Christopher Robinson, author of How the West was Not
Original Airdates: Oct. 23-25, 2026
TVC 753.4: Ed welcomes Christopher Robinson, longtime senior editor and feature writer for Western Magazine Digest. Chris’ new book, How the West was Not: Classic TV Westerns and Their Myths, is an offbeat look at many classic Westerns from the Golden Age of Television that particularly focuses on the extent to which the tropes and clichés that permeate those shows stand up to reality when compared to the facts of the real Old West. How the West was Not is available in hardcover, paperback, and as an eBook through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include why Chris believes that the Western genre is the best way to tell a story; why Westerns have enjoyed a comeback over the past two decades; and the answer to the burning question “Why do TV cowboys sip beer, but chug whiskey, when it should be the other way around?”
Why Gunsmoke is still the ultimate TV Western
Original Airdates: Oct. 23-25, 2026
TVC 753.4: Christopher Robinson, author of How the West was Not: Classic TV Westerns and Their Myths, talks to Ed about his Cowboy Top 20, plus he discusses a few of his favorite TV Westerns, including Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Stories of the Century, Tombstone Territory, and The Westerner. How the West was Not is available in hardcover, paperback, and as an eBook through Amazon.com.
