An Introduction to Then Came Bronson

[@Wootangtw]

I was only 6 years old in 1969 but I remember watching them came Bronson every week… I remember putting a blanket on the handlebars of my mini bike… I thought I was him… I loved that show

[@buickman4878]

That's really cool! Thanks for watching!

[@surfkat59]

I was 9 in 1969. My dad and I watched every episode. A great TV show. A remake of it would be a good idea.❤

[@buickman4878]

That's a great story! I agree, a remake or a movie or something! Thanks for watching!

[@surfkat59]

@@buickman4878 Keeanu Reeves would be perfect for the role.

[@buickman4878]

@@surfkat59 Maybe he would!

[@helennieuwenhuis1528]

I was 14 and still remember watching the first episode, and every episode there after. I loved the show and never forgot the impact it had on me. 💞

[@buickman4878]

Thank you Helen, same for me as well! Thanks for watching!

[@littledebby365]

I was 13 and remember watching it with Dad. He would sigh just like the commuter in the sedan. It was a huge influence. I was supposed to grow up and become an illustrator. Instead I became a trucker. Haaaaaa!

[@joelmogensen579]

Same here. I was 14 and had spent the summer of '69 incarcerated on a Nazi (German immigrant) dairy farm in Wisconsin for $10 a week and room and board. To see Bronson cruising the beautiful western states was like therapy to me, although I'd yet to hear that term.

[@ChrisHansonCanada]

Children had more intelligence back in those days to appreciate a series with good dialogue, compelling stories, and good actors. I can't imagine a child of 2022 watching the show now for more than two minutes before losing interest. I'm currently watching the complete series and love it.

[@buickman4878]

I agree with you! Thanks for watching!

[@user-du7pe6pm7d]

where did ya get the full series - most I have seen is in very bad shape - quality less than a VHS -

[@MrSoxfan56]

I love this. I own a 1968 XLCH 900cc Sportster, I still have it. I bought it new from Rieman's Harley in Kewanee, Illinois. Roger Reiman was the top road racer in the world at that time and he was also the main mechanic for Evil Knievel when he was doing his jumps. I thought I was Bronson every time I rode my bike. I had the navy watch cap, and the sunglasses, I put the Bronson eye on the tank. My wife was not impressed. She said the bike was the only think of any resemblance of the show. To this day when I ride my sportster, it gets a lot of looks and I am constantly being asked questions about it.

[@buickman4878]

Great story! Thanks for watching!

[@KB-eo9bu]

Buick Man My dad loved the Opening of this show and always drove Station Wagons. He was a Musician Music Teacher and Assistant Music Director. When the guy says I wish I was you and Bronson says Well Hang In There he Laughed like Crazy. Latter I got to feel that Freedom when I Enlisted in the Navy in the early 70'S. My Duty Stations were in Alameda California for two years and San Diego for two years. Bought two Motorcycles in four years and covered Northern California and Southern California riding those Bikes 🏍 Thanks For That!

[@buickman4878]

Great story! Thank you for your service! And thanks for watching!

[@rustymacneil3227]

Absolutely!!! I was sixteen and my life was set. I'm 70 now, still in the saddle!!!

[@buickman4878]

Good for you! What do you ride?

[@rustymacneil3227]

@@buickman4878 Now, 99 SERG

[@SteveOshiro]

I was 10 years old when this show came on, and "The Forest Primeval" was my favorite episode. First had a Yamaha Mini Enduro, then later a Hodaka Super Rat. Rode a Yamaha AT125 in college. Quit riding for 25 years until I went riding with a work buddy. Eventually got a Harley Sportster in red to pay homage to my early years watching TCB! Thanks for the memories!

[@buickman4878]

Great story! Thanks for watching!

[@bigdeal39]

One of my favorite Top five programs of ALL TIME ! I Have had several harleys...but my Sportster (my first and still have) is my favorite ! TCB man !!!

[@buickman4878]

That is cool! What year is your Sportster?

[@leohorishny9561]

I just remembered this show, and, I don't remember a lot about it, I don't think the motorcycle was the primary hook for me, but Michael Parks' character, and how he came across as a person, THAT made the most impression on me, I was 10 or 11, at the time. I am very disappointed that the show isn't available on reruns, but I appreciate that there are still many fans around who it made an impression on. Going down that long, lonesome highway.♥️👍🏻

[@buickman4878]

I get that. I liked the idea of the freedom of riding a motorcycle, I liked the bike and I like how Michael Parks was Jim Bronmson! Thanks for watching!

[@dapvettes]

I was 14 years old in 1969 and this was my favorite show on TV. In 1973 when I turned 18, I got a used 67 Sportster XLH and took off from Dallas Texas up into Banff Alberta, 4,500 miles trip for an 18 year old punk kid. The next 50+ years has seen me building choppers and I'm still riding the same 1974 Shovel Chopper I got back in 1974, yes, I'm its original owner. That chopper eventually got into Easyriders magazine and has been the basis of the 4 Chopper Hobo books I have written, all due to Then Came Bronson. Michael Parks, you were the best, RIP.

[@buickman4878]

Cool story! Thanks for watching!

