Walker, Texas Ranger

Walker, Texas Ranger
The Walker, Texas Ranger title card (from 2000) features star Chuck Norris.
Format	Police drama, Action
Created by	Christopher Canaan Albert S. Ruddy Leslie Greif Paul Haggis
Starring	Chuck Norris Clarence Gilyard Sheree J. Wilson Noble Willingham Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman Nia Peeples Judson Mills
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	203 (including TV movie) (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	60 minutes (approx. 42 min)
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS
Original run	April 21, 1993 – May 19, 2001

Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television police drama/Action, created by Lesie Grief and Paul Haggis. It aired on CBS with three pilot episodes followed by eight full seasons, from April 21, 1993 to May 19, 2001, was broadcast in over 100 countries, and has since spawned at least one made-for-television movie. It was originally conceived on August 6, 1987. DVD sets of the first,^[1] second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and final seasons have been released. At various times since 1997, reruns of the show have aired, in syndication, on the USA Network and Action in Canada.

The show was known for its moral values. For example, the characters refrained from the use of drugs, and they participated in community service. Martial arts were shown prominently as the primary tool of law enforcement and occasionally as a tool for Walker and company to reach out to the community.

The show has gained a following for its camp appeal, due to its improbable combination of martial arts and modern Western genres, and to the resurgent popularity of its star, Chuck Norris.

Structure

Background

The show was initially developed by executive producer Allison Moore and supervising producer J. Michael Straczynski when the series was still being produced by Cannon Television. While Straczynski had to depart to get his new series Babylon 5 on the air, executive producer David Moessinger remained to finish developing the series. The show is centered on Cordell Walker (played by Chuck Norris), a Dallas Fort Worth-based member of the Texas Rangers, a state-level bureau of investigation. Walker was raised by his paternal uncle, a Native American named Ray Firewalker (Floyd Red Crow Westerman), who served in the Marines' elite Recon unit during the Vietnam War. Both Cordell and Uncle Ray share the values characteristic of Wild West sheriffs.

His partner and best friend is James "Jimmy" Trivette (Clarence Gilyard), a former Dallas Cowboys player who takes a more modern approach. Walker's young partner grew up in Baltimore and used football as his ticket to college education which led to his career, until one day when he tore his shoulder. Trivette also works inside the office using computers and cellular phones to collate information of the people who've been taken into custody. After Walker's original partner died unexpectedly, and all thanks to C.D.'s pleasure in finding a replacement partner for Walker, he didn't believe in Trivette, but was later taken in, as the two grew to bond with each other.

Walker also works closely (and shares a mutual attraction) with Alexandra "Alex" Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), a Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney, who on occasion puts up a frown if Walker doesn't obtain results in time. He also gets advice on cases from C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham), a veteran Ranger (later inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame) who worked with Walker until retiring to operate a small restaurant and bar called "CD's Bar and Grill", a restaurant widely known for its chili in the series.

Recurring elements

Several elements and scenarios appeared frequently on the series:

