Lancer 1968-1971
DAD: Murdoch Lancer (Andrew Duggan) / Widower
DAD’S JOB: Rancher
KIDS: Scott Lancer (Wayne Maunder), Johnny Madrid Lancer (James Stacy) 20-something, foster daughter Teresa O’Brien (Elizabeth Baur) late teens
WHERE’S MOM?: 3 kids – 3 different dead moms.
STAND-IN “MOM”: Jelly Hoskins (Paul Bringear) / Ranch Hand
Boy oh boy, this smells like Bonanza. Or maybe the Single-Dad version of Big Valley. Murdoch Lancer had a ranch, e-i-e-i-o, and bad-guy locals wanted his land, e-i-e-i-o. With two half-brothers (the Felix-Unger-y Scott and the Robert Downey, Jr.-lifestyled Johnny) they kept the bad guys away from sniffin’ around Murdoch’s adopted teen cutie daughter Teresa. Funniest thing about this show is that it lasted *4* whole seasons!
Update: Alert Viewer “Fletcher” chimes in with more details on teen-hottie Teresa:
“Teresa O’Brien was not one of Murdoch Lancer’s children, he was her Guardian. Her father was Murdoch’s ranch foreman and was killed in the first episode. Her mother wasn’t dead either. She turned out to be a ‘lady of the night’ and came back to the ranch in a later episode. Seems that she had run off when Teresa was a small child, probably ‘find herself’.”
A tip of the Jed Clampett Memorial Moth-Eaten Hat to ‘Fletcher’ for the info on Teresa. Thanks, Fletcher!
Update: Alert View “WinJ” pops up with more info on the mom’s demise:
“Scott’s mother died in childbirth. His grandfather took him back to Boston and kept him away from Murdoch with the threat of a custody suit. Johnny’s mother ran off with a gambler. We are uncertain when she died, only that she did at some point, leaving Johnny with the misguided belief that his father threw them both out. Not exactly the wholesomeness of Bonanza. Johnny was a gunfighter, Johnny Madrid, for at least 5 years, making him about 15 when he started that career. Teresa was the daughter of Murdoch’s best friend and foreman, Paul O’Brien. His wife ran off when Teresa was a baby to be an entertainer, Angel Day. Teresa was born on Lancer. When her father died, Murdoch became her guardian. Just to set the record straight.”
A nod of the Adam West Memorial Cowl to “WinJ” – thanks!