arrests an assault victim (Hoke Howell) then begins enforcing the City
Ordinances to the extreme (and arresting half the town in the process). When Nichols returns, he discovers the townsfolk are in hiding and a pair of strangers renting his room. Ma Ketcham asks Nichols to fire Ketcham, but Ketcham won't go (as he likes the job too much). When Ruth (Margot Kidder) realizes that the two strangers are actually bank robbers, Nichols hatches a plan to capture them and get Ketcham to quit.
560:. Jim administered justice in a somewhat more conventional (and it was hoped, popular) Western fashion, was offered the job of sheriff by Ma Ketcham, then rode out of town on a motorcycle, saying he expected he might come back sometime. This solution made recasting and retitling the program unnecessary while allowing for considerable changes, and leaving the door open for a second season. However this episode proved to be the final one; before it aired NBC cancelled the series,
470:, is constantly butting heads with Nichols. The role of Ketcham was greatly reduced after the first few episodes. Toward the end of the first season, Beck, still a series regular, appeared in two episodes in the completely unrelated role of Orv, who gets Nichols into trouble with his schemes. In effect, Beck was playing a double role, but only Nichols and Mitch mention his resemblance to Ketcham in the first of the two episodes.
31:
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Mitch (Stuart
Margolin) breaks his leg and Ma Ketcham forces Nichols to deputize Ketcham (John Beck) despite objections from both Nichols and Ketcham. When Nichols leaves town, to do business in Yuma, Ketcham is left in charge with disastrous results. Going from incompetent to incorrigible, he first
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was one of his favorite roles. In the interview he indicated that the failure of the show was due to a presentation of the show to executives at
Chevrolet. The car company had originally offered to sponsor the show in full but, after the screening of the pilot, a wife of one of the executives
450:
After 18 years in the army, Nichols decides to quit after the introduction of a new, deadlier type of machine gun. He comes back to the town founded by his family to learn that it has been taken over by another family, the
Ketchams. At the end of the pilot episode, matriarch Ma Ketcham
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in
October 1971 to capitalize on the star's popularity. The low ratings also resulted in the decision by the program's producers to kill off the title character in the final episode to retool the series. The unarmed Nichols was shot down, to be avenged by his
584:, the popular series that Garner starred in from 1957 to 1961. As a result, Chevrolet indicated they would only sponsor half the show forcing Garner, Warner and NBC to hunt for other sponsors in a very competitive market.
534:, then winding up having to replace the reluctant giant and fight the boxer himself. The primary difference between the two fights was that Garner, now more than a dozen years older, wore a nightshirt while boxing in the
521:
Garner wore three different hats in the main with his costumes during the course of the series: a cavalry hat, a striped cap for riding motorcycles, and finally an approximate duplicate of his black cowboy
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had better ratings than any show launched the following season on NBC and that the ratings for the series steadily improved which gave Garner, Warner and his producers hope that the show would be renewed.
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Although
Nichols' first name was never spoken aloud, his army induction papers, seen in the opening moments of the pilot episode, gave "Frank" as his first name (also the first name of series creator
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the earlier episodes in the summer of 1972. (One previously pre-empted episode featuring the original
Nichols was also run in the summer.) Garner offered an alternate version in his
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was telecast on NBC on
November 18, 1971, instead of the originally scheduled episode "Away the Rolling River." "Bertha" was the last episode in the program's Thursday time slot.
415:
differed from traditional
Western series. The time period was 1914, at the beginning of the motorized era and well after the decline of the "Old West". The main character, a
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interview, stating that once the series was canceled, Garner insisted on killing the lead character in the series' last episode so that there could never be a revival.
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rather than on the traditional horse. Nichols did not carry a firearm and was generally opposed to the use of violence to solve problems, preferring other means.
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Nichols into serving as the town sheriff, a position which carries little actual authority but considerable danger. Nichols' personal concern is not usually
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1451:"Nichols DVD news: Announcement for Nichols - The Complete Series,' Starring James Garner and Margot Kidder, on DVD - TVShowsOnDVD.com"
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489:). is assigned to be Nichols' deputy, either in spite of or because he is none too bright, none too honest and something of a
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brother, Jim
Nichols (also portrayed by Garner), who arrived in town with precisely the same haircut and sideburns but
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episode "Stampede," with Garner trying to persuade a genial animal-loving giant into fighting a professional in a
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to the role of producer for the series. She would continue to work as a producer for Garner's
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release, available exclusively in the US and only through Warner's online store.
