It's a show that is not good, but it's not bad either. It's just sort of there. Bret Maverick is an attempt to restart the Maverick franchise twenty years after James Garner left the original series. The main idea of Bret settling down in Sweetwater did not really bother me. What I did not like about the series, was that it was too focused on the comedy. The original had action, adventure, and drama in addition to the comedy. I don't know if it was because Garner was in his early fifties when this series was filmed, but there just is not a whole lot of action to it. Plus, Garner really looks his age with the wrinkles, and the extra weight around the midsection. Garner was also hurt by a less than stellar supporting cast. This series could have used Dandy Jim, Gentleman Jack, Big Mike, Samantha, Cindy, Modesty, or even Doc Holliday. Still, I would have liked for his series to reach a second season just to see Garner re-team with Jack Kelly as the Maverick brothers. In the last episode of this show's only season, Kelly makes a surprise appearance (looking much older himself). Had the show been picked up for a second season, Kelly was going to be added as a regular cast member. My favorite episodes of the original series were the ones in which they both appeared.
Review of Bret Maverick
