Created by Glen A. Larson and produced by Douglas Heyes and Roy Huggins (who was also served as executive producer)along with Jo Swerling,Jr. "Alias Smith and Jones",was ABC's last attempt at saving the television western during the early 1970's. Out of 50 episodes that this series produced by Roy Huggins,under his production company Public Arts/Roy Huggins Productions and Universal Television,the series ran for two seasons on ABC-TV from January 21,1971 until the final episode of the series on January 13,1973. Hannibal Heyes(Pete Duel),and Kid Curry(Ben Murphy)who were outlaws trying to go straight had the chemistry that made it a very good "buddy" show. The story lines along with the fresh and jokey episodes became very popular,especially with its young audience,since the show was not only a sleek update of Huggins' classic 1950's western series "Maverick",but also undoubtedly an attempt by Universal to cash-in on the success of the 1969 motion picture "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid",which was a megahit at the box office and raked in on the stylings of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The series debuted in January of 1971,a little more than a year after the release of that film,and more than a year after the original TV-Movie "The Young Country",premiered as part of the ABC Movie of the Week on March 12,1970.
This was a grand series that was well-written and had a first-rate cast. There was solid chemistry between Pete Duel and Ben Murphy which by the way work on all levels,which made this show a surprise hit. The reason? "Alias Smith and Jones" was made in the same spirit as many other TV shows that used the same formula from "Maverick",to "The Fugitive","Run For Your Life",and "Renegade",about men that are convicted of crimes they did not do or were facing a sudden crisis,and were on the run going crisscrossing throughout America,going from town to town where they get involved with the people they meet. Somewhere along the way,they always found themselves in some predicament and would always had a solution to finding their way out. Heyes had the brains while Curry had the quickeness and the fast draw with a gun,but they used their brains instead of their guns,which was at a last resort. Many of the episodes were having some kind of scheme or set-up. It worked. Pete Duel was tragically killed on December 31,1971,and was headlines across the country was something viewers couldn't even imagine. As production was set to start the show on its second season,the producers replace Pete Duel with Roger Davis(who was in the original TV-Movie)and from there the chemistry that was magic,went downhill quick. The second season,didn't last very long. The final two episodes of the series "Witness To A Lynching"(the final episode to be filmed in production that was telecast on 12-16-72),and the last "Only Three To A Bed",(telecast:1-13-73),was the last episode in the series.
This was a grand series that was well-written and had a first-rate cast. There was solid chemistry between Pete Duel and Ben Murphy which by the way work on all levels,which made this show a surprise hit. The reason? "Alias Smith and Jones" was made in the same spirit as many other TV shows that used the same formula from "Maverick",to "The Fugitive","Run For Your Life",and "Renegade",about men that are convicted of crimes they did not do or were facing a sudden crisis,and were on the run going crisscrossing throughout America,going from town to town where they get involved with the people they meet. Somewhere along the way,they always found themselves in some predicament and would always had a solution to finding their way out. Heyes had the brains while Curry had the quickeness and the fast draw with a gun,but they used their brains instead of their guns,which was at a last resort. Many of the episodes were having some kind of scheme or set-up. It worked. Pete Duel was tragically killed on December 31,1971,and was headlines across the country was something viewers couldn't even imagine. As production was set to start the show on its second season,the producers replace Pete Duel with Roger Davis(who was in the original TV-Movie)and from there the chemistry that was magic,went downhill quick. The second season,didn't last very long. The final two episodes of the series "Witness To A Lynching"(the final episode to be filmed in production that was telecast on 12-16-72),and the last "Only Three To A Bed",(telecast:1-13-73),was the last episode in the series.