Death Valley Days

Starring: Stanley Andrews, Ronald Reagan, Rosemary DeCamp, Robert Taylor, Dale Roberton
First Aired: March 1, 1952
Number of Seasons: 18
Estimated Production Cost: $40,000*

The Death Valley Days television series, in contrast to some of the other short-lived shows we’ve discussed, was one of the longest-running programs of its period. The historical anthology series, which premiered in 1952 and ran for 18 seasons and 452 episodes, came to an end in 1970 after 452 episodes. In 1955, NBC broadcasted a similar anthology called Frontier, which included this Western (which is currently available to watch on Hulu for those who have a premium subscription). The Western series, presented by Walter Coy in 1955, was nominated for an Emmy award despite the fact that it only lasted for one season on television. The majority of the episodes of Death Valley Days were filmed in Los Angeles, with a few episodes being filmed in Kanab, Utah.

Death Valley Days

The Everglades

Starring: Gordon Casell, Ron Hayes
First Aired: October 9, 1961
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $300 for the land*

While the precise budget of this crime/nature adventure show is unknown, it was rumored that The Everglades was operating on an extremely tight operating budget. In order to produce this play, the land at the center of it, an acre in the Everglades National Park, was purchased for $300. Additionally, the episode was filmed at additional locales like Coopertown, Sweetwater, and Frog City, as well as Forty Mile Bend, which is located on the Tamiami Trail. The premise of this show, which featured Ron Hayes and Gordon Casell, revolved around Hayes’ character, Lincoln Vail, a police officer who journeyed across the Everglades by airboat, responding to pleas for aid and putting an end to criminal activity.

The Everglades