[@douglangston]

Tom, Then Came Bronson had a parallel effect on my young life as it did yours. I was 11 and 12 years old during the 1969 and `70 series and I remember vividly being so excited that tonight my favorite TV show was on and I too laid on the living room floor in front of the TV so not to miss a single minute of the show. Come that Christmas I was so surprised to get the exact same 4 HP Sears mini bike that you had, and that night in 3 inches of snow and with the outside porch light on in the circle driveway, I rode it until I was almost frozen. (it really got so much colder back then) Come spring, I took the muffler off and found a foot long threaded galvanized piece of pipe and I really started to make some noise. ( our poor neighbors) I would ride literally for hours out our gravel driveway that made a circle at the house then went about a half a mile to a paved county road that headed towards town. Up and down and up and down our driveway singing Long Lonesome Highway for hours on end. It literally was heaven on earth for me. I was so lucky to have a dad that understood my new found passion and never once complained about buying the hundreds of gallons of gas that I would use. At junior high school I would sign all the paperwork that I handed in with a small JB encircled and placed it just above the g in my first name. My own little trademark. I carried this practice on all the way thru high school, to the last day. Being more than heart broken when the series cancelled, this was the way that I was determined to keep the Then Came Bronson dream alive for me. When your at such a young age as we were then, and without realizing it, you look around for a role model and thank god Michael Parks and this show was there for us. Such a free spirited, simple, god fearing soul, perfectly written by talented writers and played by our hero. It hurts me to say that todays generation most likely will never be touched in the same way or will ever know the level of joy that this man and this short lived series has given to us. Now looking back, truly a lifetime of of the best possible memories.....

[@buickman4878]

You have a great story! I drew "All Seeing Eyes" on everything in high school. Thanks for watching!

[@hannahbanannah3245]

GREAT JOB, Tom! It’ll be fun to watch this channel grow; I’m sure that it will make MANY Bronson - and Harley - fans very happy, and . . . make NEW FANS of 'your' passion!' You’ll become KNOWN, as THE Go-To Source for All Things TCB - Then Came Bronson 🏍!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks Ed! I don't want to be a "know it all" but I have learned a lot over the years!

[@Thedosh5824]

OMGee. You just spoke my childhood. I was 9 in 69 and road a minitrail 50 with my blue bene hat on and then graduated to a 1972 SL 100! Thank you for the memories.

[@buickman4878]

Cool story! Thanks for watching!

[@hurlburt808]

Wow it was like you where in my head ....i was 13 watching sitting on the cold tarazel floor. With my eyes glued to the T.V. Major flash back!

[@buickman4878]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!

[@hcanderson3787]

I love this movie! I discovered it as a teenager and always thought it was feature quality. Didn't realize it was a pilot! Thanks so much!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrGardman]

That TV show had a profound effect on many people. I think Michael Parks would be proud for his legacy from "Then Came Bronson".

[@buickman4878]

Yes I think so too! Thanks for watching!

[@scotttitus7479]

I will never forget what that show did for me I was 9 yrs old to me it was and still is the best show that ever came out of Hollywood and how it inspired so many young people it's such a shame that Hollywood puts out so much trash nowadays I still watch old episodes of Bronson just something about that show it's clean America needs another Bronson any way thanks for what you did I truly appreciate you

[@buickman4878]

I agree with you! Thank you and Thanks for watching!

[@doloresshawe-wj3dc]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ HIM FOREVER!!!

[@bobnagy9084]

Wow, that brought back so many memories. Well done!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks Bob!

[@DaveDanger-v9g]

Back in the late 70's & early 80's I rode high way 1 many many times. All over San Francisco And Sausalito. And noth of there. Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Napa, Cloverdale, Guyserville , petaluma, Gurnville, all over. Ot was greate.

[@buickman4878]

That's awesome you got to ride in the filming locations! Thanks for watching!

[@DaveDanger-v9g]

@@buickman4878 👍

[@jerseycowboy1]

It was an interesting series that opened my eyes to life's journey. Being young it gave me a lot to look forward too.

[@buickman4878]

I agree 100% Thanks for watching!

[@GlaucoAlves]

Thanks for making this video! I wasn't born back then, but once I watched a few minutes from this show a few years ago, I was hooked and tried to find as many episodes as possible. I grew up loving bikes, specially Harleys. And my current bike is a Sportster. Looking forward watching your other videos on the subject. Your Bronson replica bike looks amazing, well done! One thing I also appreciate you for bringing up, is the fact that Bronson was not a druggie or alcoholic hell raiser type of biker, he was genuinely a good man.

[@buickman4878]

I am glad younger folks like TCB. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelfleming40]

I learned how to ride a bicycle during the Summer of 1969. Yes I was a little late in the bicycle riding adventure - 9 years old. However I made up for lost time. I LOVED that show Then Came Bronson. It showed me a man, a role model that exhibited freedom of the open road and the fact that motorcycles could be fun. My first motorcycle was a 1975 Honda Z50 Mini Trail, my second one was a 1980 Honda XL 100cc dual sport. Back when TCB was on, they were called motosports. My third motorcycle was a 1986 Honda TR 200cc Fat Cat, and finally my final motorcycle was a 1975 Yamaha DT 250cc Enduro. Due to my eye sight not cooperating with me, I had to retire my days of riding motorcycles. I am NOT a happy camper having to do so. However I do have AWESOME memories of those days out on a cow trail plonking and having oodles of fun. 😊❤

[@buickman4878]

That's a great story! Thanks for watching!

