A stage and a wagon heading west get separated from the rest of the wagon train thanks to Dusty. Now they must make their way to California.A stage and a wagon heading west get separated from the rest of the wagon train thanks to Dusty. Now they must make their way to California.A stage and a wagon heading west get separated from the rest of the wagon train thanks to Dusty. Now they must make their way to California.
Browse episodes
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCreated by Sherwood Schwartz, it has been said that the show's early failure was due to the fact that it was too similar to Bob Denver's earlier series Gilligan's Island (1964), also created by Schwartz. Denver plays a character very similar to that of Gilligan. In addition, there is a wagon train leader (similar to the Skipper), the Brookhavens, a rich couple (the Howells), Lulu, a saloon entertainer (Ginger), Betsy, a sweet young girl traveling alone (Mary Ann), and Andy, a bright young man who easily figures things out (the Professor). With "Gilligan's Island" in constant reruns, people preferred to tune in to that series rather than this one.
- GoofsIn the show with the tornado coming towards the wagon train, it was quite obvious that someone superimposed a hand drawn, scribbled sketch of a tornado over the finished film. Possibly the worst replica of a tornado in television history.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976)
Featured review
It's Bad
As others have noted, this is a cheap rip-off of Gilligan's Island. Now, ripping off Gilligan's Island isn't such a bad idea given the popularity of that show but you would think that the creators of Dusty would have used at least a little creativity. Maybe replace the bickering rich couple with a pair of bickering trapeze artists! Or replace the innocent Iowa farm girl with an innocent Bulgarian farm girl who doesn't speak English! But no, this is a paint-by-numbers re-run of Gilligan which is shot through with cheap opportunism & cheaper production values.
The one thing the show had going for it was that it aired at an odd time, just before the networks prime time began. So if you wanted a sitcom at 7:30 on (I think) Friday night Dusty was your only choice. It's indicative of how bad the show was that it failed almost immediately in spite of that. I saw every episode when it first ran & that's the main reason I did so.
I have an especial animus for this show because the theme song has been imprinted on my memory ever since the show aired:
"Dusty's the reason for their plight; Thanks to Dusty, nothing's right! Only the Wagonmaster's hand; Can keep them a-rollin' to the promised land!", etc.
Maybe electro-shock therapy can get rid of it.
The one thing the show had going for it was that it aired at an odd time, just before the networks prime time began. So if you wanted a sitcom at 7:30 on (I think) Friday night Dusty was your only choice. It's indicative of how bad the show was that it failed almost immediately in spite of that. I saw every episode when it first ran & that's the main reason I did so.
I have an especial animus for this show because the theme song has been imprinted on my memory ever since the show aired:
"Dusty's the reason for their plight; Thanks to Dusty, nothing's right! Only the Wagonmaster's hand; Can keep them a-rollin' to the promised land!", etc.
Maybe electro-shock therapy can get rid of it.
helpful•173
- H Lime-2
- Sep 8, 2006
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content