Paradise

In 1890 in the town of Paradise, a professional gunfighter is forced to take custody of his sister's four children and retire to a farm and a quiet life. Nevertheless, he is often called upon by residents to defend them from lawlessness.

Genre: Western

Cast:Lee Horsley , Jenny Beck , Matthew Newmark , Brian Lando , Michael Patrick Carter , Sigrid Thornton , Dehl Berti , James Crittenden , Mack Dryden , John Bloom , Michael Ensign , Will Hunt , John Terlesky , Randy Crowder , Benjamin Lum , F. William Parker , Louis Plante , Gay Hagen

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ The News from St. Louis

Thu, Oct 27, 1988

In the late 1800's, a female music hall singer/dancer knows she's dying, so she sends her four young children from the big cities of the east coast to the western frontier, where her estranged brother, Ethan Cord, lives as a gunfighter in a town named Paradise, which is anything but. Shootings in the streets and rowdy bar brawls are no atmosphere for little children, so Ethan, with the help of a beautiful female banker, makes a home on the outskirts of town. He tries to face up to his new-found responsibilities as a single father, even resolving to hang up his guns and become a rancher, but his past as a wanted man keeps intruding into his new life.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ The Holstered Gun

Thu, Nov 3, 1988

For the safety of the children, Ethan resolves to hang up his gun and become a rancher, even taking out a loan from Mrs. Lawson's bank to buy some cattle. But when Paradise's aging marshal has problems with some outlaws, Ethan -- and the town -- find they need that gun.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ Founders' Day

Thu, Nov 10, 1988

After Amelia (Mrs. Lawson) kills a young man robbing her bank, she has to deal with her conflicting emotions and the man's vengeful family.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ The Ghost Dance

Thu, Nov 24, 1988

Ethan's Native American friend John Taylor is accused of murder.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ Devil's Canyon

Thu, Dec 1, 1988

Claire disappears after going on a horseback ride with a young man she met in town. While Ethan and Joseph search for her, Amelia helps deal with an anthrax outbreak at the ranch.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Stray Bullet

Thu, Dec 8, 1988

Amelia is hit by a stray bullet from a gunfight. Ethan has to deal with his guilt.

7Season 1

S1.E7 ∙ The Promise

Thu, Dec 15, 1988

It's near Christmas. Claire brought her mother's angel with them from St Louis intending to carry on her mother's tradition of placing it on the town tree, only Paradise doesn't have a town tree - or any decorations. Ethan had treated the younger boys to a trip to Carson City, but coming home the bridge was washed out. In order to make it home in time for Christmas they have to cross the desert, where they find a mother and newborn baby.

8Season 1

S1.E8 ∙ Childhood's End

Thu, Dec 29, 1988

The "travelling social club" arrives back in Paradise. Ethan knew the owner and her little girl in his past. The owner has arranged for her now 14 year old daughter to end her childhood that night and join the family business, but things become complicated when Claire strikes up a friendship and Joseph falls for her.

9Season 1

S1.E9 ∙ A Private War

Thu, Jan 5, 1989

The mine has moved in to take over Paradise. Those who won't sell are burned out or their lives threatened. The marshal (Nicholas Surovy) is hunting two young runaway boys who worked in the mine and are being hidden by Claire and the boys. Ethan quits the mine payroll and opposes them when he sees how they operate, so they hire the marshal to kill him. The marshal has to decide what his friendship with Ethan means, and Amelia has to decide where her future lies if she sells the bank.

10Season 1

S1.E10 ∙ Hard Choices

Thu, Jan 12, 1989

A Texas Ranger comes to Paradise to bring Ethan back. Ethan at first thinks of running but changes his mind and decides to go with the man. However along the way Ethan tries to convince him that being with the children has changed him. And they're being attacked by men who want to get Ethan.

11Season 1

S1.E11 ∙ Crossroads

Thu, Jan 26, 1989

Joseph winds up in jail after a run-in with Axelrod. He escapes with another prisoner and has to decide whether to ride with the gang.

12Season 1

S1.E12 ∙ The Traveler

Thu, Feb 2, 1989

Ethan comes across a man who is unconscious. He helps him. When he awakens he has no memory. He and Ethan become close. But when his memory returns, he remembers that he is a hired killer and his target is Ethan.

