The Rifleman debuted during the golden age of TV Westerns when a horse, a hat and a gun were all a show needed to make a lasting impression. It starred Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, a Civil War vet and homesteader, who lived with his son Mark in New Mexico.

Widower Lucas and Mark tried to make a living from their ranch outside fictional North Fork township but the Old West was a lawless place and the McCains had to contend with all manner of evildoers. Luckily, Lucas sported a modified Winchester rifle with a rapid-fire trigger (hence the title of the show). The protagonist wasn't a bad man, but he would protect his home and family from any ornery cuss who looked at him sideways.

The themes in the show revolved around helping people in need, honest dealings with friends and neighbors and equal rights for all. Though Lucas strove to be a good man and rolemodel for his son, his character possessed a simmering anger that had to be reined in occasionally.

The show is notable as an early project of Sam Peckinpah, respected director of later Western films like The Wild Bunch and Ride the High Country. The half-hour series aired in black-and-white for the duration of its run, 168 episodes spread over five seasons on ABC.