The Rebel: The Complete Series

Nick Adams stars as haunted former Confederate soldier Johnny Yuma, who returns home a year after the Civil War and chooses to travel through the West and keep a diary of his experiences. The pilot episode establishes Johnny's backstory: he fought out of idealism and returns disillusioned to his hometown to find his family dead and a gang running the town. Johnny is the only recurring character in this Western drama, which plays out in the popular format of the wandering hero who becomes involved in the lives of the people he meets during his travels—the same premise that fuels shows such as Wanted: Dead or Alive, Route 66, and The Fugitive. The series features many familiar guest stars (including John Carradine, Strother Martin, Jack Elam, Agnes Moorehead, Leonard Nimoy, and Robert Vaughn), and Johnny Cash sings the theme song, which became a hit. Although it's a minor TV Western made during an era when the genre dominated primetime (Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Maverick), it's also well-made and well-written, and may carry nostalgic appeal for Baby Boomers. Compiling all 76 episodes from the show's two seasons that ran from 1959-1961, extras include cast and crew interviews, a pilot for a companion series that never sold, TV commercials featuring Adams, and a stills gallery. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)