The BEST episodes written by True Boardman
#1 - Dark Challenge
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 2
Carl Hendricks (Victor Jory), with his son Arnie (Chris Robinson) and daughter Jenny (Katharine Ross), buys a local ranch. Trampas is embarrassed when he tries to get Jenny to dance at a local gathering without realizing she has a club foot. He apologizes, they become friends, and he begins setting up Jenny with his shy blacksmith friend Wally (Larry Pennell). Carl is subsequently murdered and Trampas is a suspect although he had no motive. It is left up to Deputy Emmett Ryker to solve the crime.
Watch Now:Amazon
#2 - The Case of the Ancient Romeo
Perry Mason - Season 5 - Episode 28
Perry and Della go out for a night at the theatre to see Perry's actor friend, Steve Brock, perform as Paris in Romeo and Juliet. The lights mysteriously go out during the dueling scene between Romeo and Paris and when the lights are restored the audience is shocked to see that leading man Franz Lachman, playing Romeo, has been stabbed to death. When Steve is accused of the murder Perry decides to have the cast re-enact the final scene that was played before Lachman's death.
Watch Now:Amazon
#3 - Farewell to Honesty
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 27
A deputized Virginian arrives in the very misnamed Honesty, Wyoming looking for Major Ralph Forrester (Richard Carlson) who had defrauded Judge Garth. However, the local judge is in the Major's pocket and, using the excuse that the Virginian is not a full-time deputy, refuses to let the man be taken back to Medicine Bow. While waiting for Deputy Ryker to arrive, the Major is murdered and the Virginian is accused of the crime. Ryker arrives and with help of a local lawyer, John Harrison (Harold Gould), tries to sort out who the murderer is from amongst a number of suspects including the murdered man's wife (Dorothy Green), a former acquaintance of the Virginian who runs the local saloon and was being blackmailed by the dead man (Kathleen Crowley), and the Major's business partner(Douglas Henderson).
Watch Now:Amazon
#4 - The Case of the Lawful Lazarus
Perry Mason - Season 6 - Episode 21
Mason's client: a man declared legally dead.
#5 - Programmed for Danger
Ironside - Season 3 - Episode 10
Several girls connected to the same computer dating agency are attacked, and when it transpires that they all fit the same rough profile, Eve sets herself up as a potential next victim, in order to catch the man responsible.
#6 - A Father for Toby
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 8
At the Medicine Bow orphanage Toby Shea (Kurt Russell) makes up stories about his great father which none of the other boys believe, so he befriends Trampas and tells the other boys Trampas is his father. His real father, Jim Shea (Rory Calhoun), who has been released from prison, tries to find his son but is trailed by two former partners in crime seeking some lost loot. Jim Shea becomes a hand at Shiloh Ranch and manages to keep his identity secret until his former partners and his past catch up with him.
#7 - Return a Stranger
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 10
An old friend of Judge Garth named Charlie Ryan (Leif Erickson) revives the low grade silver Gloria Mine with help from his mining college-trained son Craig (Peter Brown) and a new partner Whit Parsons (Whit Bissell). They fall behind in their payments and may not make quotas specified in their contracts. A desperate Craig begins to alienate the locals including Judge Garth with his tactics to save the mine operations. Things come to a head when local cattle begin to die and contaminated mine water is suspected. This leads to conflict not only between the local ranchers and miners but eventually to conflict between Charlie, his son, and especially their business partner, Whit, who seemingly will stop at nothing to make the mine a success.
#8 - Lost Yesterday
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 20
A man dies due to a gunshot wound but not before he reveals to his sweetheart, Clara Malone (Shirley Knight), that robbery money is hidden near Medicine Bow. Faking suicide to escape the rest of the robbery gang, Clara takes the stage to Medicine Bow along with one other passenger, the Virginian. In a stage accident she is injured and the Virginian takes her to Shiloh Ranch to be nursed by Betsy. Suffering from amnesia, Clara can not recall her past and she and the Virginian begin a romance. However, her past catches up with her when the robbery gang discovers she is still alive.
#9 - Steve Gets an 'A'
My Three Sons - Season 3 - Episode 10
Robbie's big date is scheduled the same weekend he is supposed to writing a term paper. When Mike finds an old essay of Steve's -- graded 'A' -- Robbie copies it and hands it in. When Steve learns of the 'F' that Robbie gets and that it was his paper, he goes to see the teacher and learns that the contents of the paper were plagiarized word for word from a famous text. Steve eats humble pie and tells Robbie the truth why he got the 'F'.
Watch Now:Amazon
#10 - Act of Vengeance
Ironside - Season 8 - Episode 9
A convict awaiting parole hears that his son has been shot dead following a clash with a rival teenage gang. Although eager for vengeance he has another son to think about, and the Chief is determined to keep them both on the straight and narrow, whilst at the same time finding out who really killed the boy.
#11 - A Slight Case of Charity
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 21
Trampas is in Albuquerque to pick up some money on behalf of the cattlemen's association. He encounters and is robbed of some of the money by Charity (Kathryn Hays). She was in love with a man, Byron Prescott (Jerome Courtland), who was forced to jilt her by his wealthy family. Charity is trying to get to Rancho Valdez to sell a ruby ring, a family heirloom which had been given to her by Byron. Although Trampas catches up with Charity, she in turn has been robbed by a local guide, Judd (Warren Oates). They set out after Judd, tailed not only by Byron Prescott, but also by Emmett Ryker who has come looking for the overdue Trampas.
