Christopher Lloyd's Western Sitcom Is Nearly Impossible To Watch Today

Westerns were a hugely popular genre in the 1950s, producing incredible movies like "The Searchers" or "3:10 to Yuma," but also television shows like "Gunsmoke" and "The Lone Ranger." After World War II, audiences were infatuated with the ideas of lone heroes bravely upholding law and order, putting dastardly outlaws or savage Native Americans in their place. By the 1980s, the genre had undergone a radical transformation, with new Westerns questioning the corruption behind the American mythos and viewing the exploited Indigenous community through more sympathetic eyes. This reflected how most Americans grew tired of their country boasting about its strength and moral superiority after becoming involved in the unwanted Vietnam War.

Putting twists on Western genre conventions also opened the door for spoof films, such as Mel Brooks' provocative "Blazing Saddles," which parodied quick-draw duels and laconic cowboys with raunchy, meta humor. Prolific sitcom writer David Lloyd channeled that bawdiness into something much more sanitized and suitable for family living rooms: the short-lived ABC sitcom "Best of the West." Lloyd had also worked on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Taxi," and would go on to write for "Cheers" and "Frasier." He has no relation to guest star Christopher Lloyd (ironically, he does have a son named Christopher who wrote for "Modern Family"). The actor Christopher Lloyd brings his inherent zaniness to the role of a recovering outlaw. His name, The Calico Kid, pokes fun at the over-the-top nicknames that Western desperados have.

"Best of the West" is about a Civil War veteran named Sam Best, played by Joel Higgins, who would go on to star in the more successful sitcom "Silver Spoons" shortly thereafter. Best becomes the marshal of Copper Creek, where he deals with rootin'-tootin' shenanigans like mistaken identities, mail-order brides, saloon gunfights, and family feuds. Christopher Lloyd's run on "Best of the West" was equally short-lived; he appeared in only three episodes because he was busy playing a spacey ex-hippie on "Taxi," but he still brings that kookiness to the role that always makes him memorable. In the fourth episode of the first and only season, "The Calico Kid Returns," Christopher Lloyd's clumsy gunfighter decides to retire and become a chef. In episode 15, "The Calico Kid Goes to School," he has to pass a third-grade test before marrying the girl of his dreams. 

Unfortunately, "Best of the West" is impossible to watch on any sort of streaming. There was a DVD release in 2017, but it may be difficult to track down. "Best of the West" is one of those fleeting sitcoms lost to the sands of time — or possibly still appearing on random YouTube clips. If you're interested in seeing Christopher Lloyd in a Western spoof, "Back to the Future Part III" might be satisfying enough (and what some view as the best movie in the entire "Back to the Future" trilogy). Doc Brown settles down in the Old West as a blacksmith and ends up falling in love with his own damsel in distress, before Marty McFly joins him for another clock-ticking adventure.