7.9/10
200
23 user 3 critic

Nichols 

| Western | TV Series (1971–1972)
Episode Guide
24 episodes
Nichols Poster
In 1914, Nichols, a soldier, sick of killing, returns to his Arizona hometown, named after his family, and is strong-armed into serving as Sheriff by the Ketcham clan, who run the area. ... See full summary »

Creator:

Frank Pierson

Stars:

James Garner, Margot Kidder, Neva Patterson | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

Episodes

Seasons

Years


1  
1972   1971  

Photos

See all 45 photos »
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Edit

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
James Garner ...  Sheriff Frank Nichols 24 episodes, 1971-1972
Margot Kidder ...  Ruth 24 episodes, 1971-1972
Neva Patterson ...  Ma Ketcham / ... 24 episodes, 1971-1972
John Beck ...  Ketcham / ... 24 episodes, 1971-1972
Stuart Margolin ...  Mitch / ... 24 episodes, 1971-1972
John Harding John Harding ...  Salter 10 episodes, 1971-1972
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

In 1914, Nichols, a soldier, sick of killing, returns to his Arizona hometown, named after his family, and is strong-armed into serving as Sheriff by the Ketcham clan, who run the area. Nichols, who doesn't believe in toting a gun, scoots around via a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The Ketchams install as Deputy their relative, Mitch Mitchell. The nasty Deputy has a dog named Slump, and Mitchell is very dumb. A business-savvy local gal has an undefined relationship with Nichols, but it's obvious there's lots of action in the back rooms of her saloon. The strict moral lines of traditional Westerns are absent in this very Vietnam War era show's view of the Old West's dying days: the Ketchams aren't all bad, and little-respected Sheriff Nichols wouldn't mind ripping off the town to head for Mexico. Written by David Stevens

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

arizona territory | arizona desert | character name as series title | one word series title | surname as series title | See All (9) »

Genres:

Western

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 1971 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

James Garner as Nichols See more »

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cherokee Productions, Warner Bros. Television See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(23 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

James Garner claims that the show was cancelled after one season, because the wife of a Chevrolet executive (Chevrolet being the main sponsor of the series) saw an episode and said, "Well, this isn't Maverick", and Garner claims that the sponsors were expecting the show to be just another Maverick with a new can of paint slapped on it. The show took place in the early twentieth century, which was the end of the Old West and of course Maverick the show that brought Garner his fame took place in the Old West, and that is what they were expecting. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: James Garner/Bruce Dern/Terry Galanoy (1972) See more »

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User Reviews

Loved the theme music, too!
4 January 2005 | by mmiscione – See all my reviews

I, too, loved this show as a kid, but as other posters have written, no one else seems to remember it. Its setting -- an Arizona town at the twilight of the wild west era, but before the First World War -- was one reason that made it so compelling. Another was the odd horn solo theme music that I could still hum decades after the last time I heard it. A couple of years ago I managed to track down a recording of the tune from an online guy who specializes in old TV show themes. He was not familiar with the show or its music until I asked him to find it. He later told me that a few episodes had recently aired on TV Land or some other nostalgia TV channel. Years after Nichols was canceled, I read or heard somewhere that it was James Garner's favorite show. Go figure.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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