Tate (TV series)

"Tate" was a Western television series starring David McLean that aired on the NBC television network from June 8 , 1960 until September 14, 1960.

infobox television
show_name = Tate
format = Western
picture_format = Black and white (1959-1960)
runtime = 30 minutes
starring = David McLean
country = United States
network = NBC
first_aired = June 8, 1960
last_aired = September 14, 1960
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 13
imdb_id = 0053545|

McLean starred as Tate, who lost the use of his left arm during the Civil War. Afterwards, he roamed the West as a bounty hunter/fast gun trying to earn enough money to get his damaged arm surgically repaired. True to most Western heroes for hire, Tate was discrimnating as to who he worked for, and would change sides if he found himself mislead by his employers. He dressed in black leather with his left arm covered with black leather and slung with a glove on the end.

The fact that Tate was physically disabled made him one of the first, if not the first, physically disabled lead characters in television history, paving the way for shows such as "Ironside" and " Longstreet". Another factor making Tate unique was the fact that filmed on tape, not the usual film process that most non-live shows used.

"Tate" was a summer replacement series as a part of the "Kraft Summer Theater", and did not catch on as a regular series. McLean was already well known as the Marlboro Man, one of the most famous advertising campaigns in advertising history, and ultimately, one of the most ironic and infamous since McLean himself died of lung cancer in 1995.

External links

*imdb title|0053545|Tate

References

* McNeil, Alex. "Total Television" (1996). New York: Penguin Books ISBN 0-140-24916-8
* Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows" (1999). New York: Ballantine Books ISBN 0-345-42923-0