[@maxieh01]

This is incredible!! I'm 65 now and this took me back to 1969/70! I loved the show and I too wanted to "drive down that long lonesome highway". My journey in some ways mirrored your's. From a used minibike to a '72 Honda SL100 to my first first Harley Sportster and now a Softail Heritage! Beautiful memories!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching Max!

[@iamanovercomer3253]

Back then there was less TV stations with more TV shows on than today 😂

[@buickman4878]

Funny but true and it was FREE! Thanks for watching!

[@stephaniebooth6169]

Thank you ,I also loved this show

[@buickman4878]

Thanks Stephanie for watching!

[@craigreeves5195]

At 68 years old, still a passionate rider. I love the big muscle cruisers. It all started in elementary school, with my best friend and a couple of Honda Trail 90s and his huge 1.5 acre yard......and then, at 14 years old... "Then Came Bronson".... Like you, and many others, the program with Michael Parks left a huge impact on me. Thank you for sharing this!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesschaeffer1770]

Just discovered this channel....so looking forward to the video in this series! Bronson was huge for me as a kid (15 years old at the time). Although Bronson had many cool adventures, and sometimes violence was unavoidable as a guy in a man's world, Bronson always chose peace whenever he could. The Vietnam War was at its peak at this time and millions demonstrated in the streets for an end to the slaughter in a foreign land and the stream of caskets coming back with American boys' remains. The Bronson character was like a deep breath of calm sanity in a crazy time. On another note, the music in the show was stellar. Great songs helped tell the stories and Parks did a fabulous job with pitch perfect vocal stylings. How I miss that character and this great show!

[@buickman4878]

I have to agree with you. And thanks for watching!

[@gerardlacey9384]

Absolutely wonderful video and subject, thank you so much. The way you describe your young discovery of Then came Bronson is a carbon copy of my own a few years later, it first aired in Ireland in the early 70s when I was about 13, and when I rode my bicycle I was Jim Bronson. I don't think my Dad liked me watching it in case I wanted a motorcycle but I was absolutely hooked, and my parents actually lent me the money to buy my first motorcycle when I was 17. Now all these years later I've had many, my pride and joy is my beautiful 1981 xs11oo which I've owned since 1983. Then came Bronson occupies a very special place in my heart and memories more than anything else (closely followed by Laurel and Hardy). Many thanks again Mr Buick man!, I look forward to the rest of the videos and I will definitely try to order the dvd s. Best wishes. Gérard lacey in Ireland. X.

[@buickman4878]

Thank you Gerard! I enjoy doing these videos and trying to keep the memory alive!

[@wpiken]

Great video. I was 11 in 1969. I dreamed of hitting the road like Bronson. My first bike was a 1969 Honda 50 mini trail. I road my cousin’s 1973 Sportster when I was 15, never forgot the feeling it gave me. 25 years later I finally bought a sportster, the first of several bikes. I’m in my sixty’s now, still riding (3 Harleys and a Honda) and still dream of hitting the road. Nothing like a long stretch of empty highway, immersed in the scenery, the wind, and the drone of the bike. It’s like a runners high…

[@buickman4878]

I agree! Thanks for watching!

[@vinstyles]

love it. I was just a kid in Ireland and had just bought a new Honda 125cc SS. Bronson came on TV and my dad told me about it. This was 1970 and I had just gone 16.

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching!

[@microwizard7934]

I to was a fan of Then Came Bronson. I was born in 1955, and loved watching the series. I went a different direction and rode mostly off road and raced hare scrambles. I never fell in love with Harley, but once worked at a motorcycle shop in the mid 1970's that repaired them. This gave me an opportunity to ride Harley, Triumph, Norton, and many other machines. I have own more bikes than I can member, here are the brands I have owned, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Can-Am, KTM-Husaberg. I love Easy Rider and On any Sunday. I have ridden from Kentucky to California. I was puzzled by the people that would tow their bike to Sturgis instead of riding it there. I rode to Sturgis just days before the rally. I think I have watch all of your TCB episodes, what a good job.

[@buickman4878]

Great story, I too worked at a Harley dealer. Thanks for watching!

[@gregscavuzzo5457]

I loved this show when I was a kid, I talked about it so much my parents and friends started calling me Bronson, and still do today, I even use it as my handle on KZbin and Google

[@buickman4878]

Cool story! Thanks for watching!

[@masonette25]

Just discovered this channel. Great stuff! I love TCB to this day. Thanks again.

[@buickman4878]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@scottteeters5780]

Hey Buck, I too was on the living room floor and was completely taken in by the show. I didn't get into motorcycles until 1977 and never had any H-D bikes, but I road a lot for 7 years, had a great time, no accidents, no mishaps. Thanks for doing this!

[@buickman4878]

You bet! Tanks for watching!