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Barbara Collentine as Charlotte, the telegraph operator (6 episodes)
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that Garner had worked with Warner Bros. After suing Warner over
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Ma Ketcham's oldest son, known simply as "Ketcham" and played by
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1473:
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
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in Germany in the early 1980s. "Nichols" was also broadcast in
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but rather finding a way to get rich with very little effort.
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When interviewed for Emmy TV Legends, Garner indicated that
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as Bertha, owner of a rival tavern to Salter's (2 episodes)
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John Harding as Salter, owner of Salter's Bar (10 episodes)
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Garner said that, despite the low ratings of the series,
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Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
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1316:* The 10th episode titled "Bertha" with guest star
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411:. Set in the fictional town of Nichols, Arizona,
403:. It was first broadcast in the United States on
750:as Johnson, a con artist and thief (3 episodes)
631:and screenplay writer of the Garner TV-movie
8:
477:(who would later team with Garner again on
1384:Garner, James; Winokur, Jon (2012-10-23).
821:, after seeing a demonstration of the new
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599:, his frequent co-star on this series and
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702:James Lee Reeves as Fearless (8 episodes)
667:James Garner as Frank Nichols/Jim Nichols
744:as Perkins, the town banker (4 episodes)
1543:1970s Western (genre) television series
1523:1972 American television series endings
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1390:. Simon and Schuster. pp. 67–68.
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35:James Garner in title card screenshot
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1066:"The One Eyed Mule's Time Has Come"
605:, while watching an episode of the
1357:American Forces Network Television
708:as Luis (7 episodes, 3 uncredited)
541:The series did not do well in the
16:American Western television series
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825:, and returns to his hometown of
691:as Deputy Sheriff Mitch Mitchell
1538:Television shows set in Arizona
714:as Gabe McCutcheon (6 episodes)
1470:Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle,
1421:Archive of American Television
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566:Archive of American Television
419:also named Nichols, rode on a
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1:
1336:on DVD in Region 1 via their
723:as Doc Bernstein (5 episodes)
615:. He also promoted his agent
1334:Nichols: The Complete Series
888:September 30, 1971
845:September 23, 1971
790:September 16, 1971
647:The Americanization of Emily
508:marked the first time since
493:. Nichols' girlfriend Ruth (
1267:February 29, 1972
1249:February 22, 1972
1231:February 15, 1972
1123:December 28, 1971
1087:November 30, 1971
1069:November 22, 1971
1051:November 18, 1971
1033:November 11, 1971
637:, also began her career on
558:wearing a vigorous mustache
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1387:The Garner Files: A Memoir
1213:February 8, 1972
1195:February 1, 1972
1177:January 18, 1972
1159:January 11, 1972
1105:December 7, 1971
1015:November 4, 1971
1012:"Peanuts and Crackerjacks"
997:October 28, 1971
979:October 21, 1971
961:October 14, 1971
872:) comes to town, with his
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1282:"Wonder Fizz Flies Again"
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1084:"Where Did Everybody Go?"
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397:Western television series
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1303:March 14, 1972
1102:"Away the Rolling River"
916:), comes to town with a
729:as Thatcher (5 episodes)
435:, a barmaid named Ruth.
1328:On September 10, 2013,
1285:March 7, 1972
548:James Garner as Nichols
392:James Garner as Nichols
321:Warner Bros. Television
46:James Garner as Nichols
1246:"Fight of the Century"
923:for the Ketchum Ranch.
695:Recurring characters:
627:, frequent writer for
381:
1528:NBC television dramas
1440:contemporaneous notes
1342:manufacture-on-demand
1174:"The Unholy Alliance"
738:as Niles (4 episodes)
371:
1228:"About Jessie James"
823:Browning machine gun
679:as Sara "Ma" Ketcham
612:Love, American Style
1300:"All in the Family"
1210:"Wings of an Angel"
1120:"The Marrying Fool"
736:William Christopher
650:(1963), written by
93:Theodore J. Flicker
1264:"Man's Best Enemy"
958:"Gulley vs Hansen"
921:Federal Land Grant
885:"The Indian Giver"
629:The Rockford Files
621:The Rockford Files
602:The Rockford Files
595:Garner discovered
480:The Rockford Files
382:
345:September 16, 1971
317:Production company
312:60 mins. (approx.)
