All I can say is that the first two episodes (Part 1 and Part 2 of Women for Sale) was difficult to watch. Even though the concept was interesting, when it got to the screen it was a bore-fest. The only regular character in the entire two hour production was Matt Dillon and to be honest it was more of Matt than most can take.
The episodes beginning in a different manner as we have William Conrad (former Matt Dillon on radio) narrating the beginning of both shows. And from the narration we learn that the episodes are going to be about women, in the lawless western lands, being sold to slavery by Indians and white traders. Then for the next two hours we are engaged with four women, one being a child, being kidnapped for the slave trade. Some will be taken by the white tradesmen and other by local Indians. And now we get to see the long- and I mean long- performance as Matt Dillon tries to save the day for the women that were abducted.
The show may have been better if kept to the one hours schedule but became very long as we have two hours of mainly repeated dialog played out by both types of kidnappers.
By the end of the two hours the viewer is tired and could give less what happens in the next scenes. And by the end of the show, the crowded cast had been reduced by more than half and a few of the women rescued. This proves fruitless as the viewer lost interest in the show hours ago.
James Arness tries his best with this long script. But nothing could have saved this story from ruined. There was some good moments as James Whitmore proved to be well cast as the white slave trader but nothing else was remarkable. Season 19 does not start out well- here is for better stories and better entertainment.
NOTE- James Arness worked long on this episode. His contract called for him doing this script and then just working three days a week for the rest of the season.