[@williamkaono1239]

I too was inspired by this TV series. I bought the model kit of Bronson motorcycle and loved Harley Sportsters ever since. I own a 08 Harley Sportster 1200 Custom but will never come close to the “69. Someday one my come my way. I gotta “Just Hang In There”

[@buickman4878]

Great story! Thanks for watching!

[@peterlepore2726]

the show got me hooked on riding 50 years later still riding also never wanted to be that guy in the station wagon RIP michael parks

[@buickman4878]

Yep, me too! Thanks for watching!

[@cullingthegenepool6842]

My Dad loved this show. So much, that I bought him the Michael Parks album with the title track on it. Rollin down that long lonesome highway.

[@buickman4878]

He must be my age! Thanks for watching!

[@patrickwhanrahan4091]

I watched every show, I was 12 at the time. When I was 20 I bought a bike and quit my job and headed west by myself with 800 dollars, what a adventure,

[@buickman4878]

Amazing how TCB had such an influence. Good for you!

[@GR-gr6kd]

I was 10 when the show first aired,it also inspired me to ride motorcycles,and wanted even to be Bronson when I grew up.i would take an audio tape recorder and make my family be quite while recording each episode, than play them back,I remember all the cigarette ads.would love to have a replica bike,never see them for sale,imagine they would be expensive to build? Thank you for preserving the show,I have them on dvds from a guy in Canada who recorded them off the tuner broadcast network. Hang in there

[@buickman4878]

That was a good idea recording the show like that! Thanks for watching!

[@user-du7pe6pm7d]

Boy would I like to have a few of the ones or copies of the ones with good quality - it helped me to see a better life for my future - i own 8 bikes even now - am getting to the shape of not being able to ride - but still have my dreams of grandeur -- hehehehehe

[@lolajoker]

I was 7 and 8 years old when the show aired and it was one of my favorite shows at the time and never missed an episode. I remember being so mad when the show didn't return the next season. Michael Parks always reminded me of James Dean. I have always enjoyed any movie or TV show he was later in.

[@buickman4878]

Me too!

[@johnc2797]

Thank you 👍

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching John!

[@edwardcrone2465]

I was 11, got the same the itch, I remember the cl 100s,had a carb restrictor to keep at five hp. I got a 1972 Yamaha at2 125 enduro, I have had six in the last 52 years still have1974 Yamaha dt 360 and triumph 2001 thunderbird. Love Michael parks. The king of cool. I think i will go for a ride tommorow.

[@buickman4878]

Yes my Cl was a CL100s with the restriction until I turned 16. Thanks for watching!

[@destinationsroadslesstraveled]

I remember watching some of the shows when I was young. Not more than a few years later by age fifteen I was on the road hitchiking in Canada spent many years hitching around North America. Now decades later wandering throughout Southeast Asia.

[@buickman4878]

With out a motorcycle? Very cool!

[@robertmayer2071]

i remember watching bronson as a 7 year old kid yea it changed me

[@buickman4878]

Yep, me too! Thanks for watching!

[@sharonboswell5504]

Love it!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks!

[@Winter_Sportster]

We are Kindred Spirits sir, though you were able to do the dream MUCH more justice. Like yourself, and many others here, the TV show changed me. Living in a small town, just off a major state road (at the time), the one thing I wanted was freedom to travel. The thought of a guy taking off on his own, with minimal gear, going places and having adventures was exactly what I'd already dreamed about, even before this show was aired. TCB set the fantasy in concrete. My imagination was new and young enough to transform my Schwinn "Stingray" into a "Bronson Bike"---I'd later learn that it was called a Sportster---and my adventures were created in my mind as I road it in the streets of my hometown. It would be several years and many miles later on a my first motorcycle, a much-previously-abused Honda 305 "Super Hawk, before I was just barely able to purchase the bike of my dreams, an XLCH Sportster. The bike was incredibly expensive by our standards of the time, and you could buy a pretty nice used car for the $2400 I talked a local banker into lending me. I knew from the start that I'd have to treat it like a car, riding it in all weather, and only freeloading from my friends when the roads were icy. But I had my Sportster, and was happily willing to live on TV dinners and food from generous friends to help me meet the payments. The Sportster didn't kill me, and I still have it today, unmodified, having only swapped a few tires and a main sprocket ( I was a while learning about proper chain tension), and it still runs, though its road time is over for me. Thank you for this video and those to come. Sincerely, Kim

[@jerryfaulkenbery4929]

Really loved that show! It is the reason I rode!

[@buickman4878]

Yep me too!

[@omahaL98]

Yeah I remembered the show as 9/10 year old in 1969 & 1970, I wanted to be like him and get motorcycle like his his Harley Davidson Sportster what a show.

[@buickman4878]

Like many of us! Thanks for watching!

[@martincvitkovich724]

As a restless teen in 1969 after graduating from high school, I got a job to pay for a used 1964 BSA Thunderbolt. Influenced by TCB I spent the summer of 1970 with 4 other riders on a trip from S/W Ohio up into Ontario Canada. I documented that trip in my book "Split the Early Years: a Psychedelic Motorcycle Adventure""

[@barrettsmithrdroad5160]

Great show

[@buickman4878]

I agree!

[@Paquitin]

Thanks, didn’t know there was a following for this show that I loved as a kid.

