| Opentheme: | "Eyes of the Ranger" (performed by Chuck Norris) |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 9 |
| Num Episodes: | 203 (not incl. TV movie)[1] [2] |
| List Episodes: | List of Walker, Texas Ranger episodes |
| Runtime: | 43 minutes |
| Camera: | Single-camera |
| Network: | CBS |
| Related: | Sons of Thunder |
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division.[3] The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full seasons followed with new episodes airing from September 25, 1993, to May 19, 2001, and reruns continuing on CBS until July 28, 2001.[4] It has been broadcast in over 100 countries and spawned a 2005 television film entitled Trial by Fire. The film ended on a cliffhanger, which was never resolved. DVD sets of all seasons have been released (with the three pilots packaged with the first regular season). At various times since 1997, reruns of the show have aired, in syndication, on the USA Network and Action in Canada.
The series was noted for its moralistic style. The characters refrained from the use of drugs and participated in community service. Martial arts were displayed prominently as the primary tool of law enforcement, and occasionally as a tool for Walker and company to reach out to the community.[5] [6]
The show was initially developed by executive producer Allison Moore[7] and supervising producer J. Michael Straczynski when the series was still being produced by Cannon Television. While Straczynski had to depart to get his new series Babylon 5 on the air, executive producer David Moessinger remained to finish developing the series. The show is centered on Sergeant Cordell Walker (Norris), a Dallas–Fort Worth–based member of the Texas Rangers, a state-level bureau of investigation.[8] Walker was raised by his paternal uncle, an American Indian named Ray Firewalker (Floyd Red Crow Westerman, pilot episode, season 1; Apesanahkwat, season 2). The surname being, possibly, a nod to the 1986 Norris film, Firewalker. Cordell, prior to joining the Rangers, served in the Marines' elite Recon unit during the Vietnam War. Both Cordell and Uncle Ray share the values characteristic of Wild West sheriffs.[9]
His partner and best friend is James "Jimmy" Trivette (Clarence Gilyard), a former Dallas Cowboys player, "Go Long Trivette", who takes a more modern approach.[10] Walker's young partner grew up in Baltimore and used football as his ticket to college education. He was dropped from the team after he tore up his shoulder in a major game, which led to his career in the Rangers (often making references to watching the Lone Ranger and how C.D. Parker mentored him as a rookie officer). Trivette also works inside the office using computers and cellular phones to collate information of the people who have been taken into custody.
Walker also works closely with (and shares a mutual attraction to) Alexandra "Alex" Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), a Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney, who on occasion puts up a frown if Walker does not obtain results in time. He also gets advice on cases from C.D. Parker (Gailard Sartain, pilot season; Noble Willingham, seasons 1–7), a veteran Ranger (later inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame) who worked with Walker (and is the only character on the show to address Walker by his first name Cordell on a regular basis) until retiring to operate a small restaurant and bar called "CD's Bar and Grill", a restaurant widely known in the series for its chili. In season 7, two rookie Texas Rangers, Sydney Cooke (Nia Peeples), and Francis Gage (Judson Mills), are assigned under Walker and Trivette's command.
The series was well known during its run for its product placement deal with Chrysler, especially its Dodge division. After Walker used a GMC Sierra during the first season, he switched to the Dodge Ram (which at the start of the second season was completely redesigned for 1994), which would be advertised during commercial breaks. Other members of the cast often used other Chrysler vehicles, while villains would drive vehicles from General Motors or Ford Motor Company. This was not unlike The Andy Griffith Show, which exclusively used Ford vehicles due to a sponsorship deal with Andy Griffith. Coincidentally, the show ended just as Dodge was getting ready to redesign the Ram again for the 2002 model year. However the 2006 Dodge Ram SRT-10 was used in the movie Trial by Fire, driven by Walker.
See main article: List of Walker, Texas Ranger episodes.
