Facts About the TV Show "Maverick"

It was one of the best of the TV westerns.

Old TVPhoto byBruna AraujoonUnsplash

Of all the old TV westerns I’ve seen, Maverick was one that I really would like to see more of. I’ve seen enough to be impressed by the show, but the next time I have time to binge watch a program, Maverick will be one of the possibilities. Of course, Brett Maverick, played by James Garner was the most notable Maverick, though the Maverick family in general was formidable.

In addition, the series had a lot of high-powered guest stars, such as Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. Plus, it was a western with a lighter touch than many of the other westerns which were in such abundance on TV during the 50s and 60s. Beyond that, here are some things you didn’t know about Maverick.

1: Show producer, Roy Huggins summed up the difference between Maverick and other westerns: “In the traditional Western, the situation was always serious, but never hopeless. In a “Maverick” story, the situation is always hopeless, but never serious.”

That’s also often true of family life.

2: While Jack Kelly was the final choice to play Bart Kelly, Rod Taylor and Stuart Whitman were considered.

Of course, Whitman went to gain fame for his steakhouse, Cimmaron Strip. Wait, being told Cimmaron Strip is actually the name of another TV western series. More on that at another time.

3: The Mavericks weren’t great at the fast draw.

In one episode, Bart said, “My brother Bret can outdraw me any day of the week, and he’s known as the Second Slowest Gun in the West.” And that’s an example of why the series was so loved.

4: Were the Mavericks legends in their own minds?

Roger Moore, aka Beau Maverick, and Jack Kelly, aka Bart Maverick both hummed the Maverick theme during episodes of the show. I’m not sure which Maverick put the lyrics together.

5: Robert Colbert was brought in as a new Maverick when they were running short on Mavericks.

Cobert bore a resemblance to James Garner and was even given a costume identical to James Garner’s. Colbert knew comparisons were inevitable and said,” Put me in a dress and call me Brenda, but don’t do this to me!” I’m not sure audiences were ready for Brenda Maverick.

6: Roger Moore’s parents visited the set and his mother got to visit Lee Van Cleef, who was one of her favorite actors.

Apparently, she didn’t think he was bad or ugly.

7: Though the theme song to Maverick indicated they relied on luck, in the actual episodes, various Mavericks indicated poker was a game of skill.

But in the movie version of Maverick, Mel Gibson, aka Brett Maverick expressed the belief that he could pull the card he wanted through sheer will power. Of course, Mel subsequently lost a lot of credibility, so there’s that.

8: “Pappy” Maverick had some interesting takes on life.

One of my favorites is, “Work is fine for killing time but it’s a shaky way to make a living.” Pappy had some interesting parenting skills.

9: Bart Maverick was born of necessity.

Initially, the idea was to have only one Maverick, however when production fell behind, it became apparent they were going to run out of Maverick episodes before the season was over. As it turned out, they needed an assembly line of Mavericks.

10: The announcer for Maverick was also the announcer for All State Insurance.

Well, that makes sense. Both Maverick and All State were known for their good hands.

11: Sean Connery was considered for the role of Beau Maverick.

Connery, however turned the part down. It seems like Roger Moore had a pretty good career out of playing parts Connery was not interested in or done with.

12: The studio wanted Roger Moore and Jack Kelly to punch a time clock.

It didn’t go well, Jack Kelly used the time clock as a football, and Roger Moore just didn’t clock in.

13: Roger Moore was told he wasn’t replacing James Garner, but he did see Garner’s name on the tags of his wardrobe.

It’s a good thing Moore and Garner were the same size.

14: The team of Maverick was into recycling.

Scripts in particular. So back then if it seemed like some storylines were recycled, it’s because they were.