[@buickman4878]

Yep, not a lot of us around but there are a few.

[@hardwirejc1]

Kool thank you I’ll be hanging in there Brother

[@buickman4878]

Good deal! Thanks for watching!

[@misterk4580]

Nice work. Have you seen this?...... The guy in the wagon.... FIRST CAME BRONSON, NEXT CAME KLITSNER, THEN CAME GREENE Bob Greene CHICAGO TRIBUNE `They just wanted me to play a harried business guy. They wanted me to portray a guy who had to do the same thing every day, day after day -- a guy who is sitting there in traffic, and is stuck in the monotonous commute he's stuck in every day. And then he looks out the window of his car and he sees someone who gets to live a different way." The person speaking -- Stu Klitsner, 74 -- was telling me about a small part he played in a pilot for a television series more than 30 years ago. As you know if you visit this space every day, the TV pilot turned into a series -- "Then Came Bronson" -- that ran for only one season: 1969-'70. I loved that series -- and especially the brief scene that opened every episode. Through the craziness of current-day communications, a reader in Salem, Ore. -- Bruce Bjorkman -- read, on his computer screen, my recent ramblings about "Then Came Bronson," and wrote me that he knew the man who had played the middle-age businessman in that opening scene. The man, Bjorkman told me, had been a counselor at the northern California junior high school where Bjorkman had been a student in the late '60s. The counselor had also been an aspiring actor -- his name was Stu Klitsner. One day he had been hired for a brief part in a new TV show. So one thing led to another, and I was able to find Stu Klitsner in Walnut Creek, Calif., where he and his wife of 49 years live in the house where they have lived for more than 40 years. He was surprised that anyone would take the trouble to look for him -- but he remembered well the scene that was so indelible to me and, or so I am hearing, to a lot of other people. "We shot it in San Francisco, on Lombard Street," he said. "I wore my own clothes -- I think I may have driven my own car. We got it in two or three takes." In the scene, Klitsner, playing the tired businessman, pulls up to a red light. There he encounters Bronson -- played by actor Michael Parks. Bronson is on his motorcycle, heading out to find whatever he can find in America. Their brief conversation at the traffic light -- I described it in Tuesday's column -- set the tone for the show. "I don't think the producers knew they were going to use it to start every episode," Klitsner told me. "But then I guess they realized that it summed up the essence of the show in a very few words. "That scene represented what a lot of guys would say, if they could express their feelings about what they want in their lives, and what is missing. That yearning to try something that will set them free -- that one thing they want to do but they're afraid to do. They're scared -- they're tied into the security they have worked for, so they don't go after the dream. The guy I played -- the guy at the traffic light -- represents who they are. Bronson represented what they wished they could be." Klitsner said that, at 74, he is pleased with how his life has turned out. He spent all his adult years working as a school counselor, and was able to do some acting on the side on days off; he and his wife raised three children, and he has few regrets. But does he ever wish that he had pulled a Bronson -- that he had defied convention, and given everything up to chase a distant dream? "Sure," he said. "I was envious of Bronson, and the chances he was taking. To live freely, without being tied down to a routine. But he was just a TV character -- and I was just the other character in the next car." I thanked Klitsner for his time, and said that I had to ask him a big favor. It might sound stupid to him -- but I had waited all these years, and I had finally found him. I asked him to run through that opening scene with me. "On the phone?" he said. "Yes," I said. "Who plays who?" he said. "You be you," I said. "I'll be Bronson." And so we did it. Same exact dialogue. MR. KLITSNER: "Takin' a trip?" MR. GREENE: "What's that?" MR. KLITSNER: "Takin' a trip?" MR. GREENE: "Yeah." MR. KLITSNER: "Where to?" MR. GREENE: "Oh, I don't know . . . wherever I end up, I guess." MR. KLITSNER (after a pensive pause): "Man, I wish I was you." MR. GREENE (sounding a little surprised): "Really?" MR. KLITSNER: "Yeah." MR. GREENE: "Well . . . hang in there." You know, there are days when I really love this job.

[@buickman4878]

Yes I have, that was a great article! Thanks for watching!

[@plutoplatters]

Aired 2 months after the Moon walk ! Still remember looking at the Moon that night... seems about 930 pm was when they stepped on it !

[@buickman4878]

Interesting. Thanks for watching!

[@ernieroberts56]

Thanks

[@buickman4878]

You Bet!

[@JC-hs6yk]

Then Came Bronson was my start as well.

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching JC!

[@covercalls88]

I remember the show and enjoyed it, but what had a greater influence on me was the movie On Any Sunday. I have owned 20 bikes in my life time of riding. My first bike was a Honda SL 350. The smallest was a Honda CT70 and the largest was Honda Goldmine Interstate. I owned just about every type of bike from trail, MX, cruisers, rice rockets, to touring.

[@buickman4878]

I watched On Any Sunday and then wanted a dirt bike. Did some Enduros back in the day. Thanks for watching!

[@peterhulse1064]

I was crazy for this show as well. He was was so cool and I so wasn't. Even then I realized some shots were "overproduced" but I still loved it. Still a fan of Michael Parks.

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching!

