Bigger and Better Things
Photo: trendchaser
As I mentioned above, Sam Peckinpah played a major part in making The Rifleman as realistic and gritty as possible thanks to his experience of growing up on a ranch. He was able to make the scripts gripping and engaging for viewers, but unfortunately he was only around for the first season. Peckinpah left shortly thereafter to apply his talents towards other projects, most notably the feature length films Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch.