Stoney Burke : Season 1

Harland Bristol is the reigning saddle bronc champ. Getting ready to ride Megaton, Harland is critically injured when the rank bronc rears up and slams him into the chute wall. Unfortunately, Stoney Burke was helping out - holding Megaton's head. Harland's brother Cody and his best friend E.J. Stoker blame Stoney for Harland's death. The episode introduces us to the principal characters, establishes themes sewn throughout the series, and gives hints to the eventual outcome. Thematic examples

An old political fight between two small-county commissioners causes the delay of Stoney and the rodeo from getting to the next venue, resulting in the death of one of the cowboys. The Police Commissioner wants his charity boxing match to run on the same night as the Health Commissioner's charity rodeo. Thugs in the employ of one of the boxers pays Ves Painter to help disrupt the rodeo.

Stoney and E.J. notice that local boy Soames Hewitt is drunk, just moments before he is scheduled to ride a dangerous brahma bull.

Local teen-agers become upset when they discover that the old arena they use for stock car races will be converted into a rodeo IF Stoney Burke agrees to perform there.

Rodeo rider Miller Hill ties himself so tightly to a brahma bull he is riding that he ends up being killed by the animal. His family refuse to accept money that Stoney collects to help them in their hour of need.

Stoney is hit with a lawsuit when the bronc he is riding crashes thru a fence and injures a woman spectator, Loreen Julian.

Stoney's friendship with Ves is put to the test when Ves is jailed for murder. When a money clip belonging to the dead man is found in Ves' car even Stoney begins to have his doubts. A street bum holds the key, or in this case, a watch, to Ves' salvation. But first,Stoney and the boys must find him.

Cloris Leachman plays Eunice Stocker, E.J.'s cousin. She wants E.J. to train her to be a rodeo trick rider.

A rich man, Byron Latimer, wants Stoney to help him tame his out of control teen-age son, David.

Stoney must compete against an emotionally disturbed bronc rider.

Stoney experiences a series of accidents at the rodeo arena. He then begins receiving threatening phone calls. Ves becomes convinced that the ""accidents"" were not accidental afterall.

Stoney and the boys cross into Mexico for some rest and relaxation. Stoney falls for a mysterious woman(Antoinette Bower). Unfortunately, she only wants to use Stoney as an alibi for her involvement in the assassination of a European diplomat.