See main article: List of Walker, Texas Ranger characters.
| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation | Seasons | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
| Cordell Walker | Texas Ranger | colspan="9" | |||||||||
| James Trivette | Texas Ranger | colspan="9" | |||||||||
| Alexandra Cahill | Assistant District Attorney | colspan="9" | |||||||||
| CD Parker | Former Texas Ranger, and bar owner | colspan="1" | colspan="8" | ||||||||
| colspan="1" | colspan="7" | colspan="1" | |||||||||
| Raymond Firewalker | Walker's uncle | colspan="2" | colspan="7" | ||||||||
| colspan="2" | colspan="6" | ||||||||||
| Trent Malloy | Karate instructor, and private detective | colspan="4" | colspan="2" | colsplan="1" | colspan="2" | ||||||
| Carlos Sandoval | Police detective | colspan="4" | colspan="2" | colsplan="1" | colspan="2" | ||||||
| Francis Gage | Texas Ranger | colspan="7" | colspan="2" | ||||||||
| Sydney Cooke | Texas Ranger | colspan="7" | |||||||||
| Actor | Character | Episode title | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orson Wade | "One Riot, One Ranger" | 1993 | |||
| Harper Ridland | "Payback" | 1994 | |||
| Randy Shrader | "Codename: Dragonfly" | 1996 | |||
| Rudd Kilgore | "Last of a Breed: Part 1" "Last of a Breed: Part 2" | 1997 | |||
| Lieutenant Tracton | "Fight or Die" | 1999 | |||
| Emile Lavocat/Milos "Moon" Lavocat | "The Final Showdown" | 2001 | |||
| Leon Rippy | Dewey Baker | "Borderline" | 1993 | ||
| Vince Pike | "Days Past" | 1997 | |||
| Chastian | "The Final Show/Down" | 2001 | |||
| Richard Norton | Rollins | "Storm Warning" | 1993 | ||
| Mercenary #1 | "Standoff" | 1995 | |||
| Simms | "Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1999 | |||
| Tom Munger | "Fight or Die" | ||||
| Thug (uncredited) | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" | 2000 | |||
| Frank Scanlon | "The Avenging Angel" | ||||
| Jonas Graves/ 'flashbacks', Long-Haired Desperado | "The Final Showdown: Part 1" "The Final Showdown: Part 2" | 2001 | |||
| Luis Guzmán | Gomez | "Storm Warning" | 1993 | ||
| Patrick St. Esprit | Quint | "Crime Wave Dave" | 1993 | ||
| Brad Furnell | "The Juggernaut" | 1996 | |||
| Jack Garrett | "The Fighting McLains" | 1997 | |||
| Lester Rawlins | "A Matter of Principle" | 1997 | |||
| Darby | "Unsafe Speed" | 2001 | |||
| Judith Hoag | Lainie Flanders | ROWSPAN=2 | "Family Matters" | 1993 | |
| Brian Thompson | Leo Cale | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | M. C. Gainey | Tingley | "She'll Do to Ride the River With" | ||
| Craig | "The Bachelor Party" | 2000 | |||
| Tommy Williams/Samuel Bodine | "Unfinished Business" | 1993 | |||
| Mick Stanley | "Devil's Turf" | 1997 | |||
| Mary Elizabeth McGlynn | Merilee Summers | "Right Man Wrong Time" | 1994 | ||
| Giovanni Ribisi | Tony Kingston | ROWSPAN=3 | "Something in the Shadows: Part 1" "Something in the Shadows: Part 2" | ||
| Tom Virtue | Peter Needham | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Jeff Kober | Kurt Nypo | |||
| Russell Stafford | "99th Ranger" | 1997 | |||
| Duane Parsons | "The Prodigal Son" | 1994 | |||
