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Michael Schneider
Variety Editor at Large
franklinavenue See All
Courtesy Everett Collection “Walker, Texas Ranger” was almost DOA before it ever even launched on CBS. The series was midway through shooting its Season 1 in 1993 when Cannon TV, the company that was originally deficit financing the Chuck Norris action drama, ran out of funds and shut down production.
That could have been the end of the series. But with the show’s first episode, a two-hour movie, already in the can, CBS went ahead and aired it on April 21, 1993 — and it was a massive hit. The show’s premiere dominated its timeslot for CBS with a 16.5 rating and 27 share — and even did well in various demos, including adults 18-49 (25 share), children 2-11 (21 share) and adults over 50 (30 share).
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