The Loner

A year after The Twilight Zone was canceled in 1964, Rod Serling created The Loner, a western series airing over CBS for one season. The Loner debuted on Saturday, September 18, 1965, and continued to March 12, 1966, with repeats airing through April 30, 1966.

Set in the late 1860s, The Loner told the story of William Colton (played by Lloyd Bridges), a Union cavalry captain who journeys to the west in search of a new life after years of Civil War.

Serling’s intent was to write and produce a “mature” Western series, adult and realistic, and unlike the many other Westerns of the mid-1960s.

Of the 26 episodes, Rod Serling wrote fifteen episodes.

Among the many guest stars in the series were Jack Lord, Leslie Nielson, Harold Peary, Burgess Meredith, and Lloyd Bridges’ son, Jeff Bridges. Directors included Norman Foster, Paul Henreid, Joseph Pevney, and Tay Garnett.

The Loner on DVD and Blu-Ray ~

In September of 2016, Shout Factory released the complete series of 26 episodes of The Loner to DVD.

The only special feature is “The Wandering Man’s Burden: Making The Loner“, a 30-minute documentary produced specifically for this box-set and discussing Rod Serling, star Lloyd Bridges, the theme music, and other facets of the series, including how The Loner differed from other westerns airing on television in the mid-1960s.

The Loner is available for purchase online through Amazon. To order, click the link below. The Amazon order page will open in a new window. ~

The Episodes ~

Below are listed all episodes in The Loner series, including the teleplay writer and the original air dates.

  • “An Echo of Bugles” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Sept. 18, 1965

  • “The Vespers” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Sept. 25, 1965

  • “The Lonely Calico Queen” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Oct. 2, 1965

  • “The Kingdom of McComb” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Oct. 9, 1965

  • “One of the Wounded” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Oct. 16, 1965

  • “The Flight of the Arctic Tern” ~ Written by Andy White ~ Oct. 23, 1965

  • “Widow on the Evening Stage” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Oct. 30, 1965

  • “The House Rules at Mrs. Wayne’s” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Nov. 6, 1965

  • “The Sheriff of Fetterman’s Crossing” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Nov. 13, 1965

  • “The Homecoming of Lemuel Stove” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Nov. 20, 1965

  • “Westward the Shoemaker” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Nov. 27, 1965

  • “The Oath” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Dec. 4, 1965

  • “Hunt the Man Down” ~ Written by Milton S. Gelman ~ Dec. 11, 1965

  • “Escort for a Dead Man” ~ Written by Robert Lewin ~ Dec. 18, 1965

  • “The Ordeal of Bud Windom” ~ Written by Norman Katkov ~ Dec. 25, 1965

  • “To the West of Eden” ~ Written by Ed Adamson ~ Jan. 1, 1966

  • “Mantrap” ~ Written by Gerald Sanford ~ Jan. 8, 1966

  • “A Little Stroll to the End of the Line” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Jan. 15, 1966

  • “The Trial in Paradise” ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Jan. 22, 1966

  • “A Question of Guilt” ~ Written by Les Crutchfield ~ Jan. 29, 1966

  • “The Mourners for Johnny Sharp”, Part 1 ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Feb. 5, 1966

  • “The Mourners for Johnny Sharp”, Part 2 ~ Written by Rod Serling ~ Feb. 12, 1966

  • “Incident in the Middle of Nowhere” ~ Written by Andy White ~ Feb. 19, 1966

  • “Pick Me Another Time to Die” ~ Written by Alex March ~ Feb. 26, 1966

  • “The Burden of the Badge” ~ Written by Norman Katkov ~ Mar. 5, 1966

  • “To Hang a Dead Man” ~ Written by Milton S. Gelman ~ Mar. 12, 1966