When The Virginian premiered on NBC in 1962, it brought something brand new to the Western genre: ninety minutes of color-filmed cowboy drama each week, making it the first of its kind on television. Starring James Drury in the title role, along with fan favorites like Doug McClure and Lee J. Cobb, the series quickly roped in viewers and held them for nine action-packed seasons. Set in Wyoming Territory before it became a state, the stories centered around the Shiloh Ranch and the people who lived and worked there, blending gritty frontier storytelling with a sense of deep character development that kept audiences coming back.

Loosely inspired by the 1902 novel The Virginian: Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister, the show evolved over time, especially in its final season when it was rebranded as The Men from Shiloh. Over the years, actors like John Dehner, Charles Bickford, John McIntire and Stewart Granger stepped in to fill key roles, each bringing their own flavor to the ranch’s leadership.