Chuck Connors said there was more room for emotion on TV

Connors knew what TV needed

Peter Rodgers Organization

Sentimentality is tough to pull off. It's a hard balance to strike. Too little, and the feeling doesn't come across. Too much, and the emotion warms over and becomes sickly sweet. Sweet shows do well. Saccharine shows get canceled. The lesson is that conveying true human spirit is one of the biggest challenges creative teams face. 

Think of your favorite show and a moment when it made you cry. All In the Family is capable of absolute emotional acrobatics. There are episodes of that series that could make a statue cry. But that's only true because the writing staff chose its moments very carefully. "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," the two-part M*A*S*H finale is only as sad as the show was funny. If there wasn't such a finely tuned equilibrium, such choices would feel cloying.

Even The Rifleman knew to strike a balance. The show starred the square-jawed former athlete Chuck Connors. He fit the role perfectly, and for many youngsters growing up in America, Connors was the ultimate good guy. While the Winchester Model 1892 in the show's opening credits drew viewers in, it was the storytelling that kept them coming back. The people behind the scenes on The Rifleman understood that action was great, but emotion was the most important thing a story could have. 

In a 1960 interview with the Hartford Courant, Connors was asked about whether there was too much sentimentality on TV, and his answer might've surprised some readers.

"People say there's too much, but I say in some respects there is not enough," said Connors.

"For instance," he continued, "folks feel it's unsophisticated to choke up once in a while on sentiment, but they'd be far better off if they let themselves go occasionally. On The Rifleman, my relationship with Johnny Crawford is frankly sentimental— and it's been the key to our success."

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8 Comments

MarioNYC 21 days ago
There are bound to be emotions in TV shows. 'The Rifleman' brought out emotions related to conflict – annoyance, disgust, anger.
The article is suggesting the emotions sympathy, sadness, nostalgia.
'The Rifleman' had some of that, mainly for Luke MaCain and Mark.
The old westerns included Bible verses. That is what is missing in TV shows now. Lucas McCain, the Rifleman, was morally upright. And the Bible was his guide. Righteous characters exist on TV, but what inspires their conscience is missing.
Eighties_Child MarioNYC 21 days ago
Well said, Mario!

Lucas McCain is easily one of the most honorable and positive male role models in the history of television, and in terms of Westerns, he may be the king. The Rifleman is a fantastic show, largely because its powerful storytelling teaches eternal moral and spiritual Truth revealed to us in God's two "books": the book of nature and the Book of Scripture.
MarioNYC 21 days ago
"The Rifleman" is a show that definitely should be brought back. BUT, each episode should be one hour long, instead of 30 minutes.
The conflict is resolved too quickly in the show.
AnnieM MarioNYC 21 days ago
I think the original series was a bit ahead of it's time as they weren't afraid of portraying how much Lucas loved his son. If a remake ever happened, I'm not sure who I'd cast as Lucas...maybe Jensen Ackles or Tom Welling? Who would everyone else choose?
Eighties_Child MarioNYC 21 days ago
Please NO to any more insufferable remakes or decades-after-the-original sequels or revival series, which have overtaken the world of entertainment. It's time for screenwriters to grow an imagination again.

I would LOVE to see high-quality, morally instructive (i.e., from a biblical worldview), family-friendly shows (and movies) become the rule again in modern times, rather than the rare exception, but I think writers/producers need to come up with *original* characters, themes, and story lines instead of copying other people's work and vainly attempting to recreate what cannot be recreated.
Having said that, I 100% agree that The Rifleman should have been an hour-long series. Because of the half-hour time constraints, many of the plots are abruptly resolved without satisfactory closure. That is the *only* flaw with this otherwise outstanding series.
jholton30062 21 days ago
Both "The Rifleman" and "The Andy Griffith Show" are ultimately about the relationship between a father and son, specifically about a widowed father who has to show his son the love of a mother as well as a father. It's that emotional level that distinguishes them from other shows, and the fact that you see a father showing love and affection toward the son and love and adoration of the son toward the father is why they're so good.
Runeshaper 22 days ago
I agree with Connors in that there is room for emotions on TV. In fact, I think it's important to remind people of their humanity now and then.
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