[@WesB1972]

I bought a New CB750 Honda in 1969.I never missed an episode and I wanted to do what he did (go on the road). I was 27 years old with a wife, a child, and job and it was no to be. Many years later I was able to travel many times on a different Honda. I loved the adventure of the open road. The line where Bronson says that you are only as old as you think you are makes me want another motorcycle. I don't know ???

[@buickman4878]

Great story! Nothing wrong with wanting another motorcycle.

[@PaulMattoon-d2c]

Good stuff.

[@buickman4878]

Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@tomkozic8505]

Great job on these videos!

[@buickman4878]

Thanks!

[@garydelozier5195]

When are they ever going to remaster and release the DVD set?

[@buickman4878]

I have contacted Warner Brothers to ask that question since they have released the Pilot movie that started it all. No reply. If you go to jimbronson.com and click on the STORE tab you can order a set of DVD's in pretty good quality. Thanks for watching.

[@bobbywarren6583]

Me too ! Mini bike and up to the sportster

[@buickman4878]

Wow, that's cool! Thanks for watching!

[@electroncreations5724]

I'm one of the girls that absolutely loved this show! I was 13 when it started (66 now). I owned 5 motorcycles in my life. Unfortunately, health issues prevent me from riding now. I did have fun while I was able, though. I am trying to find the link to buy the DVDs on your site, but can't find it. Thank you for posting these! --Cindi

[@buickman4878]

That is awesome that you ride because of Then Came Bronson! www.jimbronson.com look for the store tab and there you will see the DVD's you can order for the TV show.

[@electroncreations5724]

@@buickman4878 Thank you! It was one of my favorite shows back in the day, along with Room-222. My late brother (17 at the time) had a 1949 Indian Chief back then. I used to sit on it and pretend I was riding all over the place. I wanted to get myself a Honda-50 step-through, but my mother wouldn't hear of it. I eventually restored one 30 years later! --Cindi

[@buickman4878]

@@electroncreations5724 Great story's! I hope you are able to order the DVD's.

[@electroncreations5724]

@@buickman4878 Will try and order in a couple of days when my CC statement closes. :)

[@williammiller1732]

I was six this movie on any Sunday n easy rider wrapped my life Of course my dad being a Harley guy meant my six year old self got to stay up on wed nights two hours past bed time oh yes I've been riding for 44 years and three sportdters so far the latest Ami after my grand daughter Bronson well you get it

[@buickman4878]

Great story and thanks for watching!

[@796andy2]

this and on any Sunday ruined me !! still riding at 63 😂😂

[@buickman4878]

Yep I remember watching those too. And I'm still riding at 68! Thanks for watching!

[@mountainmanws]

Me too. I drove through the U.S. and Germany. That gas tank is on the smallish size? 75-mile range?

[@buickman4878]

Back in 1974 the speed limit on the interstate was 55 and i could go about 90 miles before reserve and then I was sweating it out trying to find a gas station. Thanks for watching!

[@mtw56or]

Had a 1967 XLCH hell of a bike

[@buickman4878]

Cool!

[@kennykittrell2549]

I would like to connect with you and show you a new thing about this show. About how his grandson followed in his footsteps and how his legacy lives on today.

[@buickman4878]

I would like to hear about that. Can you tell me here so others can benefit as well?

[@kennykittrell2549]

His grandson buys a Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster and is riding now in Texas.

[@buickman4878]

Wow, that is cool! Thanks for the info!

[@markthomsen51]

Gosh, me too, 13 yo, begging my father to stay up to watch Bronson at 10 PM.

[@buickman4878]

Yep, there are many of us out here. Thanks for watching!

[@markwilliamson2795]

I remember ...I am 69 years old now....

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching!

[@robstar5750]

Do you know where I can get a copy of all episodes? Or whether any TV station will show reruns? Thanks for loading.

[@buickman4878]

Go to WWW.jimbronson.com and click on the STORE button

[@robertmaleski3679]

Time stood still that night when Bronson was at the stoplight I wear a watch cap and got to run down rebel 250 with duct tape but in my heart I'm Jim Bronson and I'm hanging in there the bobster 2022

[@user-du7pe6pm7d]

LUV the group pic of the dudes at what looks like the Tetons in the background - - after getting out of the military and wondering which way to go after Nam -- I had a thousand dollars in my pocket - but the banks would not loan me money for a bike because of my service ending -- So I just Hoofed it across the country back in 74 - 86 - the Best Times in America - with everything I owned in a backpack i bought at a thrift store in Missoula Montana --- Long gone and Lost to the Almighty dollar and evil politicians -- aka - Mobsters ---- I have a few bikes these days - Still not able to recreate the wonderment of olden days - people - seem to be Different - Enchantment of comradery -- is Lost to the enchantment of trinkets - and a dollar -- But anyway -- Lets hang in there --

[@buickman4878]

You are correct about the photo. One of the filming locations. I here you! Thanks for watching!

