CBS, David Mamet developing "Have Gun - Will Travel" reboot

[Enterprise is Great]

From the everything's getting remade file...
Hollywood Reporter

The network has made a script deal for the CBS TV Studios-produced Western, which originally aired on CBS from 1957-63. During its six season run, the drama not only delivered top-five ratings but also spawned a successful radio show.

Mamet will serve as writer and executive producer on the project,
alongside non-writing EP Elliott Webb. If the pilot is ordered, Mamet will also direct.

I've heard of "Have Gun Will Travel" but I've never seen it but I like Westerns so it sounds cool. Having David Mamet doing it is a plus.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The original was (is) a fantastic show, quite different from most of its ilk, it'll be interesting to see how this goes.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I like Westerns though I know nothing about the original. I'll definitely give this a chance.

Remember some years ago the old Steve McQueen tv show Wanted: Dead or Alive was to be developed as a tv show? Guess that's not happening any time soon.

 

[Lonemagpie]

That sounds interesting. I hope they keep the Ballad of Paladin as the theme tune...

 

[J.T.B.]

I'm betting the new Paladin will be darker than the original. Paladin definitely had his dark side, but Richard Boone was too naturally affable and funny to consistently play toward anything like anti-hero territory. I love the old ones (I watch one almost every day) and there's huge potential. If this is done well I could get excited about it.

Justin

 

[propita]

Hubby had dvr'd some episodes and watched them yesterday. Little morality plays. Ya know the girl's gonna die if he likes her too much. Decent show. Hope they don't go too far from the original. But they will, because modern shows don't have enough time in 1/2 hour of air time to tell this kind of story.

 

[BruntFCA]

I'm betting the new Paladin will be darker than the original. Paladin definitely had his dark side, but Richard Boone was too naturally affable and funny to consistently play toward anything like anti-hero territory. I love the old ones (I watch one almost every day) and there's huge potential. If this is done well I could get excited about it.

Justin

Have you ever seen The Tall T or Hombre? Boone could play pretty dark. I do agree that the new Paladin will be darker as the original Paladin was a lot more badass then the other TV cowboys at the time.

 

[flandry84]

/\Agreed,Richard Boone was most effective when playing the baddieIMO.I'm struggling to remember the title of the late-era John Wayne western in which Boone was a pretty unrepentent kidnapper/killer...was it Big Jake?

Anyway I hope this new series gets off the ground but God knows it will probably end up(as most modern historical series do)a politically correct nightmare.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Politically correct? Eh, you clearly don't know who David Mamet is, do you?

 

[J.T.B.]

Have you ever seen The Tall T or Hombre? Boone could play pretty dark. I do agree that the new Paladin will be darker as the original Paladin was a lot more badass then the other TV cowboys at the time.

You're right, I didn't mean he could never play dark. But I think it would have been hard for Boone to sustain that over the course of a series. He could be dark as Paladin, too, but it's hard to think of him as a dark character because he was so good at the joking, banter and comedic episodes.

Justuin

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Have Gun - Will Travel

The original TV show starred Richard Boone as the gunfighter Paladin, who preferred to avoid violence when solving problems. One of its main writers was Gene Roddenberry, who went on to create "Star Trek."

source

Last year, the network developed a remake of 1958 Western drama The Rifleman, but the project didn’t make it to pilot.

source
Have Gun - Will Travel is only in development. I hope the pilot gets a series order unlike last year's Western in development.

I'm all for the Western genre and think it works better as a 13-episode season rather than a 22 episode season.

 

[Rush Limborg]

David Mamet = Guarantee of Quality. 'Nuff said.

Now PUT--that coffee--DOWN!!!

 

[BruntFCA]

/\Agreed,Richard Boone was most effective when playing the baddieIMO.I'm struggling to remember the title of the late-era John Wayne western in which Boone was a pretty unrepentent kidnapper/killer...was it Big Jake?

Anyway I hope this new series gets off the ground but God knows it will probably end up(as most modern historical series do)a politically correct nightmare.

Yep it was Big Jake, he was pretty nasty in it.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

^Politically correct? Eh, you clearly don't know who David Mamet is, do you?

Well it is on CBS. So Mamet will be pulling in one direction and CBS in the other. Whether this show interests me depends on who wins that tug of war and by how much (and on the casting).

 

[Harvey]

I've never seen the original, but I would like to some day. I believe all of it is on Netflix. As has been noted, it's one of the television programs where Gene Roddenberry cut his teeth as a writer (he wrote twenty-four episodes, but was never on staff, contrary to his claim that he was the show's "head writer").

 

[flandry84]

^Politically correct? Eh, you clearly don't know who David Mamet is, do you?

I surely do but you obviously don't know who CBS are.Network television.
David Mamet or Harold Pinter it doesn't matter.The suits have final say on everything...Have gun..isn't an original Mamet property.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Anyway I hope this new series gets off the ground but God knows it will probably end up(as most modern historical series do)a politically correct nightmare.

As distinct from the historically incorrect "nightmares" of most 20th century American westerns?

 

[Harvey]

CBS already aired the Mamet-created series The Unit for four seasons. I only ever saw the pilot, but judging from that, I'd say there's a good chance that this will both be dull and conservative.

Which, come to think of it, will make it like most television Westerns from the 1950s and 60s. Heh.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Politically correct? Eh, you clearly don't know who David Mamet is, do you?

I surely do but you obviously don't know who CBS are.Network television.
David Mamet or Harold Pinter it doesn't matter.The suits have final say on everything...Have gun..isn't an original Mamet property.

CBS already aired the Mamet-created series The Unit for four seasons. I only ever saw the pilot, but judging from that, I'd say there's a good chance that this will both be dull and conservative.

Which, come to think of it, will make it like most television Westerns from the 1950s and 60s. Heh.

The UNIT was hardly politically correct, whatever else it was.

 

[flandry84]

Anyway I hope this new series gets off the ground but God knows it will probably end up(as most modern historical series do)a politically correct nightmare.

As distinct from the historically incorrect "nightmares" of most 20th century American westerns?

TV shows which by and large are still watchable today.