13Season 1

S1.E13 ∙ The Secret

Wed, Feb 8, 1989

A vicious bully returns to town. He has a run-in with Ethan. That evening the bully is shot and everyone believes Ethan shot him.

14Season 1

S1.E14 ∙ A House Divided

Thu, Feb 16, 1989

A gang of men ride into town and take hostages in the hotel. The children and Amelia are among the hostages. They use Amelia to rob the bank of all its money and the town is torn between saving the hostages or storming the hotel to save the money. John Taylor is brought in to heal one of their men, meanwhile Ethan is bringing in law men in from out of town, who have been tracking this gang through three states.

15Season 1

S1.E15 ∙ The Last Warrior

Thu, Feb 23, 1989

A timber company decides to move their operation to Paradise. And the town is excited about it. But John Taylor opposes it and tries to stand in their way. Amelia also decides to side with him when a photographer who came to photograph the thing show her what happened to another town who gave the timber company permission.

16Season 1

S1.E16 ∙ Vengeance

Thu, Mar 16, 1989

Ethan joins in the hunt for a fugitive because he thinks the man can lead him to a man whom he has a vendetta against. Claire meets a guy, who is the son of the man Ethan is looking for. And when he learns Ethan is looking for him, he challenges Ethan even though he doesn't stand a chance. And Claire begs him not to kill him.

17Season 1

S1.E17 ∙ A Matter of Honor

Sat, Apr 8, 1989

A ruthless businessman and big time rancher resorts to illegal means to exploit the smaller ranchers in Paradise. He even hires a famous gunslinger to further his cause. The gunslinger turns out to be a has been, a drunk, and a good friend of Ethan. (Part 1 of 2 episodes).

18Season 1

S1.E18 ∙ Honor Bound

Sat, Apr 15, 1989

Ethan helps his old friend Gideon (Chuck Connors) dry out and thinks Gideon's going to help them. Gideon says he took the businessman's (Jennings) money and is honor bound to fight for him. Upon arrival at Jenning's ranch Gideon finds another gunfighter has been hired. The conflict escalates to a showdown between Gideon and Ethan. (Part 2 of 2 episodes)

19Season 1

S1.E19 ∙ Hour of the Wolf

Sat, Apr 29, 1989

Claire and Ethan are bitten by a wolf who may have rabies.

20Season 1

S1.E20 ∙ Treasure

Sat, May 6, 1989

Ben finds a dead body and a map. The body disappears courtesy of an outlaw couple. Ethan is escorting Amelia to Riverton on business. Ben and George go looking for the treasure when the pair show up claiming to be searching for their friend and his map.

21Season 1

S1.E21 ∙ Squaring Off

Sat, May 13, 1989

The Marble Creek town boss, Emory, is having Matthew Grady (John Beck) hanged for murder. Actually his guilt was paying attention to Emory's mistress, Marian, and he wants the hanging done before his wife arrives in town. Ethan intervenes to spoil the hanging. The only problem is Matthew wants to return to save Marian.

22Season 1

S1.E22 ∙ Long Lost Lawson

Sat, May 20, 1989

Amelia's ne'er-do-well husband returns and wants to pick up where he left off. Lawson owes a man $50,000 for defrauding him out of land in Arizona. He sells the bank out from under Amelia.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ A Gathering of Guns

Sun, Sep 10, 1989

When a man thinks Ethan knows the location of a fortune, he kidnaps him and takes him to a prison where no man has ever escaped from. Amelia turns to her estranged husband, Pierce for help. He takes her to see Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Pat Garrett who agree to help.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Home Again

Sat, Sep 16, 1989

After helping Ethan but because Wyatt Earp nearly got him killed Ethan pulled his gun on him but a reporter comes along who forces Ethan to put his gun away. Ethan goes back to Paradise and Wyatt follows him. The reporter follows them also. Eventually word of Wyatt's adventure reaches Sam Clanton who wants to get him so they seek out Ethan to find Wyatt.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ The Common Good

Sat, Sep 23, 1989

Ethan has to fill in when the deputy backs down during a confrontation with a notorious outlaw and a banker who holds his mortgage forces him to give up the ranch or become the town Marshal.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Dead Run