| Danica McKellar | Laurie Maston | ROWSPAN=2 | "Stolen Lullaby" | ||
| Ray Wise | Garrett Carlson | ||||
| Carli Coleman | Georgia Douglas | "Silk Dreams" | |||
| Ned Travis | "Mustangs" | ||||
| August Schellenberg | Billy Gray Wolf | "Rainbow Warrior" | |||
| "On Sacred Ground" | 1995 | ||||
| Elaine Portugal | "The Big Bingo Bamboozle" | ||||
| Wayne Pere | Victor LaRue | "Cowboy" | |||
| "The Return of LaRue" | 1996 | ||||
| "Trial of LaRue" | 1997 | ||||
| Cuadroza | "Last of a Breed: Part 1" "Last of a Breed: Part 2" | ||||
| Tim Thomerson | Mitchell Bolton | "War Zone" | 1995 | ||
| Blair | "Case Closed" | ||||
| Philippe Brouchard | "Standoff" | ||||
| Andrew Divoff | Carlos Darius | "Deep Cover" | 1995 | ||
| Rudy Mendoza | "Everyday Heroes" | 1998 | |||
| Alberto Cardoza | "Winds of Change" | 2000 | |||
| Alex Cord | Larry Curtis | "The Guardians" | 1995 | ||
| Silas Quint | "Final Justice" | ||||
| Lt. Lee Corbin (his last acting role) | "Whitewater: Part 1" | ||||
| ROWSPAN=4 | Carlos Machado | Himself | "Rodeo" | 1996 | |
| Officer No. 1 | "Sons of Thunder" | ROWSPAN=2 | 1997 | ||
| Orderly | "Forgotten People" | ||||
| Rodgers | "Fight or Die" | 1999 | |||
| Capt. Shankley | "Break In" | 1996 | |||
| Joey Galloway | "Break In" | ||||
| Fito | "El Coyote: Part 1" "El Coyote: Part 2" | ||||
| Juanita Ortiz | "El Coyote: Part 1" "El Coyote: Part 2" | ||||
| Robert Englund | Lyle Eckert | ROWSPAN=2 | "Deadline" | ||
| Special Agent Samuel Mills | |||||
| Hendricks | "Redemption" | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Burt Young | ROWSPAN=2 | Jack Belmont | "Lucky" | |
| "Small Blessings" | 1997 | ||||
| Max Martini | Luke | "A Silent Cry" | 1996 | ||
| ROWSPAN=3 | Rod Taylor | ROWSPAN=3 | Gordon Cahill | "Redemption" | |
| "Texas vs. Cahill" | 1997 | ||||
| "Wedding Bells: Part 1" "Wedding Bells: Part 2" | 2000 | ||||
| Terry Kiser | Charlie Brooks | "Mayday" "Last Hope" "Iceman" | 1997 | ||
| Maxwell 'Iceman' Kronert | "Iceman" | ||||
| Pepper | "Last Hope" | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Tammy Lauren | ROWSPAN=2 | Roberta "Bobby" Hunt | "99th Ranger" | |
| "A Father's Image" | |||||
| Judge Loretta Paxton | "Trial of LaRue" | ||||
| Principal Rivers | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 | |||
| Mako | Dr. Henry Lee | "Heart of the Dragon" | 1997 | ||
| Edward Song | "Black Dragons" | 2000 | |||
| Kyla Jarvis | "The Neighborhood" | 1997 | |||
| Salvatore Matacio | "A Father's Image" | ||||
| Pastor Roscoe Jones | "Sons of Thunder" | ||||
| Katie Malloy | "Sons of Thunder" | ||||
| Marco Sanchez | Detective Carlos Sandoval | "Sons of Thunder"-"Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1997-1999 | ||
| Sam Brazos | "Paradise Trail" | 1998 | |||
| James Wlcek | Trent Malloy | "Sons of Thunder"-"Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1997-1999 | ||
| Brother John Mason | "Paradise Trail" | 1998 | |||
| James Pickens Jr. | Staff Sergeant Luther Parrish | "The Fighting Mclains" | 1997 | ||
| Stephen Quadros | Corporal John Wesley 'JW' Mclain | ||||
| Haley Joel Osment | Lucas Simms | "Lucas: Part 1" "Lucas: Part 2" | |||
