The Lone Ranger

Set against the vast plains of the frontier, The Lone Ranger follows a masked rider and his loyal companion as they defend the innocent by outsmarting outlaws. Riding from town to town, they rely on a strict code of justice, clever trickery, and a few trusted signals to bring criminals to justice. In its early run, Gerald Mohr served as the episode narrator, while the radio version used Fred Foy. When story narration was dropped from the TV show, Foy continued as the voice behind the action. The series became ABC's top rated program in the early 1950s and its first true hit.

Premiering in 1949 as a live action western, The Lone Ranger reimagined the radio hit created by Fran Striker and George W Trendle. Clayton Moore stars as the masked rider with Jay Silverheels as Tonto; Gerald Mohr narrates early episodes.

The Lone Ranger became an enduring symbol of frontier justice with a clear moral code and a loyal sidekick. Its theme music and the whistle, along with the line Hi-Yo Silver Away, entered speech and influenced later masked hero tropes in popular culture. It shaped TV westerns and children's programming.

Critically, the series was praised for clean storytelling and dependable heroism, becoming a cultural touchstone of early television. Its themes of justice and cooperation between Ranger and Tonto, along with the clear moral divide between good and evil, helped shape Western TV for years. Its appeal endured widely.