Sat, Oct 7, 1989

The children are running an egg business to help with the mortgage. Amelia and Ethan are going to Virginia City. Before leaving, four ruffians are in town and one takes a fancy to Amelia. Amelia rebuffs him with Ethan's help, so they waylay them on the trail and Ethan is badly beaten. Complicating matters Amelia is taking the money she was paid for the bank to deposit in Virginia City.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ All the Pretty Little Horses

Sat, Oct 14, 1989

The railroad is being vandalized: gunfire, dynamite, workers attacked and run off. Ethan is behind on the mortgage, so he takes a job with the railroad to put an end to the attacks. Ethan finds the vandals and finds every story has two sides.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Orphan Train

Sat, Oct 28, 1989

The orphan train is run by a man interested only in selling the orphans, so he splits up a brother and sister since his clients only want boys. When the orphan train is going through Paradise the brother escapes to find his sister and hides out in Ethan's barn. The children give him aid as they realize how close they came to suffering the same fate.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Burial Ground

Sat, Nov 4, 1989

An old friend of Ethan's, an Army man comes to Paradise looking for some Indians who left the reservation to return to their home which is near Paradise. Ethan, who was a tracker, finds them and the Chief has disdain for Ethan. He also tells Ethan that his friend massacred his people to force them to leave their home and go to the reservation. Ethan at first doesn't believe him but learns it's true.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ A Proper Stranger

Sat, Nov 11, 1989

A teacher (Crystal Bernard) arrives in Paradise. The children decide they don't need school or a teacher and try to run her off.

9Season 2

S2.E9 ∙ Boom Town

Sat, Nov 18, 1989

Gold is discovered on Ethan's ranch and Paradise becomes an overnight boom town.

10Season 2

S2.E10 ∙ The Return of Johnny Ryan

Sat, Dec 2, 1989

Johnny Ryan returns with one objective, to kill Ethan. Johnny takes the entire town hostage in an effort to force Ethan to surrender.

11Season 2

S2.E11 ∙ The Plague

Sat, Dec 9, 1989

Relatives visiting townsfolk are refused departure on the stage when their son shows signs of smallpox. Panic sets in as the stage line cuts them off and more people fall ill. Ethan does his best to isolate the children and prevent townsfolk from running and spreading the infection further.

12Season 2

S2.E12 ∙ The Gates of Paradise

Sat, Jan 6, 1990

Ethan falls down a mine shaft and asks help from a simple young man (Matthew Labyorteaux) who says he's waiting for his uncle. A second stranger in town tells John Taylor he has two appointments before year's end. John Taylor thinks one is with him, but is mistaken. The bank is lending money to rebuild the saloon, but Claire wants to rebuild the church.

13Season 2

S2.E13 ∙ Devil's Escort

Sat, Jan 13, 1990

A marshal sends for Ethan to transport Dan Bishop, a stone cold killer, to Paradise. The marshal does not want to give Ethan custody when he finds out Ethan is alone, but Ethan insists he can handle Dan. What Ethan doesn't know is a gang of bounty hunters are on his trail intent on taking his prisoner and collecting the bounty.

14Season 2

S2.E14 ∙ Dangerous Cargo

Sat, Jan 20, 1990

Grady (John Beck) shows up and asks Ethan to watch his girl Edith for three weeks. Grady has a job hauling opium for the mining company, but the Tongs want to stop it. Claire thinks she has a little sister to help her, but Edith is more interested in playing than chores. Edith comes between the brothers when Ben is happy to desert his chores, but George isn't.

15Season 2

S2.E15 ∙ Till Death Do Us Part

Sat, Feb 3, 1990

Jospeh's tomboy friend Frankie returns to Paradise married to an abusive judge.

16Season 2

S2.E16 ∙ Avenging Angel

Sat, Feb 10, 1990

A preacher arrives in Paradise to the delight of the entire town - except Ethan. The preacher was serving a life sentence in prison based on Ethan's testimony and swore he'd get out one day and kill Ethan. After just 7 years he was paroled and has convinced everyone but Ethan that he means Ethan no harm.

17Season 2

S2.E17 ∙ Crossfire

Sat, Feb 17, 1990

Gideon McKay returns to Paradise supposedly sent by Ethan to help him on a job. But Ethan didn't send for him. It was his son, Doug. He tells them that some people are being pressured by a rancher to leave their land. Gideon wants to take the job but Ethan doesn't. The rancher sent some of his men to dissuade them but they are not intimidated and take care of them. But Ethan still doesn't want to take the job but Gideon goes and Ethan tells him he might be too old to go at it alone. Gideon goes anyway and is taken down. Doug then tells Ethan what happened and he goes.