| Mackenzie Phillips | Ellen Simms | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Gwen Verdon | ROWSPAN=2 | Maisie Whitman | "Forgotten People" | 1997 |
| "Mind Games" | 1999 | ||||
| Robert Fuller | ROWSPAN=2 | Ranger Cabe Wallace | "Last of a Breed: Part 2" | 1997 | |
| "The Final Show/Down" | 2001 | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Ranger Wade Harper | "A Matter of Principle" | 2000 | ||
| "The Final Show/Down" | 2001 | ||||
| David Gallagher | Chad Morgan | ROWSPAN=2 | "Brainchild" | 1997 | |
| Paul Gleason | Dr. Harold Payton | ||||
| James Lee Crown | "Rainbow's End" | ||||
| Paul Grady | "Money Talks" | 1998 | |||
| "Rowdy" Roddy Piper | Cody "The Crusader" Conway | ROWSPAN=4 | "The Crusader" | ||
| Linda Purl | Barbara Conway | ||||
| Marty Ingels | Murray | ||||
| Randy Tallman | Dr. Aaron Markham | ||||
| Dr. Pratt | "Vision Quest" | 2000 | |||
| Paul Winfield | Pastor Roscoe Jones | ROWSPAN=2 | "The Soul of Winter" | 1998 | |
| Collin Raye | Himself | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Danny Trejo | Joe Lopez | "Circle of Life" | 1998 | |
| Jose Rodriguez | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 | |||
| Kerry Rossall | Bad Guy | "Test of Faith" | 1998 | ||
| Mace | "Brothers in Arms" | 1999 | |||
| Joe Martin | "Rise to the Occasion" | ||||
| Karl Storm | "The Wedding: Part 1" "The Wedding: Part 2" | 1998 | |||
| Bob | "Royal Heist" | ||||
| Deke Powell | "War Cry" | ||||
| Mike Connors | Judge Arthur McSpadden | ROWSPAN=3 | "Code of the West" | ||
| Amanda Fuller | Katie McSpadden | ||||
| Camilla Belle | Cindy Morgan | ||||
| Downtown Julie Brown | Cassandra | ROWSPAN=2 | "The Children of Halloween" | ||
| Erik Dellums | David "Lucifer" Thompson | ||||
| Lila McCann | Kelly Wyman | ROWSPAN=2 | "Eyes of a Ranger" | ||
| Michael Peterson | Himself | ||||
| Sheriff Bell | "On the Border" | ||||
| Snake | "Lost Boys" | 1999 | |||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Deion Sanders | ROWSPAN=2 | Himself | "Special Witness" | |
| "Rise to the Occasion" | |||||
| Donovan Riggs | "Special Witness" | ||||
| Keith Bolt | "The Principal" | ||||
| Rachel Falcon | "Team Cherokee: Part 1" "Team Cherokee: Part 2" | ||||
| Brian Falcon | |||||
| Tall Bear | |||||
| Jacob Crossland | "Jacob's Ladder" | ||||
| Reverend Thornton Powers | "Power Angels" | ||||
| Lloyd Allen | "Safe House" | ||||
| Leland Stahl/Lester Stahl | "Way of the Warrior" | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Frank Stallone | B.J. Ronson | "Tall Cotton" | ||
| Frank Bishop | "Saturday Night" | 2001 | |||
| Peggy and Patsy Lynn | Themselves | "The Lynn Sisters" | 1999 | ||
| Erik Estrada | Brock | ||||
| Sonny Tantero | "Suspicious Minds" | ||||
| Barry Corbin | Ben Crowder | ROWSPAN=2 | "Widowmaker" | ||
| Ty Murray | Himself | ||||
| Randy Savage | Whitelaw Lundren | ROWSPAN=2 | "Fight or Die" | ||
| Frank Shamrock | Dirk 'The Hammer' Savage | ||||
| Lorenzo Cabral | "Rise to the Occasion" | ||||
| Bradley Roberts | "Full Recovery" | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Marla Adams | ROWSPAN=2 | Betsy Harper | "A Matter of Principle" | 2000 |
