Josh Brolin And Stephen Baldwin's ABC Western Series Is Rarely Talked About Today

Before Josh Brolin achieved fame as a Marvel hero and Stephen Baldwin found success in "The Usual Suspects," the duo starred in an ABC Western series that has largely been forgotten over time. Titled "The Young Riders," this show debuted in 1989 and was inspired by the historical American mail service known as the Pony Express. However, the series took creative liberties with the original concept, focusing more on the young riders' battles against outlaws rather than their mail delivery duties.

Some characters were portrayed as younger versions of iconic Western figures. For instance, Stephen Baldwin portrayed Billy Cody, who would later become the legendary Buffalo Bill, while Josh Brolin played James Butler Hickok, who would eventually become the notorious Wild Bill Hickok. The ensemble cast was notably diverse, featuring a Native American member named Buck Cross, played by Gregg Rainwater, a gender-nonconforming character named Lou, played by Yvonne Suhor, and African-American character Noah Dixon, played by Don Franklin, who joined the group in the series' second season.

ABC broadcast three seasons of "The Young Riders," receiving two Emmy Awards for costume and music department. When the show shifted to the Saturday timeslot for its second season, it garnered a wider audience, even outperforming some of ABC's most popular shows at the time, including "Twin Peaks." Despite this, "The Young Riders" did not achieve the status of an 80s hit show.

The series had already begun to fade from memory by the time the first film adaptation, "Young Guns," was released in 1990, starring more prominent actors such as Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, and Charlie Sheen. Although some critics speculated that "The Young Riders" might be attempting to capitalize on the success of "Young Guns," the two productions were not directly related beyond sharing a similar time period.

To avoid any potential legal issues, Morgan Creek Productions, the company behind "Young Guns," filed a lawsuit against ABC in 1991, claiming copyright infringement. In response, ABC added a disclaimer to their episodes stating, "Not based on Morgan Creek's films Young Guns and Young Guns II." Despite this legal battle, "The Young Riders" continued to air its final season, which concluded with the onset of the American Civil War.

Today, "The Young Riders" is accessible on streaming platforms like Prime Video and Roku, allowing viewers to potentially rediscover the series that once flew under the radar.