18Season 2

S2.E18 ∙ Shadow of a Doubt

Sat, Mar 3, 1990

Jerome the mentally challenged boy Ethan knows is caught over the dead body of a girl he likes who constantly rebuffs him with his hands on her throat. He is tried and the jury among whose members is Ethan, has to decide if he's guilty. Ethan initially voted guilty but because one juror voted not guilty, they started talking about the whole thing and Ethan doubts his guilt so he votes not guilty while the rest of the jury think he's letting his relationship with Jerome cloud his judgment. So they keep on talking and it gets more heated.

19Season 2

S2.E19 ∙ The Coward

Sat, Apr 7, 1990

Ethan takes in a young Army deserter who saved George's life, unaware a woman wants to kill him.

20Season 2

S2.E20 ∙ The Chase

Sat, Apr 14, 1990

Amelia trusts a newcomer whose plans for the town's future turn out to be a swindle.

21Season 2

S2.E21 ∙ Dust on the Wind

Sat, Apr 28, 1990

A mine's closure results in a mass exodus from Paradise, forcing Ethan to choose between a new job and Amelia.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Out of the Ashes

Fri, Jan 4, 1991

The town is booming again as a new vein of copper has the mine re-opened. A sheriff has been hired, as Ethan turned down the job. The new sheriff starts shaking down the business and comes to realize that Ethan is in his way.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ The Bounty

Fri, Jan 11, 1991

Ethan and Dakota pursue a gang of murderers for different reasons.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ The Women

Fri, Jan 25, 1991

Robbers hide out in a wagon train. Once Ethan's posse rides on, they kill the men and rob the women. Ethan returns to investigate the gunshots finds the women alone, and his partner stays with the women while Ethan pursues the robbers. One wounded robber dies saying there was another money box in the wagon train, so the robbers turn to pursue Ethan, his partner, and the women.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Bad Blood

Fri, Feb 1, 1991

Hired guns jump Ethan. The mother of the man he killed in Texas is responsible for sending each attempt to hang Ethan or return him for hanging. Ethan decides to return to Texas and settle things once and for all. John Thomas and Joseph follow. The other man present at the shooting is now the sheriff and close to the dead man's family. Ethan's only witness has been tortured by the sheriff and things don't look good.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ The Valley of Death

Fri, Feb 8, 1991

Ethan and Amelia are at the altar when a payroll robbery disrupts the wedding. Ethan shoots one of the gang. The gang tells him to quit as marshal or they'll start killing the townspeople.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ A Bullet Through the Heart

Fri, Feb 15, 1991

A drifter threatens saloon keeper Noah, who turns up dead. The town is convinced the drifter is guilty, but saloon worker Becky says he was with her. Then Becky turns up dead. The town decides on mob justice. Meanwhile Claire writes her first love letter.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ See No Evil

Fri, Feb 22, 1991

Ethan must help Amelia's new suitor, a doctor, to get the town through an epidemic.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Birthright

Fri, Mar 8, 1991

The children's father returns.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ A Study in Fear

Fri, Mar 29, 1991

A serial killer terrorizes the young women of Paradise.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ The Search for K. C. Cavanaugh

Fri, Apr 5, 1991

Ethan captures a notorious murderess, but Ben and Claire think she's innocent.

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ Shield of Gold

Fri, Apr 12, 1991

Ethan jails John Taylor for stealing a gold shield from a traveling exhibit, then learns it is part of Taylor's past.

12Season 3

S3.E12 ∙ Twenty-Four Hours

Fri, May 3, 1991

One day in Ethan's life as marshal includes a missing step-mother, advances from the local schoolteacher, a crooked card game, a man who has a way with animals after a near-death experience, a lost bird, a fight, and gunmen collecting on a debt. Ethan weighs the demands of the town against time with his family.

13Season 3

S3.E13 ∙ Unfinished Business

Fri, May 10, 1991

When the children first arrived in Paradise their uncle Ethan had been shot and left for dead by the gunman, Dan Bridges. Dan found out Ethan survived and has returned now to finish the job.