| "The Final Showdown" | 2001 | ||||
| ROWSPAN=2 | Tammy Townsend | ROWSPAN=2 | Erika Carter | "Justice Delayed" | 2000 |
| "The Final Showdown" | 2001 | ||||
| David Keith | Cliff Eagleton | ROWSPAN=2 | "The Day of Cleansing"[11] | 2000 | |
| Sammo Hung | Sammo Law | ||||
| Deron McBee | Luke Warley | ROWSPAN=3 | "Black Dragons" | ||
| Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa | Master Ko | ||||
| Byron Mann | P.K. Song | ||||
| General Nimh | "The General's Return" | ||||
| Nicole Foley | "Showdown at Casa Diablo: Part 1" | ||||
| Defense Attorney Lime | "The Bachelor Party" | ||||
| Dierdre Harris | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" | ||||
| Groomsmen | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" "Wedding Bells: Part 2" | ||||
| Minister | |||||
| Eddie Ryan | "The Avenging Angel" | ||||
| Michael Ironside | Nolan "The Chairman" Pierce | ROWSPAN=2 | "Winds of Change" "Lazarus" "Turning Point" "Retribution" | ||
| T. J. Thyne | Wallace 'The Wizard' Slausen | ||||
| Jake Horbart | "Child of Hope" | ||||
| Dionne Warwick | Dionne Berry | ROWSPAN=4 | "Faith" | ||
| Mark Kiely | Dwight Burner | ||||
| Lee Arenberg | Lester Squigman | ||||
| Gerry Becker | Dr. Michaels | ||||
| Hulk Hogan | Boomer Knight | ROWSPAN=2 | "Division Street" | 2001 | |
| Francis Capra | Ace | ||||
| Roberta Bishop | "Saturday Night" | ||||
| Brett Cullen | Pete Drayton | ROWSPAN=4 | "Justice for All" | ||
| Lawrence LeJohn | Moten | ||||
| Jonathan Adams | Lyle Nugent | ||||
| Beau Billingslea | Tom Jakes | ||||
| Nick Chinlund | Theodore McNeely | ROWSPAN=3 | "6 Hours" | ||
| Mercedes McNab | Heather Preston | ||||
| Daniel Hugh Kelly | Tim Preston | ||||
| Ben Wiley | "Medieval Crimes" | ||||
| Howard "California Flash" Jackson | Himself | ROWSPAN=4 | "Legends" | ||
| Joe Lewis | Himself | ||||
| Bill "Superfoot" Wallace | Himself | ||||
| Don "the Dragon" Wilson | Himself | ||||
| Grangus | "Unsafe Speed" | ||||
| Carlos Bernard | Raoul 'Skull' Hidalgo | ROWSPAN=2 | "Without a Sound" | ||
| Lloyd Battista | Dr. Clark | ||||
| Victor Drake | "Blood Diamonds" | ||||
| Harley | "Reel Rangers" | ||||
| Mitchel Musso | Josh Whitley | ROWSPAN=2 | "Trial by Fire" | ROWSPAN=2 | 2005 |
| Selena Gomez | Julie |
The show was quite successful in the ratings throughout its run, ranking among the Top 25 shows from 1995 until 1999, and ranking in the Top 20 in both the 1995–1996 and 1998–1999 seasons.
On December 2, 2010, Rick Perry the 47th Governor of Texas named the Norris brothers Honorary Texas Ranger Captains for their work on the series. In his speech he said that "together, they helped elevate our Texas Rangers to truly mythical status."[12]
Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS Home Entertainment have both released all seasons on DVD in Region 1.[13] The Complete 1st Season contains the three pilot episodes and the first full season being labeled as just the first season. This has confused some fans, as the episodes are wrongly numbered. Seasons 1–6 have been released in regions 2–4.
