George Will’s Newsweek column this week was a topic on the radio this morning; in response I received the following interesting e-mail:

I’ve enjoyed your stint on the Bill Bennett radio show this week; I hope you are able to be on more often.
In the discussion about the 27 westerns in prime time in 1959 with strong male roles vs. today, someone noted that in today’s shows, the men were often single “divorced or widowers.” That compares closely to the westerns of the 50’s and 60’s. Just off the top of my head (and these may not be exactly the list from 1959, but my grandmother weaned me on western re-runs, so I think I’m close, and you’ll at least see the point): “Bonanza”; “Gunsmoke”; “Have Gun Will Travel”; “Rawhide”; “Wagon Train”; “The Rifleman”; “Wanted Dead or Alive”; “Cimarron Strip”; “Maverick”; “The Virginian”; “The Lone Ranger”; “Cheyenne”; “Laredo” – all featured a single male as the lead role. Frankly, the only major ones I can remember from that entire era that had a major “wife” figure were “Daniel Boone” and “The High Chapparal.” Then there’s “The Big Valley,” featuring a very strong-willed matriarch (not many soft edges on how Barbara Stanwyck played that role).
Be that as it may, there’s certainly been a decline in strong male leads on television. The success of “NCIS” would lead one to believe there’s still an appetite, though.