Wildside is a television series that aired in America on Thursday nights for six episodes, from March to April 1985.
Four of the five "Chamber of Commerce of Wildside" are former outlaws: Brodie Hollister (William Smith), an expert marksman; Varges de la Cosa (John D'Aquino) who is an expert with bolas and knives; Bannister Sparks (Howard Rollins), an explosives expert; and Prometheus Jones (Terry Funk), a strongman who uses a lasso and shotgun. The fifth outlaw of the gang, Governor J.W. Summerhayes (Sandy McPeak), is the governor of California and often calls upon his four former comrades for help dealing with unusual crimes. Brodie's son Sutton (J. Eddie Peck) is also an expert marksman but not one of the original five: he was raised by Brodie's wife back East.
The four former outlaws live in Wildside, California, and are the leading businessmen, hence their title of "The Chamber of Commerce". Brodie (and Sutton) breed horses, Varges runs a weapons shop and sells guns but doesn't like them, Bannister manages the town emporium, and Prometheus is the Wildside veterinarian.
The series featured a number of supporting characters, residents of Wildside. They include Cally Oaks (Meg Ryan) as a crusading newspaper editor with a romantic interest in Sutton; Alice Freeze (Robin Hoff) as the mortician with a romantic interest in Varges; Skillet (Timothy Scott), the town's restaurant owner and chef, Cally's assistant Elliot Thornton (Kurt Fuller), and Zeke (Jason Hervey), a local boy.
The Five never killed anyone, as Brodie and Sutton were skilled enough that they didn't have to shoot someone. Prometheus only used his shotgun against inanimate objects, as did Bannister when he threw explosives.
Wildside was a mid-season replacement and up against The Cosby Show, and was cancelled due to low ratings.
Wildside contains examples of:
- A-Team Firing: Due to the network practices and standards of the time, not only did the Five never shoot and kill anyone. But neither did the bad guys.
- Brawn Hilda: "Until the Fat Lady Sings" literally features one. When the bad guys attack the town, she is seen on the street briefly singing.
- Catchphrase: Someone in the Five says "We're the Chamber of Commerce of Wildside!" in each episode.
- Cigar-Fuse Lighting: Bannister lights his sticks of dynamite with his cigar. He also lights the fuse of the explosives in the opening credits.
- Create Your Own Villain: In "Until the Fat Lady Sings", Brodie shot off opponent Railsback's trigger finger in the past. To compensate, Railsback builds a machine gun with a trigger grip, which makes him a more formidable opponent when he returns for revenge.
- Creepy Mortician: Alice often admires the attractiveness of the male corpses she embalms, typically displaying more interest in them than Varges.
- The Dandy: Bannister is typically this, the best-dressed among the Five even when they're going off for a fight.
- Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: The theme song plays on a Victrola in "Well-Known Secret". The bad guy shoots it.
- Disposable Woman: Melissa Devry in "Don't Keep the Home Fires Burning". She's introduced as Bannister's girlfriend although having never been mentioned, and is killed off just so Bannister can seek revenge against the men he believes are responsible. It does give Howard Rollins, who played Bannister, a good chance to emote.Bannister: We all got out of it in one piece. We fight well together. You see, we're the Chamber of Commerce of Wildside. If it's all right with you, I'll come out here from time to time to get things off my chest - the place, the light of any dropped star. Forever the light, Melissa... forever the light.
- Doesn't Like Guns: Varges sells guns at his shop but deplores them, considering them easy weapons for amateurs to use.
- Friend to All Living Things: Prometheus Jones gets along with most animals, explaining why he's the town veterinarian.
- Gentle Giant: Prometheus is often this.
- Historical Domain Character: "Buffalo Who?" features Wild Bill Hickok (James Cromwell), Annie Oakley, and Sitting Bull (Will Sampson). Averted, since they are imposters posing as the real-life individuals.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Both Brodie and Sutton fit this trope. In the opening credits, Brodie is shown shooting the barrels of an opponent's shotgun, while Sutton shoots a feather off of an egg without breaking the egg. Varges is also an expert marksmanship with throwing knives. He can pin a man's arm to a wall by throwing knives through the man's sleeve.
- Protection Racket: In "Don't Keep the Home Fires Burning", Lyle Rainwood and his gang use flaregun-like weapons to set buildings on fire if the victims don't pay them off.
- Pun-Based Title: "Delinquency of a Miner" has Zeke, a minor, being shanghaied into being a miner.
- "The Crimea of the Century" features a troop of Crimean cavalrymen committing extortion.
- Secret Identity: No one seems to know about the outlaws' illegal pasts. Summerhayes has become the governor of California, while the four men who live in Wildside are reputable citizens. When the four men go on a mission sent by Summerhayes, they claim that they're going on a "hunting party".
- Team Power Walk: The Five often power walk when closing in on the bad guys. Shown in the opening and closing of the opening credits.