[@user-du7pe6pm7d]

@@buickman4878 - funny - I checked my comment after the reply - Some of it had gotten corrupted somehow - so I fixed on it -- ahahahahaha - do you Bike any now days - I'm at the age of riding around now days in a truck with lounge chairs and 11 speaker music systems for entertainment - me and my wife get lost and sleep in the truck in said lounge seats - from sometimes at the beach - to sometimes above the clouds even - I have in the past - Slept out on the ground in Freezing weather just to enjoy the Tetons - it was beyond reality as most know it -- with rainbow trout for breakfast -- the word paradise comes to mind -- good luck to ya in these endeavors -- and keep the "Ride On" --

[@dwightdowson9259]

Mr.Parks captured our imagination....

[@buickman4878]

He sure did! thank you for watching!

[@richardmoorer2668]

I wonder what the triangle design on the tank represents

[@buickman4878]

Keep watching my videos to find out. Thanks for watching!

[@MichelleTriesteResilientRoads]

Where can you download or buy the series?

[@buickman4878]

go to www.jimbronson.com and click on the Store Tab, there is a link.

[@MichelleTriesteResilientRoads]

@@buickman4878 Live your videos. Thank you 😎✌🏻

[@buickman4878]

@@MichelleTriesteResilientRoads Thank you for watching!

[@donnorrid9172]

The one episode I remember he scraping bricks somewhere.

[@buickman4878]

That's actually in the pilot movie. You can get the movie on Amazon for under $20. Thanks for watching!

[@DaveDanger-v9g]

I still ride a red Sporty.

[@buickman4878]

Good for you! Thanks for watching!

[@plutoplatters]

It's weird... when we go to 2 wheels from 4 .... it's called an Adventure !

[@buickman4878]

I agree! Thanks for watching!

[@ItsVideos]

Do you happen to know what company was the main sponsor of the show? A guy in a discussion forum asked if anyone knew of a 60s TV show that was similar to Route 66 and whose sponsor was Ford or Ford Autolite. The only 60s show I can think of that was similar to TCB was Route 66. (If you haven't watched Route 66 check it out. Instead of a guy traveling around on a Harley, it's 2 guys traveling around in a Corvette.) The only 60s show I can think of that was sponsored by Ford was The Andy Griffith Show. Maybe the discussion forum guy was mixing up shows in his mind. Anyhow, watching your video I had a few "me toos ". TCB was a great mental escape for me in '69. I know highway 191 well. My first bike was a Honda CL175, 2nd bike was a Honda CX500, and my 3rd bike was, and still is, the Honda Davidson you show at 3:26. Looks better than the real Bronson bike IMO. Hmmm. It gets me thinking... What's the name of that red paint you used, and where can I get a couple of those triangle eyeball decals?

[@buickman4878]

I do not remember any specific sponsors for TCB. I have watched Route 66 a few times. So you have a Honda Shadow Spirit 1100? I have used several different reds over the years. It's about half way between red and orange. I had a local sign shop make the decals. There might be some available on Ebay. Thanks for watching!

[@ItsVideos]

@@buickman4878 When you were doing the work on the Honda VT1100, did you do any restoration on the front fork aluminum lower cases? Mine are pitted and have some corrosion. I'm open to suggestions about good ways to make them look new again.

[@buickman4878]

@@ItsVideos No, mine were in good shape, maybe some steel wool 0000 or aluminum polish maybe. Good luck!

[@Flavum]

Lying on the living room floor, not laying.

[@buickman4878]

Sorry, I stand corrected. Thanks for watching!

[@patricksullivan8268]

Action Coordinator: Bud Ekins. I don't think he landed that jump in the sand in the intro.

[@buickman4878]

OK, why do you think that?

[@patricksullivan8268]

@@buickman4878 he came down crooked and they cut to a scene far away from the 'cliff'. If jumped cleanly, I think they would've kept the whole clip. Hey, thanks for these videos; I found them last night and have watched up to eps 20 so far. Very cool.

[@buickman4878]

You may be right about that scene. Thanks for watching!

[@johnbowman1076]

I wonder what ever happened to the guy sitting in his car and wishing he was free as Bronson.

[@buickman4878]

He's still around.

[@acim2228]

In the opening shot hes riding a dirt bike. i was 13 and saw this show and had to have a XLCH after yrs later I was bartending in comes mr parks I buy him a steilager and told him I loved the show he looked pissed off and soon he turned from the stool and walked out ,no thanks no tip just gone. I heard after he was a dick and I found it to be true. ive had 10 Harley 3 sportsters and today I a have a 2024 low rider st the big boy sportster im 71 and still do a 100mph on big island hawaii. c ya. p.s. im taking her to the mainland again this oct to my mom 91 and rip up lotta highways maybe ill get a little black Bennie ha

[@jamestiscareno4387]

69 was a time of cultural societal chaos in America, not completely but it was a time of searching for one's self idenity and the freedom to live life however you wished to do so.

[@buickman4878]

Very true James! Thanks for watching!

[@Yeakerr]

The cartoon drawing in beginning is wrong we didn't have remotes you had to physically turn knob of tv.

[@buickman4878]

You are correct, I was the remote for my dad and I sat close up to the TV! Thanks for watching!

[@ronaldgrant8501]

That show inspired me to buy a 1973 1000 cc sportster, and still at 71 still ride , only a bagger now .

[@buickman4878]

I bought a 1974 XLH because of that show! Thanks for watching!

