‘Wagon Train’ Begins Journey Into Home Video

The latest classic television series available on home video is “Wagon Train,” starring Ward Bond.

Ranked as one of the top TV Westerns of all time, “Wagon Train,” with its prairie schooners rolling across the plains from Missouri to California, aired for nine seasons, 1957-65.

Bond was the tough old wagon master on the show that depicted pioneer families and their difficult journeys westward in post-Civil War years. “Wagon Train” edged out “Gunsmoke” as the top-ranked television program in the 1961-62 season. From 1958 to 1961, “Wagon Train” was second only to “Gunsmoke” in the annual TV rankings.

Volume 1 of “Wagon Train: The Collector’s Edition,” features guest stars - Bette Davis in one episode directed by John Ford, and John Wayne in the other.

As with other series from re-tv, which calls itself “America’s Keeper of Classic Television,” the first volume is available for $4.95 plus shipping. Subsequent volumes are made available every four to six weeks for $19.95 plus shipping and handling.

An arm of Columbia House Video Library, re-tv is currently distributing 20 comedies, six Westerns, eight dramas and eight science-fiction series. Information on ordering any of the videos is available at (800) 638-2922.

Here are the offerings:

Comedies: “All in the Family,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Honeymooners,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Monkees,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Cheers,” “Beverly Hillbillies,” “Abbott & Costello TV Show,” “The Phil Silvers Show,” “Bewitched,” “The Flintstones,” “MASH,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “The Three Stooges,” “I Love Lucy,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Brady Bunch,” “Soap” and “Green Acres.”

Westerns: “Have Gun, Will Travel,” “Wild, Wild West,” “Rawhide,” “Gunsmoke,” “Maverick” and “Wagon Train.”

Dramas: “Columbo,” “Untouchables,” “Dallas,” “Dragnet,” “Mission Impossible,” “Perry Mason,” “Route 66” and “Remington Steele.”

Science fiction: “Star Trek,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Lost in Space,” “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Outer Limits,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Twilight Zone” and “Superman.”

The field of classic television on home video becomes more crowded each month.

In September, Columbia TriStar HomeVideo released 12 volumes of “The Flying Nun,” “The Burns and Allen Show,” “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie.” Each volume contains two episodes and lists for $9.95.

Next month Paramount Home Video will be releasing six volumes of “Mission Impossible” (1966-1973), a highly esteemed CBS series.