Series Description

The Custer TV show was a 60 minute western action series on ABC that takes place in 1868, just three years after the end of the civil war. It followed the life of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer as he led a bunch of former Confederate soldiers and criminals in a never-ending fight against the Sioux Indian nation.

Custer Cast

Wayne Maunder .... Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer
Slim Pickens .... California Joe Milner
Peter Palmer .... Sergeant James Bustard
Grant Woods .... Captain Miles Keogh
Michael Dante .... Crazy Horse
Robert F. Simon .... Brigadier General Alfred Terry

Custer Trivia

There was an episode of the Custer TV show that was produced but did not air due to early cancellation of the series. Its title was: "Pursued"

This series portrayed Custer realistically as a highly efficient military officer. Custer was treated as a glory seeking nutcase in many other movies and TV adaptations but it's more likely that he was simply a dedicated officer who was confident in his ability to get the job done, even if that job was essentially the elimination of an entire race of people's way of life. He simply carried out orders that were perfectly politically correct in his day in the most efficient way possible.

Wayne Maunder did not wear a wig and fake mustache for his role as Custer. He grew his own hair and mustache for the part. He was one of the few star/stuntment as he did many of the numerous stunts required for this show.

The Custer TV show's storyline ended one year before the real life Custer died at the battle of the Little Big Horn at the hands of Chief Sitting Bull.

The real life Custer was bold in battle and was rapidly promoted to become the youngest breveted Brigadier General in the Union Army. His boldness didn't always please his superiors however and he once was even suspeded for a year when he refused to obey an order from a superior who he considered to be an idiot. He may well have been right to disobey. In those days Colonels and Generals often got their rank due to political connections rather than because of their abilities. Many soldiers perished because some rich man's son was giving ridiculous orders.

Wayne Maunder continued to act until 1982 when he appeared in his last film, "Porky's". He then became an independent film producer.