285:Executive producer
124:Benjamin Masselink
108:James L. Henderson
1397:978-1-4516-4261-2
1355:was broadcast on
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1192:"Sleight of Hand"
994:"The Specialists"
870:Ricardo Montalban
861:Diego Alcazar, a
779:Original air date
501:Behind-the-scenes
395:) is an American
366:
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250:Original language
242:Country of origin
137:Shimon Wincelberg
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1457:. Archived from
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727:Richard Bull
706:Luis Delgado
694:
655:
645:
643:
638:
632:
628:
620:
610:
600:
594:
588:
586:
581:
577:
572:
570:
547:
546:
540:
535:
532:boxing match
527:
523:
520:
515:
509:
505:
504:
484:
478:
472:
465:
449:
437:
412:
401:James Garner
391:
390:
385:
384:
383:
374:James Garner
309:Running time
208:James Garner
174:Jeremy Kagan
170:Danny Haller
141:William Wood
117:George Kirgo
85:Gene L. Coon
45:
44:
22:
1348:Syndication
1156:"Zachariah"
1138:"Eddie Joe"
842:"The Siege"
431:played his
407:during the
304:Lamar Boren
272:of episodes
179:Gerd Oswald
161:Paul Bogart
156:John Badham
149:Directed by
100:Bud Freeman
89:Jack Curtis
1512:Categories
1371:References
1324:Home media
1307:1972-03-14
1289:1972-03-07
1271:1972-02-29
1253:1972-02-22
1235:1972-02-15
1217:1972-02-08
1199:1972-02-01
1181:1972-01-18
1163:1972-01-11
1145:1972-01-04
1127:1971-12-28
1109:1971-12-07
1091:1971-11-30
1073:1971-11-22
1055:1971-11-18
1037:1971-11-11
1019:1971-11-04
1001:1971-10-28
983:1971-10-21
965:1971-10-14
939:1971-10-07
892:1971-09-30
849:1971-09-23
812:commission
794:1971-09-16
623:as well.
457:blackmails
425:automobile
423:and in an
421:motorcycle
359:1972-03-14
349:1971-09-16
280:Production
261:of seasons
166:Ivan Dixon
73:Written by
63:Created by
1417:"Nichols"
1367:network.
1332:released
905:educated
903:Princeton
814:from the
806:Nichols (
787:"Nichols"
683:John Beck
607:anthology
562:rerunning
538:version.
468:John Beck
399:starring
130:Sam Roeca
1048:"Bertha"
761:Episodes
582:Maverick
580:was not
528:Maverick
524:Maverick
516:Maverick
511:Maverick
293:Producer
232:Composer
201:Starring
121:Ken Kolb
1498:Nichols
1487:Nichols
1353:Nichols
1305: (
1287: (
1269: (
1251: (
1233: (
1215: (
1197: (
1179: (
1161: (
1143: (
1125: (
1107: (
1089: (
1071: (
1053: (
1035: (
1017: (
999: (
981: (
963: (
937: (
890: (
866:Bandito
863:Mexican
847: (
831:Arizona
827:Nichols
819:Cavalry
792: (
673:as Ruth
656:Nichols
639:Nichols
589:Nichols
578:Nichols
573:Nichols
543:ratings
536:Nichols
506:Nichols
446:Premise
417:sheriff
413:Nichols
386:Nichols
357: (
353: –
347: (
342:Release
332:Network
253:English
57:Western
23:Nichols
1394:
910:Indian
907:Apache
773:season
1365:GetTV
776:Title
491:bully
53:Genre
1492:IMDb
1392:ISBN
1361:Iran
918:U.S.
859:Col.
816:U.S.
662:Cast
483:and
376:and
1501:at
1490:at
804:Lt.
769:No.
442:).
405:NBC
336:NBC
270:No.
259:No.
1514::
1453:.
1429:^
1419:.
1406:^
1297:24
1279:23
1261:22
1243:21
1225:20
1207:19
1189:18
1171:17
1153:16
1135:15
1117:14
1099:13
1081:12
1063:11
1045:10
829:,
771:in
641:.
455:)
275:24
1423:.
1400:.
1309:)
1291:)
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1255:)
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1201:)
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1129:)
1111:)
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1075:)
1057:)
1039:)
1027:9
1021:)
1009:8
1003:)
991:7
985:)
973:6
967:)
955:5
941:)
929:4
912:(
894:)
882:3
868:(
851:)
839:2
796:)
784:1
451:(
361:)
351:)
264:1
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