The Big Valley Coming to the Big Screen?

Today's Los Angeles Times reports that a movie remake of the '60s Western THE BIG VALLEY is in the works.

The original series, as fans of TV Westerns are aware, starred Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors, and Linda Evans.

No cast has been announced, but location filming is planned for next April.

The Times seems a bit dubious about whether the project will come to fruition; if it's not made, that may be a good thing. I saw probably every episode in reruns when I was growing up and wish the filmmakers would leave good enough alone. You've really got to wonder sometimes about the way modern Hollywood wants to reuse old material over and over, rather than coming up with new ideas.

In other '60s TV Westerns news, Ivan at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear notes the passing of Dallas McKennon, who played Cincinnatus on one of my very favorite childhood TV shows, DANIEL BOONE. He had over 160 movie and TV credits, including voicing the fox in MARY POPPINS (1964).

McKennon would have turned 90 on Sunday.