Capitalizing on Darren McGavin's irresistible charm and his success on the small screen, Revue Studios cast him in their new series, Riverboat, which premiered in 1959. Since McGavin was also starring in Mike Hammer at the same time, he became the first actor to simultaneously star in two television series. Co-starring the young and inexperienced Burt Reynolds, the series captured a devout audience but suffered from numerous production problems, including what later became a well-publicized feud between McGavin and Reynolds. After completing thirty-one episodes its first season, Riverboat was renewed (with the costarring role going to Noah Beery, Jr.), but lasted only thirteen more episodes. Now, fifty years later, though never released on video or DVD by Universal Studios, Riverboat maintains a devoted fan base. S.L. Kotar and J.E. Gessler, are webmasters of Darren and Kathie Browne's authorized web site (www.darrenmcgavin.com), and wrote the highest-rated episode in Gunsmoke's twenty-year history.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
McGavin's Riverboat,
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This review is from: Riverboat: The Evolution of a Television Series, 1959-1961 (Paperback)
The authors have once again struck gold! Whether you're a McGavin or Reynolds fan, this book is a must have! The book is a critical analysis of a much loved but little seen series shot on Universal's fabulous backlot. In depth coverage where no one is trivialised. A very good read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything You Ever Wondered About This Series,
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This review is from: Riverboat: The Evolution of a Television Series, 1959-1961 (Paperback)
The Riverboat series held us enthralled for only a season and a half, but it left an indelible impression on its faithful fans. Authors Kotar and Gessler were among those fans and have done extraordinary research to bring us the most complete information about the show ever published. We not only learn about the series from conception to its final breath, but also we're given the inside scoop on the relationships of the people involved, the history of the studio in which the show was filmed, the practical production concerns, a detailed episode guide with mini-bios of the guest stars--in short, everything you've ever wanted to know about Riverboat and its star, Darren McGavin.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book About a Mediocre TV Series,
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This review is from: Riverboat: The Evolution of a Television Series, 1959-1961 (Paperback)
I can't resist buying books about the making of TV shows, even series I never watched or don't care for much, because I always learn something from it. Bear Manor is a small, niche publisher that churns out a lot of these books. The quality of the writing and research on the books is very hit-and-miss, but Bear Manor deserves a lot of credit for even bothering to print them. They're just about the only publisher out there turning out books on obscure, or vintage, TV series at an affordable price (one piece of advice, though, never buy a book about a TV series by James Rosin, you can always count on them to be awful).
I particularly enjoyed Riverboat: The Evolution of a Television Series 1959-1961 by S.L. Kotar and J.E. Gessler, which chronicles the development and very short life span of the western, which starred Darren McGavin (at the same time he was starring in Mike Hammer) and Burt Reynolds. McGavin played the captain of the Enterprise...no, not the starship, but the riverboat...and Reynolds was his pilot. The two characters didn't get along and, as it turned out, neither did the actors. Reynolds was forced out after the first season. Most books of this sort are written by diehard fans and read like the slobbering labors of love that they are. But this one is different. The authors are diehard McGavin fans, and did all this research as part of their website devoted to the actor, and while they admire him, they aren't so wild about the show. They take a very, very critical eye. The show never found its footing conceptually, and an unusually high turn-over of writer-producers seemed to doom it from the start... "The writing, too, was a mixed bag of (over)experienced and novice writers. Most of the episodes were little more than standard Wagon Train plots transported to a riverboat setting. Few particularly stood out as rising above the rest, and as a whole, they failed miserably to create any significant characterization for [McGavin's character] or the crew. [...]nothing rose head-and-shoulders over routine TV fare. Considering the premise, and Darren McGavin, this was disappointing to say the least." And that's the nicest thing they have to say about the series. So you might be asking yourself -- if the show was so mediocre, why write a book about it? And why should I read it? Well, if you are a student of TV as I am (even after writing and producing many TV series myself), it's always fascinating to read about the development, production, and fate of a show. And the authors don't skimp on details. The episodes are analyzed in depth and the authors add interesting asides about production. The book is also chock full of rare, never-before-published production stills. If you are a Riverboat or McGavin fan, you're going to love it.
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