You've probably never heard of The Rebel, but it's a TV series with some considerable influence. The Rebel was released at a time when the Western was one of the most prominent genres in film and television, from John Wayne's various exploits on screen toClint Eastwood's iconic Dollars trilogy. It focuses on Johnny Yuma (Nick Adams), a former soldier in the Confederate army. Johnny feels lost after the end of the Civil War, and decides to seek inner peace by hunting down criminals across the West. This premise kept The Rebel going for two seasons, but it was cancelled before a third season could be greenlit — and the reasoning for doing so was rather ludicrous. Here's the history of The Rebel and the circumstances that led to its cancellation.
‘The Rebel’ Was a True Trailblazer in Western TV
What made The Rebel a standout program at the time was that Nick Adams was the only regular on the series. This was to be expected: after all, the show followed Johnny Yuma's travels, which meant that each episode could feature a fresh new set of faces. It's the faces that appeared that made the show a standout, particularly Johnny Cash. Cash performed the theme song for The Rebel, and also guest starred in the Season 1 episode "The Death of Grey" as a would-be rapist who eventually meets his end at the barrel of Johnny's trademark sawed-off shotgun. Other notable guest stars included Leonard Nimoyand Robert Vaughn; the latter was no stranger to Western fare, having previously starred in The Magnificent Seven. Even the behind the scenes pedigree was impressive; Irwin Keshner, the director behindStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, helmed multiple episodes of The Rebel.
The same could be said of producer Mark Goodson. Goodson had a knack for creating television series that stood out in terms of concept and presentation, with a few lasting to this day — if you've watched The Price is Right or Family Feud, you have Goodson to thank for launching those products. The Rebel was one of the few times Goodson stepped outside the realm of gaming shows, but it was one of his few successes outside that realm as well. Critical reception was fairly positive, and The Rebel was able to hold its own against fellow Western TV shows like Lawman and The Alaskans, both of which aired roughly around the same time.
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ABC Cancelled ‘The Rebel’ Due to Its Violent Content
Image via ABC
The Rebel might have been a ratings success, but ABC wound up passing on a third season due to the show's violent content. Given Johnny's status as a former Confederate soldier and the fact that he was hunting down numerous criminals, nearly every episode of The Rebel ends with someone being shot, stabbed, or killed in a brutal way. In his article titled "ABC and the Destruction of American Television", James Lewis Baughman highlighted how ABC was moving more toward family-friendly programming and introducing the concept of "counterprogramming". Counterprogramming often draws audiences to a film or TV show, especially if the competitor offers something different. (Think the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon that swept theaters last year.) ABC wanted to draw viewers in with a variety show starring Steve Allen, but eventually, Allen's show was cancelled after four months.
It's a shame as the third season of The Rebel would have truly shaken up the series' format. The series was to be renamed The Rebel and the Yank, and Johnny Yuma would have been teaming up with a former Union soldier who was now working as a doctor. Despite The Rebel and the Yank falling through, James Drury — who would have played the "Yank" — found success on the long-running Western series The Virginian. The Rebel also may have influenced another popular Western; following the release of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, Western fans noticed that it bore a similarity to an episode of The Rebel episode titled "Fair Game", including the plot of a beautiful female prisoner arriving in a stagecoach just as a murder takes place. It shows that, despite its short-lived tenure, The Rebel was a truly influential Western series.
The Rebel
Release Date October 4, 1959
Cast Nick Adams , Patricia Breslin , Ruta Lee , John Dehner , John Carradine , Clu Gulager , George Macready , Carleton G. Young , Iron Eyes Cody , john savage , Tyler McVey , Gloria Talbott , Gail Russell , Hampton Fancher , Mary Murphy , Jack Hogan , Vic Damone , Frieda Inescort , Terry Moore , Leif Erickson , Henry Brandon , Perry Lopez , Agnes Moorehead , Sheldon Allman , Marie Windsor
Creator(s) Nick Adams
Writers Arnold Belgard
Network ABC
Directors Irvin Kershner , Bernard L. Kowalski , Bernard McEveety
Producers Bill Todman
The Rebel is available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
Image by Nimesh Niyomal
Image via ABC 
English (US) ·