• Walker performs his roundhouse kick to the villain's face as a last move that usually defeats the victim immediately when the victim falls from a window, off the roof, and others. The shot of Walker kicking his adversary is then rapidly repeated, twice, and in slow motion, from different angles.
• The kidnapping of assistant district attorney Alex Cahill/Cahill-Walker.
• Walker taking part in undercover operations, with the aim of getting evidence to convict the antagonists' leader.
• The antagonists' leader attempting to leave town or temporarily close down their illegal operations to avoid being arrested by Walker or his associates.
• Walker is often shown teasing Trivette as they drive from place to place.
• Trivette often complains about always having to fight with the largest opponents in a particular battle. Walker teases him by emphasizing how much it looked like it did or is going to hurt.
• Walker talking to or interacting with animals—staring them down to prevent them from attacking, directing them to do complex tasks, or using their knowledge for his benefit.
• A vacationing Walker (or an associate) inadvertently stumbling upon an illicit enterprise that requires Walker's intervention and the ultimate destruction of said enterprise; the climax often comes just before Walker returns to his post in Dallas.
• Paranormal or mystical phenomena, including but not limited to: ghosts of Native Americans directing Walker towards clues; the ghost of Hayes Cooper, legendary Texas Ranger, leading Walker to buried treasure; the ghost of an old Native American shaman striking Walker with a lightning bolt and transporting him hundreds of years into the past; a reborn Buddhist monk being hunted down by a jealous monk, also reborn.
• Troubled children or teens overcoming the odds with Walker's assistance. In various episodes, this has included: Juan, a boxing prodigy whose father beats him and his mother (and later kills himself and the mother when driving drunk) ("Golden Boy", season 8); Chad Morgan, a young telekinetic who is institutionalized so that his abilities can be measured and tested ("Brainchild", season 5); a boot camp for delinquent 18- to 21-year-olds that Walker and Trivette run ("Mr. Justice, season 5); a child (guest star Haley Joel Osment) whose drug-addicted mother led to his being infected with HIV ("Lucas 1 and 2" Season 5);and the Kick Drugs Out of America program, an after school martial-arts class run by Walker to encourage kids to stay out of trouble.
• Dual plot lines involving a legendary Texas Ranger of the Old West, Hayes Cooper (also played by Norris). Other Walker regulars have performed dual roles in these episodes, although some appeared in them only once.
• The majority of the antagonists fight against Walker and his friends or regular police officers when they are declared to be under arrest, and the majority of criminals and law enforcement personnel are also accomplished kick boxers/martial artists.
• Walker is often shown jumping out of a helicopter, or another moving vehicle, into the vehicle of a fleeing criminal, or occasionally into a criminals hideout.
• Walker arriving just in time to save someone, or to arrest criminals.
• C.D. being injured by the antagonist and being hospitalized.
• When suspect people or criminals are confronted by Walker with interrogating questions, they usually respond by pretending to turn away, only to then draw back and attempt to throw a hay maker punch. This punch is always blocked by Walker, and after its failure, he proceeds to beat them until they are rendered to the ground.
• The episode often ends with a lighthearted moment in which the main characters exchange jokes and have a good laugh at C.D.'s bar. This is commonly concluded with a camera still on Walker and/or another character laughing which subsequently fades to black before the credits roll.
• Often real clips from other televised programs are used as the backdrop for episodes that show sporting events, weather and action sequences.
• Walker, often alone, will be deployed into an extraordinarily dangerous situation (such as a hostage crisis with heavily armed suspects) in lieu of a police SWAT team or similar group.

The cast for the first six regular seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger (from left to right): Clarence Gilyard (Trivette), Chuck Norris (Walker), Sheree J. Wilson (Alex) and Noble Willingham (1931-2004, C.D.)

Changes over the years

Over the years the show ran, many changes were made:

• For the pilot & first seasons, Walker drove a GMC Sierra. Trivette drove a red Pontiac Firebird, while Alex drove a Pontiac Sunbird Convertible.
• For season two, all the GM vehicles were replaced by the closest equivalent Chrysler counterparts. Walker drove a Dodge Ram, which was outfitted with "Hide-A-Way" strobe lights in its headlights and tail lights. Trivette drove a silver Dodge Stealth, while Alex drove a Chrysler LeBaron convertible and then a Chrysler Sebring. In later episodes, Trivette drove a black Ford Mustang GT convertible.
• In early episodes, Walker's weapon was a .357 Colt Python. In later episodes, it was a .45 ACP Colt M1911 or a Beretta 92 FS Inox. He switched to a Taurus PT92 for the show's final seasons.
• While the pilot season did not have an opening theme, the first season had an instrumental opening theme which was changed for season two. Partway through the second season (with the episode "The Big Bingo Bamboozle"), it was replaced with the song "Eyes of a Ranger," performed by Chuck Norris, which would remain in the opening credits for the remainder of the series.
• The early episodes featured some Cherokee mysticism. But since Norris, according to his own account^[2], "recommitted [his] life as a Christian in the mid-'90s", the later episodes starting with season 4 featured an increased use of Christian symbolism and family issues, e.g. close friendships with Christian ministers. The episodes sometimes focused on children with Walker assisting them through a crisis. This also included Alex opening up the H.O.P.E (Help Our People Excel) Center during the sixth season, which lasted for the remainder of the show.
• For the last two seasons, two young "rookie" Rangers were added to the cast: Sydney Cooke (played by Nia Peeples, and likely named after the actor who portrayed "Gomez" in the episode "Storm Warning"); and Francis Gage (played by Judson Mills).
• Mid-seventh season, Noble Willingham left the show to pursue a career in the United States Congress, making his final appearance in the episode "A Matter of Faith". As a result, episodes after his removal from the opening credits included only references to his character C.D., who would never appear again, even when the character died as a way of writing him off.
• In the season seven finale ("Wedding Bells"), Cordell Walker weds Alex Cahill (who became Alex Cahill-Walker from that point on).
• In the last episode of the series ("The Final Show/Down"), Cordell Walker and Alex Cahill-Walker have a daughter named Angela. (This is also the name of the baby girl born to Chuck Norris's character in the movie Hero and the Terror).
• In the pilot season and first few episodes of Season 1, Trivette wore glasses. Later, he stopped wearing them.
• In the first few seasons, Trivette's computer was a laptop; after that, he had a desktop.
• After the introduction of the show's first African American character (portrayed by Clarence Gilyard), the NAACP and other various racial watchdogs, cited a racial undertone to the fact that Trivette was only a deputy and not a full-status Ranger like Norris' character. Also cited was the overusage of the phrase "yes-sir" when addressing his Caucasian counterparts. CBS denied all allegation of both overt and covert racism on and off the set. When interviewed, Gilyard stated "Hey, the show is set in Texas. What more can I say. There are some narrow minded folks down there that keep our ratings high. At least I don't have to tap dance".

Rerun broadcasts

As of January 2009 two U.S. cable networks—USA Network and Sleuth—broadcast episodes of the show multiple times a day. The Hallmark Channel ceased airing reruns at the end of March 2009, though during its run, the Hallmark Channel was the only channel known to re-edit or remove episodes to remove inappropriate content. The Hallmark Channel now shows the show on a regular basis again.

In Australia, the series is currently^[when?] being shown on the cable channel 111 Hits, Saturdays at 10:20 p.m.

In the United Kingdom, it is currently^[when?] airing on Bravo, weekdays at 12:00 and 6:00 p.m.

From 2005 until mid-2006, it aired on Showcase Action in Canada at 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. In 2008 Showcase Action restarted broadcasting at 11:00 a.m. and at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.

It is currently^[when?] being broadcast in France (in a dubbed version) on Sunday afternoons on the TF1 channel and in Italy (in late afternoons) on RETE 4 channel.

In Estonia, the show was broadcast every night on Kanal 2 at various air times, one or two episodes per night. The last episode, "The Final Show/Down", aired on March 5, 2008.

In Slovenia, the show is frequently broadcasted on Kanal A (as of November 2009).

DVD releases

All DVDs are released by CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount). In a very unusual move, the last season was released first, whereas virtually all other shows release their season sets starting with the first season.

Spin-offs and merchandise

Television movies

CBS broadcast the television movie Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire, produced by Paramount Network Television (now CBS Television Studios), on October 16, 2005. Chuck Norris, Sheree J. Wilson and Judson Mills reprised their roles, and Clarence Gilyard shot a cameo for the movie but was not featured due to the filming's conflict with a long-planned family vacation. To fill the void, Judson Mills, who was not in the original script, returned to reprise the role of Francis Gage. Nia Peeples, who played the role of Sydney Cooke for Seasons 7 and 8, was also not featured in Walker's return to prime-time television. The explanation given was that producers decided not to follow much of the original Walker Texas Ranger series, as to give the movie a fresh look. (However this could have contributed to lower ratings.) Even the show's original opening credits with the theme "Eyes of a Ranger" performed by Chuck Norris, was absent from the TV movie.