#12 - A Bride for Lars
The Virginian - Season 2 - Episode 28
Lars Holstrum (Peter Whitney) is a middle-aged and wealthy rancher friend of Judge Garth's who is about to marry a 20 year old girl. Lars injures his back and Trampas is given the job of traveling to Laramie to pick up the girl, Katia Swenson (Katherine Crawford). On the return trip the two have a series of misadventures revolving around encounters with local Indians, a group of cowpokes, and a mysterious man who has been trailing them from Laramie.
#13 - The Lady From Witchita
The Virginian - Season 6 - Episode 3
The owner of a ranch next to Shiloh dies leaving his entire estate to a woman who runs a saloon in Wichita. Her and her partner go to Medicine Bow expecting to sell the ranch but she decides to stay on the ranch despite their background.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#14 - A Man of the People
The Virginian - Season 3 - Episode 15
Trouble comes to Medicine Bow in the form of a number of settlers who camp on land they say has been promised to them but that Judge Garth and others traditionally have leased from the government for grazing cattle. The land settlement has been promoted by Congressman Matt Cosgrove (James Dunn) who had read law with the Judge 30 years before. The Judge knows the soil is no good for farming but is told government reports support the reverse. While the Judge and Cosgrove are at odds, Cosgrove's nephew, Army Lt. David O'Mara (Martin West), and Betsy Garth find each other more to their liking.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#15 - Nora
The Virginian - Season 7 - Episode 12
Clay's old sweetheart Nora and her husband a Major in the Army stop at Shiloh. Nora tries to impress everyone with herself and her down to earth husband. She is willing to put others lives on the line to help her husband win a promotion.
#16 - Hannah
The Virginian - Season 9 - Episode 13
After a precocious young girl's father is stricken with a heart attack while traveling on the train he is on, Trampas decides to help the girl find her estranged mother. He has a hard time keeping the girl, Hannah, from trying to do everything by herself. Unfortunately, Hannah's mother has been manipulated by her boyfriend into participating in a bank robbery.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#17 - Girl in the Night
Ironside - Season 1 - Episode 15
Ed falls for a woman that he meets one night in Las Vegas. She promptly disappears in mysterious circumstances, and Ed and the rest of the team try to find out what has happened. Needless to say, nothing is as it first appeared; and the truth, when it eventually unfolds, proves to be tragic.
#18 - With Help from Ulysses
The Virginian - Season 6 - Episode 18
While on a trip Trampas runs into a dog, Ulysses, who leads him to the ailing Joe Keller. Joe asks Trampas to locate his lost niece who is in the town where Trampas is to visit a girl he along with her family. However, Joe does not remember the name or a description of his niece other than the strawberry mark she has on one knee. Complications due to this task severely interrupt Trampas's attempts to see his friend especially when he is caught inspecting multiple knees in his hotel room by her and her family.
#19 - High Stakes
The Virginian - Season 5 - Episode 10
When a friend of The Virginian is killed and the posse won't follow the killer out of the county, The Virginian goes alone. He tracks the killer and a woman involved to a remote outlaw controlled town but can he get them back to the law?
Watch Now:Apple TV#20 - Beloved Outlaw
The Virginian - Season 5 - Episode 11
A wild white stallion draws the attention of Elizabeth who convinces her grandfather to buy it. Against his wishes, she tames and breaks the stallion when Trampas is unable to. Her and the stallion become inseparable but a problem occurs.
#21 - Sue Ann
The Virginian - Season 5 - Episode 16
Sue Ann McCrae (Patty Duke) lives on a small farmstead with her widower father (Edward Binns), her two younger brothers, and hand Joe Stevens (Paul Carr). Joe wants to marry her but she feels trapped and one night runs off. She hails a stage driven by Mr. Tait (Roy Barcroft) and on it meets Trampas and tells him she is going to San Francisco. Arriving in Medicine Bow, Trampas gets her a room at Mrs. Crandall's (Rita Lynn) boarding house. Meanwhile, Joe and Pa McCrae search for Sue Ann and learn from Tait that she went to Medicine Bow and that she was with a Shiloh hand, Trampas. They arrive at Shiloh and Trampas takes them to the boarding house. Sue Ann confesses to them that she wants to see life and live it and do things outside the farm routine and that she is going to get a job to raise money to go to San Francisco. She volunteers to come back to the farm but her father says he will give her a chance to spread her wings but she is always welcome to return. Joe wants to stick around
#22 - Doctor Pat
The Virginian - Season 5 - Episode 23
Dr. Spaulding decides to hire another doctor to help share the load but he is unsure whether the attractive female doctor he is sent will work out. The Virginian takes a strong interest in her and her problems as she tries to adapt.
#23 - Cassie
Bonanza - Season 13 - Episode 6
To help the hapless wife and daughter of a lazy dreamer, Hoss arranges a "fixed" horse race.
#24 - The Strange Quest of Claire Bingham
The Virginian - Season 5 - Episode 29
A nurse comes to Medicine Bow so see if an outlaw Ryker captured might be her brother as they were both orphaned at an early age. When he escapes and is shot, he uses her feelings to get help as Ryker who is attracted to her purses him.