Stories of the Century

Presents the lives and loves of a family of cousins from 1939 to the present. Follows very closely the Mary Wesley novel. Begins with a funeral and uses the reminiscences of those gathered to fill in details in the lives of Richard and Helena and their nieces and nephews.

A late entry in the late-1950s television Western boom that featured a lead unlike other show heroes. Slade wasn't a Marshal, Sheriff, or gunfighter for hire; he was a private detective hired to track down criminals, return stolen money, or solve mysteries surrounding the deaths of townspeople. The show had more in common with shows like "Peter Gunn" (1958) and "77 Sunset Strip" (1958) than "Gunsmoke" (1955) and "Bonanza" (1959). This show depended on strong characters and storylines rather than action.