Casey Jones (TV series)
A family-friendly Western about a legendary railroad engineer.
The series fictionalized the adventures of the famous late 19th-century railroad engineer, focusing on the early western railroads. It was also shown on the BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom, and on Australia's Seven Network.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Western
- Writer
- Bill Barrett
- John K. Butler
- Lee Erwin
- Stephen Longstreet
- Frank L. Moss
- Director
- Abby Berlin
- George Blair
- Lew Landers
- Starring
- Alan Hale
- Bobby Clark
- Dub Taylor
- Eddy Waller
- Mary Lawrence
- Opening theme
- "The Ballad of Casey Jones"
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
Set in the late 19th century, the series follows railroad engineer Casey Jones and the crew of the Cannonball Express steam locomotive, including fireman Wallie Sims and conductor Redrock Smith, all working for the Midwest and Central Railroad. Casey lives in the fictional Missouri town of Midvale with his wife Alice, their young son Casey Jr., and their dog Cinders. Though a real locomotive engineer named Casey Jones existed on the Illinois Central Railroad, the television series is only loosely based on him.
Production notes
A single season of this black-and-white series was produced for Los Angeles station KTTV, totaling 32 half-hour episodes. Filming took place on a dedicated set at Ray "Crash" Corrigan's Corriganville studio in Simi Valley, California. Production was limited partly because star Alan Hale was also working on episodes of Rory Calhoun's The Texan. The theme song was a rendition of the "Ballad of Casey Jones." Opening titles typically show Hale with Bobby Clark in the cab and credit Mary Lawrence, though Cinders appears inconsistently. A close-up of the Cannonball uses a reversed image, with the nameplate mirrored behind the show title. Alternate closing credits exist: both feature Hale and Clark waving from the cab, but the second includes different shots of the train—including one crossing a trestle and a hill—and a slightly altered version of the song that mentions Cinders. Location footage used Sierra No. 3, and railroad scenes were shot on the Sierra Railroad in Tuolumne County, California.
Broadcast
As of April 2021, the show airs on getTV, and it previously aired on FX Australia in the mid-1990s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Casey Jones (TV series)?
Casey Jones stars Alan Hale, Bobby Clark, Dub Taylor, Eddy Waller and Mary Lawrence.
Which network aired Casey Jones (TV series)?
Casey Jones aired on Syndication.
More in 1950s American Children's Television Series
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