User Reviews

This formed part of my college years throughout the mid to late 90s. I remember it well, it formed part of my epic Thursday nights after college. I would go footy training and then either see the GF or go down the pub with my mates. I would come home and put this on, I think it started at 11.30pm or even midnight. Ensleigh league footy showed followed about 1am ish.

Let's get one thing straight, this came at a time of my life when everything was great. I had no worries or stress. The biggest problem was how I would afford to go out at the weekend!

This show was fun to watch, it has some cool people in some martial arts and a cheesy storyline. What more could you want at 16/17 late on a Thursday night back in the 90's?!

The good old days.

Lorenzo Lamas was a good actor for an action series about a motorcyclist bounty hunter. In some ways, Renegade was a lot like Wanted: Dead or Alive, the TV series from the 1950s with Steve McQueen. McQueen hunted bounties with his horse, Lamas used his motorcycle.

Lamas had great chemistry with co-star Kathleen Kinmont, who played Cheyenne Phillips. If more of the show had been spent on their teamwork and bounty hunting, it would have been a lot better. Lamas was pretty low-key, so he worked well with the guest stars and he was reliable in his role as fugitive bounty hunter.

Unfortunately, Branscombe Richmond had a large part in the show, and he was totally obnoxious and annoying. "Bobby Sixkiller" played the owner of the bounty hunting business, and he would frequently show up to tell Reno Raines (Lamas) about how rich and successful he was. Bobby Sixkiller never stops yapping about himself. His character was pretty useless. The show would have been better without him.

Stephen Canell, the big-shot writer of many famous TV series, played the main villain, and he was a really cheesy villain. This was an ego trip for him, since he was not an actor, but because it was his show (and he was the writer), he could push himself into the cast. This was another reason that Renegade did not succeed.

Lorenzo Lamas played his part as a fugitive motor cycling bounty hunter very well. It could have been a pretty good TV show. It had a lot of fun moments and good action.

A policeman is forced to go into hiding after being wrongfully accused of murder by corrupt cops. During his journey on a motorcycle, he will help many people and get many others arrested. The series is not bad and follows the myth of the lone cowboy who arrives in a small town, confronts the villain and then leaves riding towards the horizon. There is even the Indian friend who helps him, in this case in the role of the bounty hunter who gives him a job.

OK, it seems everybody here is blasting this show for it's cheesy tissue-thin plots, mediocre acting and repetitive stunts.

So what? You have to recognize this for what it is: A clear modern-day retelling of that most famous of all western TV series...the 'Lone Ranger'!

That's right, in case you are one of the few to have watched this show and not figured that out right away, its the 'Lone Ranger' all over again.

Star Lorenzo Lamas as the title-character 'Reno Raines' is even an ex Army Ranger!

Instead of being ambushed by Butch Cavendish and being the 'lone' survivor of his Texas Ranger team, forever hunted by Cavendish as he goes about his business looking to bring the nasty Cavendish to justice, good-guy cop Reno Raines' wife (girlfriend?) is murdered by Dutch Dixon, and evil cop who was not successful in trying to kill Reno and everyone he loved.

And just as the 'Lone Ranger' had his trusty Indian side-kick 'Tonto', Reno also pals around with his trusty Indian side-kick 'Bobby Sixkiller'.

Whereas John Ried (The Lone Ranger) had as his faithful steed 'Silver', his powerful huge white horse, Reno too travels through the 'Badlands' on his trusted 'Steel Horse', an '89 Harley Davidson 'Soft Tail', mildly customized with a classic and typical flamed paint job on the tank, and a weathered,well used look about it. No shiny, pristine 'boulevard cruiser' this bike!

In fact, not only was the Bon Jovi mega-hit 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' the inspiration for this show, the original 3-minute film used to sell the series to prospective syndication customers across the nation was accompanied by the complete song as it's soundtrack. Clearly, it worked well, and captured the spirit of the intended series perfectly, for the resultant series is remarkably unchanged from the 'short' that sold it.

Lamas' wife (at the time) Kathleen Kinmont was added to the cast as Sixkillers Caucasian half-sister, not a bad eye-candy diversion for those who appreciate such things.

As corny and simplistic as the show was, it is clear everyone involved had a true affection for the project and turned in serious performances of clearly light-weight and silly material. This only tends to add to its already somewhat charming appeal.

Lamas so closely fit the role of 'Reno', that if he truly was not exactly that character in his real life, he obviously had some real fantasies of being that character. He fit the role like a glove.

