Maverick

Bret Maverick (James Garner) - and later his younger brother Bart (Jack Kelly), cousin Beau (Roger Moore), and younger brother Brent (Robert Colbert) - didn't behave the way we've come to expect from our cowboy heroes. Bret Maverick, the gentle grifter who made a living playing cards and who preferred thinking rather than shooting his way out of trouble, was no one's idea of a traditional Western hero.On Sunday evening millions of people tuned in to watch the fresh, hip show that became the Western among Westerns, and a bona fide television legend that burned itself indelibly in the hearts and minds of its vast television audience.Like most legends, Maverick's history is based as much on myth as on fact. Maverick: Legend of the West examines the myths and the realties, what made the show work during its first two seasons and how backstage struggles drove away the two key components behind the show's success - creator/producer Roy Huggins and star James Garner.Ed Robertson explores the history of this unconventional Western with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and recollections from many of the show's key participants - it's filled with as many plot twists as any given episode of the series.