Although the return of Walker Texas Ranger did not garner the ratings CBS had hoped for (due in part to a football gamerunning late/long pushing back the start time an hour), indications were that CBS was green-lighting future Walker Texas Ranger "movie of the week" projects. But as of spring 2006, both CBS and the Norris camp have been silent as to the future of the franchise, leaving many to wonder if it will return. Trial by Fire ended with Sheree J. Wilson's character the victim of a courthouse shooting, leaving many viewers to believe that there would be a follow-up movie.

When they announced their fall 2006 prime-time schedule, CBS said that they would no longer be producing "Sunday Night Movie of the Week" projects, which severely impaired any hopes of Walker's return to television in the foreseeable future, although there is hope for a direct-to-DVD movie.^{[citation needed]}

On May 15, 2007, CBS announced its fall line-up, but this did not include the return of the "Sunday Night Movie of the Week."

Sons of Thunder

A short-lived series, Sons of Thunder, featured recurring character Carlos Sandoval, who resigns from his post with the Dallas police and teams up with childhood friend Trent Malloy (a protégé of Walker's) to start a private investigation firm.

Novels

Three Walker, Texas Ranger books, written by James Reasoner, were published by Berkley Publishing Group in 1999. The books are now out of print.

1. Walker, Texas Ranger (1998, ISBN 0-425-16815-8)
2. Hell's Half Acre (1999, ISBN 0-425-16972-3)
3. Siege on the Belle (1999, ISBN 0-425-17112-4)

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (July 2009)

• C.D. Parker (not to be confused with C.J. Parker of Baywatch fame) is named after Chuck Norris's old friend, the late Master Ed Parker.
• Uncle Ray Firewalker's name is an inside joke: Ray is Chuck Norris's real middle name (and his late father's first name); Firewalker was a movie Norris made with Lou Gossett, Jr., Melody Anderson, Sonny Landham and John Rhys-Davies in 1986.
• In a two-episode crossover arc split between fellow CBS series Martial Law and Walker, Walker helps Sammo Law (played by Sammo Hung) take down a hate crimes leader who murdered another Texas Ranger; Law then comes to Texas to help recapture the leader after his escape.
  • This subsequently established that Walker and the CBS show Early Edition are set in the same fictional universe, which also had a crossover featuring the character Sammo Law.^[3]
• Every major character (including Walker himself) has been hospitalized.
• Only two antagonists, Victor LaRue and Caleb Hooks, return to get revenge on Walker in later episodes.
• After Walker got a Dodge truck, the "bad" characters began using General Motors models of cars, while the "good" characters used Chryslers, Dodges, or sometimes, Fords.
• KC HiLiTES can be seen on Walker's pickup truck.
• Actors Richard Norton, Leon Rippy, Sam J. Jones, Robert Forster and Marshall R. Teague appeared in several episodes as different antagonists; notably, Teague is in both the original pilot episode and the series finales.
• Songwriter Tirk Wilder penned the theme song "Eyes of a Ranger," performed by Norris. Guest star Lila McCann sings the song in the episode of the same name.
• The series was filmed on location in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Local residents were frequently used as extras, and some even had speaking roles (including Dallas-based UFC veteran Guy Mezger). Some interior shots were filmed in Los Angeles.
• Chuck Norris reportedly tried to convince CBS to keep the show running after his decision to quit so he could return to making movies, retitling the show simply Texas Rangers and focusing on the remaining characters, but the network was only interested in keeping the show if he stayed, which led to his decision to end Walker after 202 episodes from one pilot season and eight full seasons.
• Chuck Norris is the only actor to appear in all 202 episodes of the series. Clarence Gilyard is the runner-up in terms of a number of episodes an actor appeared in, appearing in all but two episodes of the 1997-98 season.
• In one of the episodes, they state that there are 99 Texas Rangers and only 99, when in reality, the real Texas Rangers are capped at 134 as of September 1, 2007.^[4] It was capped at 118 from September 1, 2000 until September 1, 2007. .
• In the film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell's character Ricky Bobby has named his children Walker and Texas Ranger.
• Walker was mentioned on the King of the Hill episode High Anxiety (Part 2). When the Texas Ranger was called in by Peggy Hill, she shouts "I love your show, I love that Walker".
• On Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Conan used a lever called "The Walker, Texas Ranger lever" to show clips from the series (most of the clips are usually fight scenes).
• Three of FUNimation voice actors have had roles on Walker Texas Ranger
• In the game Call of Duty: Finest Hour, one of the playable American soldiers has the name of "Chuck Walker", Chuck meaning the obvious Chuck Norris, the star of the show, and Walker, as in "Walker, Texas Ranger"