Remember, its not a documentary. Just enjoy it for what it is: An hour-long diversion with a cool bike, a couple other cool cars, some good-looking heroic people doing heroic things, and a clear 'good vs evil' plot line.

Enjoy!

I cut the cable and now watch whatever is over the air broadcast. A lot of older shows on MeTV,, H&I, etc. I had not watched this in first run and had low expectations but it is pretty entertaining. A bit cheesy at times, but good. Reminds me of some of the old USA shows I really liked.

Lorenzo really puts a lot of effort into acting in this show. If you've ever seen anyone acting this hard, you'd remember it. This show is why you don't see him on anything anymore, cause he's "acted out". He left everything on the set! Each grimace and flashback pushes his envelope to act even harder, until he's just plain Acted out!

While I understand the appeal of escapist television, I never understood the fact that this show was ever aired. Utter tripe. Rubbish. A show that prompted bowel movements of such severity that the the sewage pipes cried "NO MORE RENEGADE....LAMAS IS KILLING ME !" Cannell really went downhill after his brilliant Rockford Files. It amazes me that the same human being could create both. Was he slumming ? Was this an attempt to appeal to those people in Spittle County, Arkansas who preferred Barnaby to Jimbo ? Who knows. Lamas is a pathetic actor and the dude that played his sidekick was even worse. This makes Quinn Martin Productions seem like works of Shakespeare.

'Renegade' belongs to the classic series, a original story that is well carried out by fine actors who really are fit to do so, Reno Raines/ aka Vince Black is a great character, always looking for justice with his own unique style...

This series really represents something, it's a pity it's so hard to come by these days, it's certainly under-valued, it's actually a great series, but the most people doesn't realize that.

Over here in The Netherlands 'Renegade' was on TV for only a short while, but it has appealed many people here...

There is only one thing i don't like about this series, Reno's deep voice is getting one-sided after some time if you mix it with that overdone good and bad talk of him (example):'Yeah, but we must get the bastard, i can't allow that he gets away with this, we must stop him' (really deep voice)

But that's the only thing i can think of, besides that, it's a real cool series, the way he escapes again and again and the way he figures things out and takes matters into his own hands, is great too watch.

Renegade has good stories, but all of them fit into the overall story. the action is well worth watching, if there was a 'Renegade' Box that i could buy here i would buy it instantly.

I give it a 8 out of 10 star rating for it and that is entirely justified, no matter what others say...

Stephen J. Cannell is my favorite show creator. He is probably the only show creator I know the name of.

I never watched Renegade during its run. I did not hear of the show until about a year ago.

I like the characters Reno and bobby. Its exciting to see what they end up doing on each episode. I like that they are bounty hunters.

Stephen J Cannel is good as dutch Dixon. He is a great actor in addition to being a great writer.

I was thinking do I like watching a fictional show about bounty hunters rather than watching a reality show about bounty hunters like dog the bounty hunter. I like renegade better.

Most every episode is entertaining.

Fernando Lamas is wooden, the opening is badly done soft-core porn, nobody is exciting in his or her role. I do not know exactly why I watched fifteen minutes of this tripe, but suddenly, a quarter of the way into the first episode, Bobby Sixkiller (Branscombe Richmond) appears and steals the entire show. If I ever watch again, it will only be to watch him.

Everybody talks too much on this show and says absolutely nothing, but Bobby enlivens the show with flair and chutzpah. Just the energy the show lacks up to the moment he turns around in his swivel chair. He is the only actor really enjoying himself, and so I began enjoying myself, too.

I used to love watching Renegade on late night television in the 90's. Renegade starring Lorenzo Lamas, Branscombe Richmond, and Kathleen Kimont (Seasons 1-4) was a show about an innocent cop named Reno Raines, who was forced to go on the run when he turned over evidence regarding some crook cops in Bay City, California (Bay City doesn't actually exist in real life).

After being captured by talented and brash bounty hunter, Bobby Sixkiller, Bobby soon realizes Reno is innocent and Reno is hired by Sixkiller to take down many fugitives on the run. During this time, Reno with the help of Sixkiller and his half-sister, Cheyenne tries to clear his innocent name.

The show is fun and action paced, and it is fun watching Lamas show his real-life extensive knowledge of martial arts throughout the series. The show contains funny dialogue at times, but some of the story lines are downright compelling.

The show also features its creator, Stephen J.Cannell, in a recurring role is number one bad guy and dirty cop, Dutch Dixon. Cannell is a surprisingly good actor and has the uncanny ability to tick you off with his smugness.

