Genre Western Directed by Bernard McEveety | Created by Tracy Keenan Wynn Theme music composer Richard Shores | |
Written by Anthony Lawrence
Michael Michaelian
Katharyn Powers
Tracy Keenan Wynn Starring Kurt Russell
Tim Matheson | ||
The Quest is an American Western series which aired on NBC from September to December 1976. The series stars Kurt Russell and Tim Matheson. The pilot episode aired as a television movie on May 13, 1976.
Contents
Overview
Two brothers Morgan (Kurt Russell) and Quentin Bodine (Matheson) are seeking the whereabouts of their long-lost sister, Patricia, being held by the Cheyenne. Morgan, known as "Two Persons", was a captive of the Cheyenne for eight years until he was freed by the United States Army.
In the story, Quentin is a young physician from San Francisco. The pair crosses thousands of miles across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains in search of Patricia; hence, the title The Quest.
Cast
Guest actors
Production
The series was created by Tracy Keenan Wynn, son of Keenan Wynn, who also made two appearances on the series. David Gerber served as the executive producer. Much of the filming was in Arizona.
Reception and cancellation
The Quest aired at the 10 p.m. Eastern Wednesday slot opposite ABC's Charlie's Angels. Low ratings, coupled with the fact that Westerns had fallen out of favor with networks and audiences, contributed to the demise of the series. The Quest was canceled during its first season. The final episode aired on December 29, 1976. Four of the fifteen episodes produced never aired.
Awards and nominations
The Quest was nominated for a prime time Emmy Award for costume design. One episode, "Hatcher's Drive" won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for script writers Katharyn Powers and Michael Michaelian. The writers tied with Jim Byrnes of ABC's How the West Was Won.
DVD release
While the entire series has not been released on DVD, a two-part episode, "The Longest Drive", was released on Region 1 DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 2005. The television film which served as the series' pilot episode was also released on DVD by Sony in 2011.