[@scotttitus7479]

Just wondering how many of your viewers bought their Sportster because of Bronson

[@buickman4878]

I have heard of many and others that just bought a motorcycle because of the show even though it wasn't a Sportster. Thanks for watching!

[@scvandy3129]

I really admire, like and appreciate “Then Came Bronson.” That said . . . Why not maintain the aspect ratio that you saw on Ch. 4 / NBC, the industry standard for decades of 4x3, 1.33 : 1 from traditional, near-squarish 35 mm prints? 4:05 We’re past the 4:00 mark when we finally get to the meat of the video, the show itself. Quite frankly I think you might have already lost part of your audience with only ‘Buick Man”’s motorcycle stuff -- and not “Bronson” stuff. You’re veering away from the series too much. I can definitely hear certain demographics of the audience, including lots of females -- who LOVE “TCB” -- getting bored, turned off by the on-going, technical jargon of different bikes. You're faced with a dilemma -- focusing on the movie and the series, or spouting off reams of facts about various bikes and your own, precious memories. But since you titled your series, "TCB" Keeping the Memory Alive, that trumps the show over the hardware. 4:20 “ . . . aired Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. Central Time.” Ed. - when one specifies "night," where ALL primetime network programming is anyway, it’s redundant and unnecessary to place “p.m.” after the specified hour. "O'clock" works; or "9" by itself; or Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Understandably you’re nostalgic for seeing it in YOUR home’s time zone. But on a KZbin presentation, audience consideration and the broadcast industry standard trumps nostalgia, so: Wednesdays at 10 (10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT and 8 p.m. MT). 4:29 - 4: 31 “ . . . produced by MGM Television.” That’s about the only time you mention the studio; commenting much more about NBC as if the network -- which was merely selling commercial time to advertisers to fund paying a license fee to MGM to cover a substantial portion of the costs to produce the show. 4:33 “ . . . began with a film pilot movie” “Buick Man,” that trio of words sounds redundant and convoluted. “ . . . like most series began with a pilot, i.e., first episode, which in “Bronson”’s case was two hours that NBC scheduled as a movie. MGM-TV’s sister division, MGM International set it up as a theatrical release in Europe and elsewhere, generated revenue to recoup some of the considerable production costs that the network’s license fee didn’t adequately cover.” 4:40 - 4:47 “The pilot movie was also released in Europe as a theatrical feature film.“ . . . “You had to go to a movie theater to see it.” Isn’t that the norm for ‘theatrical film’ -- going to a theater to see one? What’s remarkable about the DVD viewing is that it’s seamless, i.e., wherever the commercial breaks were aren’t blatantly obvious. Here's a doozy: 4:48 - 4:54 “Most people don’t realize the pilot movie was based on a real person by the name of Birney Jarvis.” How does one qualify a statement like that? It wasn’t a government secret. Even mildly curious can / will make the Jarvis - “TCB” connection. 5:46 - 5:50 “The movie and all 26 episodes were all filmed on location -- not on a studio backlot.” True about the series; incorrect re the movie. Within the 28-day filming schedule, from Nov. 7, 1968 to Dec. 11, a total of six days were spent at MGM Studios in Culver City, Calif. TMI or for the ultra-curious: Four days indoor on stages for filming Bronson’s (Michael Parks) getting told off by his had-it-up-to-here editor, Carson (Bert Freed) and quitting; saying goodbye to Nick’s (Martin Sheen) widow Gloria (Sheree North) at their house and leaving $2,000 check for the bike; final act's multiple New Orleans hospital scenes. The company shot outdoor scenes the last two days on the studio’s legendary backlots: daytime campfire scene with eggs just for Bronson, nighttime rain effect resulting in Temple's (Bonnie Bedelia) scream, then "I'm sorry, Jim" and doubling up under the tarp; Temple’s sunny morning soaking in splendors of nature. Weeks later, the two washing themselves to remove the grime and oil in the artificial lake -- preheated by orders of production -- that stands in for the water source near New Orleans. That dialogue-rich scene was the last to film in the month-long shooting schedule. 5:53 - 5:59 “Each episode began with the following scene . . . “ -- would more accurately be worded as “Each episode began with a traditional main title with “TCB"‘s showing him departing San Francisco . . .“ (only because ‘scene’ implies original content within the story). 6:05 - 7:26 “Let’s watch the credits of a typical weekly episode.” Sure, they’re BEAUTIFUL. But ideally, as referenced at the beginning, why not as you saw as a kid on your Zenith and was meant to be seen? Please, not this desperate, amateurish attempt at ‘widescreen’ or 16 x 9 that looks horrendous. It has a cold, antiseptic computer-manufactured look, not rich, deep, true, ‘Metrocolor’ film stock of the era. Ditto end credits, 8:01 - 8: 43 Notice how the center is a bit bright and the four corners and edges appear shaded / darker? Looks like it’s shot by a camera off a monitor -- not a transfer. Michael Parks’ singing voice sounds hollow on this example. Whoever cut off the MGM lion roar at the tail did the series and viewers an injustice. Like I said, I really admire, like and appreciate “Then Came Bronson.”

[@buickman4878]

Thanks for watching my first ever KZbin video. You are correct about the pilot movie using back lots for some of the scenes. I stand corrected.