Before James Bond, Roger Moore Replaced James Garner On A Hit Western Series
Years before he played James Bond for the first time, Roger Moore followed James Garner's footsteps by becoming the new lead of a hit Western series on ABC.
After the popular ABC horse opera Maverick, James Garner departed the series and was replaced by Roger Moore, best known for his role as James Bond. Moore played the character of Beau Maverick for 15 episodes during Season 4, stepping into the shoes of his cousin Bret Garner and co-lead Jack Kelly. The character of Beau Maverick was first introduced in the Season 4 premiere "The Bundle from Britain."
Garner's departure from the show was due to the studio seeking Moore's involvement, following his success in the short-lived ABC program The Alaskans. Moore expressed reservations about taking on another television role and acknowledged that following Garner would be challenging. However, Moore's experience on Maverick from his guest appearance in Season 2 to his official replacement as Beau Maverick in Season 4 prepared him for the role.
Moore and Kelly developed a strong chemistry, which contributed to the show's success. Moore's tenure on Maverick ended when he left the show due to a lack of tailored scripts for his character and a request to be released from his contract, which seemingly was presented as a result of his departure from Maverick.
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