raysond HERE COME THE BRIDESFirst Telecast: September 25,1968Last Telecast: April 3, 1970Number of Episodes: 52 In ColorProduced by Screen Gems/Columbia Pictures Television for ABC-TVComment: It made have a one of the most terrible titles to every hit the tubes,but it was one of the most wholesome family-oriented shows to premiere for the 1968-1969 season. For the two years that this show was on the air,the action-adventure laced comedy-western series HERE COMES THE BRIDES was a show that took placed west of the Mississippi since the series takes place in the Washington-state territory of Seattle. The series starred Robert Brown as Jason Bolt,and this was the show that launched the careers of not only David Soul,but Bobby Sherman who became a HUGE teen idol during it's run. Producer Bob Claver,who also served as executive producer along with Paul Junger Witt and Stan Schwimmer brought to audiences a down to earth family style show that included some western adventure and excitement in some of the episodes. It was the same Bob Claver who also behind after this series went off the air the family-oriented series "The Partridge Family" that premiered on ABC in the fall of 1970. Robert Brown was outstanding as Jason Bolt. He was indeed the matinée idol type: bold,handsome,intelligent and resourceful when it came to defending his honor,and his brothers in some tight situations. Bridget Hanley was the girl every guy wanted to fall in love with while Mark Lenard was classic as the villain--stoic,miserly and always scheming after one thing..anything to get even with the Bolts and to get the territory and the land for himself. Down right evil. But seeing the great Joan Blondell(a veteran of Hollywood's golden age of the 1930's and 1940's) as the Madame was in a classic by itself. The series had some good stories with some great action sequences added in. A Must See!

kburditt HCTB had always been a favorite show from my childhood. We lived in Seattle when it came out and EVERYONE watched it. I was thrilled when I found it on DVD. But, the memories of an 8 year old girl are not necessarily to be trusted. It is still a well done, wholesome, comedy for the most part. The sets are much more static and primitive than I remembered. It is not historically authentic by any stretch - and the social issues it tackles are contemporary 60's issues wrapped up in gingham and calico. The show pace is very slow, the dialog is simplistic, and the acting is better than the screen writer allowed for. Joan Blondell is definitely the best actor on the set, although the main 5 characters do well. The same 15 pretty girls standing around smiling, pouting, crying, or flouncing gets old quick. I'm three shows in and nobody has gotten married yet, wasn't that the whole point? This would be a great show to watch with 7-10 year old children. Fundamental life lessons are learned, the good guys win, and cynicism and irony are held in check. I enjoyed the show with the woman Physician - that was realistic for the time and the 60's - and that actress was quite good. But she wasn't in the next show, which is a shame. Maybe people liked this show because it was the softer, greener, more feminine version of a western. HCTB is not classic TV, but it's pleasant and innocent and worth introducing to your kids. The Rental DVD I have does not have the theme song and I am wondering if it was licensing issue. I can still hear that song after almost 40 years.

maureenwheat the years this TV show broadcast were tumultuous in our U.S. VN was ending. Nixon got US troops OUT of VN. Nixon, who opened to the US, the inscrutable China will only be remembered for a common illegal practice: __________fill in the blank. He just got caught. POOOLIZE...HERE COME THE BRIDES took us away from the real world of huge conflict and social misery. HERE COME THE BRIDES presented the consistent, biological adventures of men and women.HERE COME THE BRIDES diverted me and assisted me to get through the animosity of the times. I imagined characters and the era as an escape route, knowing i would have to put it back down eventually.Reality was not altered, BUT I DID NOT THROW MY SELF ON THE REAL AND SYMBOLIC PYRES OF FLAG AND BRA BURNERS. This particular show was a reprieve and affirmation that all going on was transient.It was transient, and i did no drugs, was sexually abstinent, and had both a filial AND COMMERCIAL TV SHOW telling me i was OK.i hope someone in the cast, crew, production, writer or anyone who worked on this show gets my message. HERE COME THE BRIDES along with my family ALLOWED ME to transcend unhealthy fads and grow past the socio-pathology of those days. YES. THE 60ies WERE A SOCIAL MISTAKE, AND HERE COME THE BRIDES GAVE REPRIEVE TO NON=ADHERENTS. l, maureen

JamesL-4 Everybody else seems to either love the series or hate it, passionately either way. Personally, I simply find it mildly interesting, better than a lot of what I've seen, but by no means spectacular. It is, of course, loosely (the operative word) based on the early history of Seattle, and on various projects (including, but not limited to the best known group, the "Mercer Girls") that enticed young, unmarried (or widowed) women to Seattle, to marry the settlers.One interesting bit of trivia (and a probable reason why the series was as good as it was): several of the regular cast members had made guest appearances on Star Trek, some years earlier. Mark Lenard (Aaron Stempel) had played both Sarek and the first Romulan Commander; David Soul had appeared in "The Apple"; Robert Brown had played Lazarus in "The Alternative Factor."