Most fans will also grow to love the character of Bobby Sixkiller. While Sixkiller definitely loves money, he has a heart of gold and often sticks his neck out for his friend, Reno Raines.

The first three seasons of Renegade are especially good. The fourth season is more of a mixed bag with some episodes really good, while some episodes seem to focus more on the silly. By the middle of the fourth season, we no longer see Kathleen Kimont on the show at all. Her character was featured heavily the first season of Renegade and then she began appearing less and less (In truth, Kimont was married to Lamas but got a divorce after the first season. Her role began to lessen from that point forward).

The fifth season of Renegade showed a show running out of ideas. The story lines were less compelling though it still had its moments. The first four seasons of Renegade were syndicated through hundreds of stations and the fifth season became exclusive to the USA Network. It was a surprise when USA cancelled Renegade after the fifth season because though the show was starting to show its age, it definitely had another season or two left in.

I cringe when people claim this show was cheesy. It did have some elements of that, but the show was a good watch and fun. In a day and age of nothing but CSI shows and reality television, it is nice to actually be able to watch something that is just flat out fun.

Never even heard of this show when it was on originally. I guess I was busy raising two boys and didn't watch TV much. I've only discovered it recently on H & I because I don't have cable. It has to be one of the worst shows ever. The Storylines, acting, stunts - all of it is just cheesy. I think it was made for teenage boys.

However watching Lorenzo Lamas in his younger days makes it worthwhile.

From Stephan J Cannell, creator of shows like The A Team and Greatest American Hero, comes Renegade. Cannell is widely experienced in TV, with countless production credits and many creative credits too. Renegade is a good standard action series, with decent production values and has a simple premise, and is easy to get into. It's not too fantastical for those who never got into shows like Buffy or Xena, it's just good repetitious fun like A-Team, Incredible Hulk and Knight Rider. You have a scenario that is always repeated. In Renegade, Lorenzo Lamas is a bounty hunter and ex-cop on the run from the law. He was set up by his old boss, his wife shot and left for dead, and Lorenzo was framed for the murder of a cop. Now he must get try to prove his innocence but for the time being he collects bounty's to pay for the hospital bills for is vegetative girl, who is only alive through life support, she will never regain consciousness. So each episode follows the pattern of Lorenzo collecting bounties, coming into contact with people who aren't what the seem. It is not a cohesive show running on an interconnected story like say 24, there is no real continuity, except mentions back to the hospitalised bird, so if you watch episode 6 before 3 for example it's not going to cause problems. It's a new story for each episode entirely separate from the last, like David Banner or the A -Team who roam place to place, Reno Raines is also a drifter moving through the USA helping people.

This show was very successful, in fact one of Cannell's most successful, and although not as iconic or worldwide famous as A- Team, it actually ran longer. The show had a 5 year run which isn't bad going in this day and age, where a second season is almost a godsend for some network shows. Renegade is a well made action series. Each episode will treat you to some action, while the acting is quite good. Lorenzo makes a good lead. He has a movie star quality and it is a surprise that he has never made it bigger in the movie world, particularly as an action star. He has more acting ability than many fellow action men, yet of course starring in low budget Z-movies doesn't have the same inspiration as he got from his hit shows like Renegade, Falcon Crest and currently with The Bold and The Beautiful. Lamas after all is a Golden Globe nominee. Lamas is of course a capable action man with his martial arts background, and most who have seen his shows or movies will know, he loves to pose for the camera, and clearly loves himself, he has a cocky, showy air of the Hoff (Dave Hasselhoff!) about him. Branscombe Richmond offers excellent support as Lama's helper Bobby Sixkiller, while Kathleen Kinmont is stunning to behold. She really is fine, and the show takes delight in milking that fact with her wearing an array of revealing outfits.

Overall a good show that from the episodes I have seen is blessed with some capable guest stars and proudly allows Lamas and is perfect pantene hair to get into many a good scrape.

A lot of viewers refer to this series as escapist entertainment, I watch it and it comes across super weak on action and story. The acting is so bad I cringe when I watch it. It's so bad it's laughable at times. Best thing about this is Mike Posts' theme music.

This show came out when there were a lot of first run syndicated programs. I thought the writing and plots of the show were good enough to watch to week after week. Yeah, it had a couple of cheesy moments, but what do you expect from a show that doesn't have the budget of network shows? I remember them shooting in San Diego, CA. They even came to Southwestern College (a school I was attending at the time) to shoot some scenes.

Anyways, if you're an open minded person, and can overlook some "moments" and try to take in the plots of episodes, then you can enjoy this show.

If you're a big time nitpicker and that's all you do, then stay away from it and leave it alone.

Being a big fan of such of such classics as Knight Rider, The A-Team and Magnum, I would like anyone who has not ever seen this series to know that it is great! At the time of writing this, "Renegade" only appears to have one review and it is not a good one? Watch for yourself before believing any negative reviews of this series. This is the first ever Region 1 DVD that I've had to import to the UK as it's that good! Buy it now! Lorenzo Lamas is a brilliant actor and superb martial artist. The only problem this series ever had was lack of exposure which probably killed it off much the same way as "Tropical Heat". Think of it as a modern day Knight Rider but without the Sci-Fi of KITT and a hero who is one of the best fighters ever. Combine that with the constant threat of police capture (much like the A-Team) and you have "Renegade". Another absolutely classic series by Stephen J Cannell.

(In deepest voice possible) "He was a cop, and good at his job, but he committed the ultimate sin and testified against other cops (gone bad). Cops that tried to kill him, but got the woman he loved instead. Framed for murder, now he prowls the badlands, an outlaw hunting outlaws, a bounty hunter - a renegade".

This is cheese of the highest order - it has a native American (Bobby Six-Killer!?!) driving a Hummer, fit birds, and the main character with his Michael-Bolton-esque hair cut.

This program is much watch TV - any program set in "The Badlands" has to be seen to be believed.

Warning - DO NOT WATCH THIS PROGRAM SOBER

Renegade is one of the great precursors to the golden age of television that we experience today. The tragic story about Reno Raines and his friends is a dark story about the inner darkness of man, but also shows the capacity for goodness humanity has. Much of the credit goes to Lorenzo Lamas in the lead role. He's a tour de force as Reno Raines and makes the audience emphasize with a character many great actors would fail to portray. The series isn't without flaws though. Sometimes the themes lack the subtlety you could wish for and the themes often get's an almost preachy vibe. This make's my score of the show a couple of notches lower, but make no mistake. This is an excellent show that everyone should watch and enjoy. In summary....WATCH THIS SHOW

"He was a cop, and good at his job. But then he committed the ultimate sin and testified against other cops - gone bad. Cops who tried to kill him, but got the woman he loved instead. Framed for murder, now he prowls the badlands. An outlaw hunting outlaws, a bounty hunter - a RENEGADE!"

I remember watching this as a series when I was younger and noted that it was created by the same person who created the A-Team. It's different from the A-Team and aimed at a more mature audience. People get shot, die and the plot is a lot grittier.

The action scenes are a lot better than the A-Team. For one thing, there are real fire fights in which people get shot, the fights are choreographed much better since Lorenzo Lamas is a very good martial artist and there aren't silly one-liners to spoil them. In the A-Team all we got were punch ups that were obviously fake.

The characters are well developed. Bobby Sixkiller's character is explored in many episodes and I came to like him a lot. Cheyenne became superfluous towards the latter half of the show's run and I think removing her from the cast improved the show. Series creator Stephen J. Cannell played the series' antagonist Dutch Dixon and one can see that he really enjoyed playing him. The character is completely amoral with no sense of good in him at all and it's sometimes funny how he always seems to choose to do the most evil thing possible in any situation. I'd say that the episodes with him in are the best as he's played very enthusiastically by Cannell. Reno Raines on the other hand is completely moral and it seems impossible for him to do anything wrong, even when it would be in his benefit. Dixon and Raines were good opposites and the show benefited from this contrast.

The plots in the non-Dixon episodes are pretty much either Reno (Lamas' character) chasing evil villains who turn out really to be evil after all or episodes in which the people Reno chases are actually innocent (like him) and Reno and the gang trying to prove their innocence. There is a good mix of different criminals: rapists, murderers, mafia, terrorists, thieves, white collar etc and the criminal mind is explored a lot with a few plot twists thrown in for good measure.

The complaints I had of the show were that sometimes the episodes were padded out with scenes of Reno riding his motorcycle with shots of his face, legs, the wheels etc being flipped to back and forth. The scenery was nice on the show so it wasn't that bad to watch this episode padding-out so to speak. The other complaint I have is that the show's extras were composed mainly of people who looked like supermodels. During the episodes we were treated to shots of half-naked beautiful women and while most would see this as a plus, I thought it made the show look cheap. Anyway, these complaints are small compared to how much I enjoyed the show. The action of the show is superb and I watch with anticipation every time Reno or Bobby are fighting villains.

