Bruce Campbell has something that allows him to make almost any story concept work—no matter how odd it might sound on paper. The man fought tooth and nail against Deadites in The Evil Dead. In the process, he turned Ash Williams into one of horror’s most entertaining smart-mouths. So why not try and put Campbell on horseback in a western? But what happens when you throw science fiction into the mix, too? Well, Fox tried that in the early ’90s, and the result was a show that was unlike just about anything else on television.
Western fans tend to expect gunfights, dusty towns, and outlaws who need to be brought to justice. Sci-fi fans, meanwhile, are usually happy when somebody introduces a mysterious object that probably shouldn’t exist. Put those two audiences together, add Campbell’s knack for comedy, and you’ve got a recipe for something delightfully weird. The series even attracted a loyal group of viewers who weren’t ready to say goodbye when its future came into question. You’d think that kind of enthusiasm might count for something in Hollywood. As it turns out, even a pretty convincing show of fan support doesn’t always get the ending you’d hope for.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Mixed Western Action With Sci-Fi Weirdness
When The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. arrived on Fox on August 27, 1993, it didn’t take long to show that this wasn’t going to be your typical western. Bruce Campbell played Brisco County Jr., a bounty hunter chasing the outlaws who killed his father. So far, so familiar. Then the show started throwing mysterious golden Orbs, eccentric scientists, and technology that had no business being in the Old West into the mix. Cowboys and science fiction might sound like an odd pairing, but that was part of the show’s charm. It was having fun with the western genre instead of simply dusting off the same old formula. Enjoy the intro from the show and see how it sets up its unique premise.
Of course, Campbell was a big reason the whole thing worked. Anyone who’d watched Army of Darkness knew he could take an utterly ridiculous situation and make it entertaining without missing a beat. Brisco had that same mix of confidence and wry humor, even when his adventures got downright bizarre. The series also had an interesting name behind the scenes: Carlton Cuse co-created it with Jeffrey Boam, years before Cuse became one of the creative forces behind Lost. Fox gave the show a Friday-night, 8 p.m. slot, and its two-hour premiere pulled in around 10.4 million viewers. Not a bad start for a show about a cowboy chasing outlaws through a world with a few science-fiction surprises. Keeping those viewers, however, would prove to be another story.
Why Fox Cancelled The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Despite Its Fans
The audience declined as the season continued, and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. ultimately lasted just 27 episodes, including its two-hour pilot. Fox cancelled the series in June 1994, which was bad news for anyone hoping to see Brisco’s adventures continue. The frustrating part is that the show wasn’t without passionate supporters. In fact, it won TV Guide’s Save Our Shows poll with 34.7% of roughly 72,000 votes. That’s a substantial show of support, especially for a series that wasn’t exactly following the standard television playbook. Fans had made their case. Apparently, the network had other numbers on its mind.
And that’s what makes this cancellation such an interesting little piece of ’90s television history. The series had Bruce Campbell, a premise that happily bounced between genres, and a fan base willing to speak up when its future looked uncertain. It wasn’t enough. Of course, anyone who’s followed Campbell’s career knows that being a little outside the mainstream has never been much of a problem for him. From The Evil Dead to Brisco County, some of his most memorable work has come from projects that weren’t afraid to get strange. It’s tempting to imagine what another season might have brought, especially with Cuse’s later television career still ahead of him. Instead, Brisco rode off after one season, leaving fans with a curious question: what other oddball adventures might we have gotten if Fox had given this one more time?