On May 12, 2015, CBS DVD released Walker, Texas Ranger – The Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1.[14]
DVD name | Eps | Release dates | |||
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| The Complete 1st Season[15] | 26 | June 13, 2006 | October 2, 2006 | October 12, 2006 | |
| The Complete 2nd Season | 24 | January 23, 2007 | March 8, 2007 | April 12, 2007 | |
| The Complete 3rd Season | 26 | June 12, 2007 | December 4, 2007 | January 10, 2008 | |
| The Complete 4th Season | 26 | February 19. 2008 | May 28, 2008 | July 31, 2008 | |
| The Complete 5th Season | 25 | July 1, 2008 | October 21, 2008 | October 2, 2008 | |
| The Complete 6th Season | 23 | January 13, 2009 | February 19, 2009 | March 5, 2009 | |
| The Complete 7th Season | 25 | March 9, 2010 | N/A | March 3, 2011[16] | |
| The Complete Final Season | 24 | June 14, 2005 | N/A | March 3, 2011[17] | |
| 1 | N/A | January 2, 2007 | March 5, 2014[18] | ||
As of December 2023, the entire series is available digitally in the US, available on both iTunes and Vudu, either as separate seasons or in a complete series set.,[19] as well as Google TV (and by extension YouTube TV) which are only sold as separate seasons. Unlike the DVD releases the seasons in the digital releases are correctly numbered.
See main article: Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire. CBS broadcast the television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire, produced by Paramount Television, on October 16, 2005. Chuck Norris, Sheree J. Wilson and Judson Mills reprised their roles, and Clarence Gilyard shot a cameo for the film but was not featured due to the filming's conflict with a long-planned family vacation. To fill the void, Judson Mills, who was not in the original script, returned to reprise the role of Francis Gage. Nia Peeples, who played the role of Sydney Cooke for seasons 7 and 8, was also not featured in Walker's return to prime-time television. The explanation given was that producers decided not to follow much of the original Walker Texas Ranger series, as to give the film a fresh look. Even the show's original opening credits with the theme "Eyes of a Ranger" performed by Chuck Norris, was absent from the TV movie.
Although the return of Walker Texas Ranger did not garner the ratings CBS had hoped for, indications were that CBS was green-lighting future Walker Texas Ranger "movie of the week" projects. But as of spring 2006, both CBS and the Norris camp have been silent as to the future of the franchise, leaving many to wonder if it will return. Trial by Fire ended with Sheree J. Wilson's character the victim of a courthouse shooting, leaving many viewers to believe that there would be a follow-up movie.[20]
When they announced their fall 2006 prime-time schedule, CBS said that they would no longer be producing "Sunday Night Movie of the Week" projects, which severely impaired any hopes of Walker's return to television in the foreseeable future. On May 15, 2007, CBS announced its fall line-up, but this did not include the return of the "Sunday Night Movie of the Week". In June 2018, cast members Clarence Gilyard and Sheree J. Wilson expressed interest in reprising their roles in a potential revival of the series, particularly to address the cliffhanger at the end of the post-series film.[21]
See main article: Sons of Thunder (TV series). Most episodes were based on true stories. A short-lived series, Sons of Thunder, featured recurring character Carlos Sandoval, who resigns from his post with the Dallas police and teams up with childhood friend Trent Malloy (a protégé of Walker's), to start a private investigation firm.[22]