Notable guest stars

See also

• List of Walker, Texas Ranger episodes
• The Lone Ranger

International

• In Argentina, the show is still shown on Canal 9.
• In Costa Rica, the show is still shown on Channel 11.
• In Uruguay, the show is currently airing on Teledoce.
• In Chile, the show is currently airing on telecanal.
• In Australia, the show was broadcast on Channel Nine and currently airing on Triple 1 Hits.
• In Croatia, the show was broadcast on HRT.
• In the Czech Republic, the show is still shown on TV Nova.
• In the Dominican Republic, the show is still shown on Telecentro 13 at workday evenings (22:30).
• In Estonia, last episode was just recently broadcast on March 5, 2008. It was shown on Kanal 2 at workday afternoons. The show will most likely enjoy reruns in the near or near-to-soon future.
• In France, the show is still shown on TF1 every Sunday afternoon.
• In Germany, the show restarted (5.10.2009) on Tele 5.
• In Hungary, the show was shown on TV2.
• In Israel, the show was shown on Channel 2 and AXN.
• In Italy, the show was broadcast on Italia 1 (first TV), now is still shown on Rete 4 (encore).
• In Japan, the show is still shown on FOX Japan.
• In Latvia, the show is still shown on LNT.
• In Lithuania, the show was shown on TV3 and LTV.
• In Montenegro, the show is still shown on RTCG.
• In the Republic of Macedonia, the show was shown on A1.
• In Norway, the show was broadcast on TV3.
• In Panama, the show is still shown on RPC 4.
• In Poland, the show is still shown on Polsat and TV4.
• In Portugal, the show was broadcast on SIC.
• In Puerto Rico, the show was broadcast on Teleonce Channel 11 (now Univisión Puerto Rico)
• In Romania, the show is still on and broadcasted on Prima TV
• In Serbia, the show was shown on TV Pink.
• In Slovakia, the show is still shown on TV Markíza.
• In Slovenia, the show was shown on POP TV. It's sister channel Kanal A started airing reruns of the show on August 24, 2009 from Monday - Friday at 17.00 (5 pm).
• In South Africa, the show is still shown on E.tv.
• In Spain, the show is still shown on Aragón Televisión, Canal Sur, Telemadrid, 8tv, Televisión de Galicia and Televisión Del Principado De Asturias.
• In Sweden, the show was shown on TV3.
• In the United Kingdom, the show is still shown on Bravo (TV).
• In the United States, the show is still shown everyday; at least 2 times (sometimes 1 or 3) on USA Network.
• In Turkey, the show was shown on Kanal D.
• In Ecuador, the show was shown on RTS.

Notes

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External links

• Walker, Texas Ranger at the Internet Movie Database
• Walker, Texas Ranger at TV.com
• Sony Pictures Television website