There are a few plot holes such as why Dixon finds it so hard to catch Reno even when he's promoted to U.S. Marshal and that Reno is always hanging around Sixkiller Enterprises so he must be easy to find; but it's easy to ignore these minor details and enjoy the show for its many good points.

I remember when Renegade first came out back in 1992, the opening narration went something like this, "He was cop and pretty good at his job. But then he committed the ultimate sin and testified against other cops gone bad. Framed for murder, they got the woman he loved. Now he's on the run, a bounty hunter, a RENEGADE". F*ck man, back in 1992 I had a hard time keeping a straight face listening to something as stupid as that. This show was created by Stephen J. Cannell, who usually creates the best action/comedy/police shows around. Cannell is an Emmy award winning writer that has written many spectacular cop shows like The Rockford Files, Wiseguy, and The Commish. Cannell has also created some wildly imaginative TV shows like The Greatest American Hero and The A-Team.

But Renegade was a Cannell miss in my opinion. The plot was basically just a retread of The A-Team. But instead of 4 Vietnam vets on the run from the law for a crime they didn't commit, we get one guy this time in Reno Raines. Reno is framed for a murder he didn't commit and is also on the run from the law and a corrupt cop named Dutch Dixon, played very badly by Stephen J. Cannell. Dixon is a total ham. Reno Raines is constantly on the run, but somehow he still has time to help out every single small town goober he runs into. The problem I had with Renegade is that I couldn't figure out if Steve Cannell was serious or not with this show and it's over the top plots and campy action sequences. With the A-Team, at least we always knew not to take any of that stuff seriously. That show had it's tongue firmly in it's cheek. But Renegade is written and acted in the most DEAD SERIOUS way and it just comes across as totally retarded.

Let's say you're a wanted man with a bounty on your head. Are you going to ride around on a big ass Harley Davidson bike, complete with long hair and a black trenchcoat? AND hang around a big long haired Native American with a name like Bobby Sixkiller? Oh yes, I'm sure no one will ever be able to ID you. Yes I know there is a Lone Ranger motif going on here, as there is with all Stephen J. Cannell shows, but this was just way too much. It wasn't subtle, but instead pounded you over the head with a sledgehammer. Reno also used the alias Vince Black ALL THE FREAKING TIME!! This was just totally crazy sh*t. Only a moron that was wanted from the law would act like Reno Raines. Another thing about Dutch Dixon....Mr. Cannell, Col. Decker was a far better antagonist for the A-Team. Hey Cannell, stick to writing better scripts and novels then Renegade. And please for the love of God Steve, don't ever try to act again.

I remember watching this on TV in 93 to 97 and loved it then and love it more now.It takes me back to a better time in my life. The show had great music, scenery, bikes, chicks, Hummer H1, great story lines and Dutch Dixon. The acting was subpar, but who cares? The bike and Bobby Sixkiller make up for that! Lorenzo played the part of Raines perfectly.. and has never had a role that good and never will again. It was a great show to watch and kept you interested throughout the year. They don't make them like this anymore. I highly recommend getting the seasons on DVD ( Seasons 1,2 and3.. 4 and 5 are not available yet) Long live Reno Raines!

This is one of the best series to ever come out of America. Up there with the likes of 'Law and Order', 'Quantum Leap' and 'The X-Files', this show is extremely entertaining. It has often been criticised because of its over-the-top plots however you must realise that Renegade was never meant to be taken that seriously. The show doesn't take itself seriously, all it does is give you a fast, entertaining 50 minutes of viewing pleasure. Refreshing.

He was a cop and good job untill he committed the ultimate sin and testsfied against other cops gone bad cops. They tried to kill him but got the woman he loved instead. Framed framed for murder. Now he prowls the badlands and outlaw, hunting outlaws, a bounty hunter.

A Renegade.

Welcome to the Renagade universe. Everything is wet/sweaty or coverd in dirt. A world of one liners that will confuse PHD's. "You gonna set them sweet buns on my gun rack? OR just spread mustard on the corn flakes"! No such thing as a sucker punch here, you have to yell "HAY" before you swing every time, its the rule! Reno Reynes and Bobby SixKiller followed by a sexy sax sound track everywhere but Mexico then its a trumpet! Reno with the ability to insert himself in every awkward encounter especially with the lady folks! SixKiller with scared indian magic mixed with the white mans education they are team that can't be stopped! With not one but 2 midget references in the fist few episodes. Steel horse and and Iron RV they traverse the west taking down the bad guys! "DISAPPEAR" !