Young Pioneers (film)

Young Pioneers
GenreDrama
Western
Based onLet the Hurricane Roar
Free Land
by Rose Wilder Lane
Screenplay byBlanche Hanalis
Directed byMichael O'Herlihy
StarringLinda Purl
Roger Kern
Music byLaurence Rosenthal
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerEd Friendly
ProducerEd Friendly
Production locationsTwentieth Century-Fox Studios, Los Angeles, California
Southern Arizona, Arizona
CinematographyRobert L. Morrison
EditorAllan LaMastra
Running time97 minutes
Production companyABC Circle Films
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseMarch 1, 1976 (1976-03-01)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Young Pioneers is a 1976 American Western television film which aired in March 1976 on ABC.[1] Elements of novels Let the Hurricane Roar and Free Land by Rose Wilder Lane (daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder) were used as the basis for the movie,[2] with Roger Kern and Linda Purl starring as the focal characters David and Molly Beaton.[3] Although produced as a TV series pilot by ABC Circle Films[4] and ranked #7 in the Nielsen ratings for the week it aired,[5] the movie was not immediately picked up by ABC as a series.[6] A second pilot attempt was made in December 1976 with Young Pioneers' Christmas,[7] but ranked lower at #37 in the Nielsen ratings.[8] In 1978 The Young Pioneers (miniseries) was broadcast.[9]

  1. ^ “‘Young Pioneers’ brave raw Dakota wilderness.” Austin Daily Herald, 17 February 1976.
  2. ^ “TV Scout Reports.” The Times and Democrat, 1 March 1976.
  3. ^ O’Connor, John J. “”Young Pioneers’ Offers Good Family Entertainment.” The Missoulian, 6 March 1976.
  4. ^ “Inside TV: ‘Angels’ to Star Wayne Rogers.” Los Angeles Times, 4 December 1975.
  5. ^ Deeb, Gary. “Happy Days for ABC.” Chicago Tribune, 13 March 1978.
  6. ^ Hanauer, Joan. “ABC, its power growing, list fall schedule.” The Times-Standard, 2 April 1976.
  7. ^ Hanauer, Joan. “Old Pilots Don’t Die.” The Daily Register, 1 June 1976.
  8. ^ “Christmas Specials Top Week’s Nielsen Ranking.” Los Angeles Times, 22 December 1976.
  9. ^ Lee Margulies, Trial Run for Young Pioneers, The Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1978, page 32