See main article: Walker (TV series). In September 2019, it was announced that a reboot of the series titled Walker was in development at CBS Television Studios from writer Anna Fricke, with Texas native Jared Padalecki attached to star. Fricke and Padalecki are also set to executive produce the project alongside Dan Lin and Lindsey Libertore from their production company Rideback, as well as Dan Spilo of Industry Entertainment. The CW, home of Padalecki's long-running series Supernatural, emerged as a leading contender to air the series in addition to CBS, which aired the original series. Like the original, the reboot, in which Walker would get a female partner, will explore morality, family, and rediscovering our lost common ground. The logline reads:
In October, it was announced that Walker would air on The CW.[23] On January 14, 2020, it was announced that The CW had issued the reboot with a series order.[24]
In February 2020, it was announced that Lindsey Morgan, Keegan Allen, Mitch Pileggi, Molly Hagan and Coby Bell were cast as Micki, Walker's female partner, Liam Walker, Walker's younger brother, Bonham Walker, Walker's father, Abeline Walker, Walker's mother and Captain Larry James, a Texas Ranger Captain.[25] [26] [27] [28] [29] In March 2020, Jeff Pierre, Violet Brinson and Kale Culley were cast as Trey Barnett, an Army medic and Micki's boyfriend and Stella and August, Walker's teenage kids.[30] [31]
It premiered on January 21, 2021.[32] [33]
A prequel series titled premiered on October 6, 2022.[34]
Three Walker, Texas Ranger books, written by James Reasoner, were published by Berkley Publishing Group in 1999. The books are now out of print.
The show has garnered a particular cult appreciation among Conan O'Brien fans, from one of his most popular segments called the "Walker Texas Ranger Lever". He explained since NBC had recently purchased Universal, he could now show clips from Walker Texas Ranger without having to pay any money. The joke was that he would pull a giant red lever, causing a random and comically awkward scene to play. Random scenes included Walker jumping out of a plane and punching a woman in the face, or being shot in the back while proposing, or Haley Joel Osment playing a boy who is first meeting the rest of Walker's friends, and suddenly interjects "Walker told me I have AIDS". Conan would go on to riff at the bizarre nature of the scene out of context. He did this primarily on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which prompted the show's star, Chuck Norris in character as Walker, to make a surprise guest appearance by acting out a skit in parody of the action scenes from Walker, Texas Ranger.
The series began with Cannon Television, but after Cannon folded, CBS assumed production responsibilities and is currently the full owner for this series.[35] Other companies as listed below have also been involved with the series production and/or distribution.
| Production companies | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amadea Film Productions | TBD | |
| Cannon Television | (1993) | |
| Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) | TBD | |
| Columbia Pictures Television | (1993–2001) | |
| Columbia TriStar Television | (2001) | |
| The Ruddy-Greif Company | (1993–2001) | |
| Top Kick Productions | (1993–1998) | |
| Norris Brothers Entertainment | (1998–2005) | |
| CBS Productions | (1995–2001) | |
| CBS Entertainment Productions | (1993–1995) | |
| CBS Broadcast International | (1993–2008) | |
| Distributors | ||
| Columbia TriStar Television Distribution | (1997–2001) | |
| Columbia TriStar Domestic Television | (2001–2002) | |
| Mediaset, Canale 5 | (1996) - Italy, TV (First TV) | |
| Mediaset, Italia 1 | (1997-2003) - Italy, TV (First TV) | |
| Mediaset, Rete 4 | (2002-2013) - Italy, TV (Reply) | |
| Duel TV | (2003-2006) - Italy, TV (Reply) | |
| FX | (2006-2011) - Italy, TV (Reply) | |
| AXN | (2009–present) - Italy, TV (Reply) | |
| Mediaset, Iris | (2015–present) - Italy, TV (Reply) | |
| Paramount Home Entertainment | (2006-TBD), Germany, DVD | |
| Paramount Home Entertainment | (2008, US, DVD, season 5) | |
| Sony Pictures Television | (2002–2019, US only) | |
| CBS Television Distribution | (2008–present, DVDs and international; US and worldwide since 2019) | |
| TF1 | 2004, France, TV | |
| TV2 | (2000–2006), Hungary, TV | |
| UFA Film- und Fernseh GmbH | 1993, Germany, all media | |