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10[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Brisco.jpg]]
11
12->''"One part [[Film/JamesBond Bond]], one part Franchise/IndianaJones and 100% cool.''"
13-->-- The tagline used by Turner Network Television during reruns.
14
15''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'' was a mid-nineties TV show which provided a unique mix of the classic western and science fiction genres similar to ''Series/TheWildWildWest'' TV series of the '60s. Created by Jeffrey Boam (screenwriter of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' and ''Film/InnerSpace'') and Carlton Cuse (before ''Series/NashBridges'' and ''Series/{{Lost}}''), the series starred B movie and television icon Creator/BruceCampbell as the title character who, after the murder of his father (Marshall Brisco County, Sr, played by Creator/RLeeErmey) at the hands of the infamous John Bly gang, is hired by the wealthy members of the Westerfield Club to recapture John Bly (played by Creator/BillyDrago) and his gang of 12.
16
17Brisco is a graduate of Harvard Law School (with a theater minor) who is an implausibly accurate gunman, One-Liner King and ladies man with killer jawline and an almost permanent 5-o'clock shadow (Hey, it's Bruce Campbell, you expected something else?). He is smooth, quick-witted, durable, extremely creative and annoyingly hard to kill (he was even brought back from the dead once). After being hired by the "Robber Barons" of the Westerfield Club, Brisco (along with his horse, Comet) is immediately paired with the club's personal lawyer Socrates Poole (Creator/ChristianClemenson), who will be the middle man between them and their employee, Brisco. While searching for the escaped members of John Bly's gang Brisco obtains a reluctant partner in fellow bounty hunter Lord Bowler (Julius Carry), comes to know (quite well) a woman by the name of Dixie Cousins (Creator/KellyRutherford), slightly crazed scientist Prof. Albert Wickwire (Creator/JohnAstin) and a large number of guest characters. The secondary plot of the show revolves around a mysterious golden "Orb" which was uncovered by Chinese railroad workers and contains possibly mystical powers. Its true origin and purpose is something Brisco must discover.
18
19''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'' ran on the Creator/{{Fox}} network for a total of 27 episodes from August 27, 1993 to May 20, 1994 and was then cancelled. And that despite the network [[ThisIsGoingToBeHuge having much faith in it]], feeling it would raise their audience at the FridayNightDeathSlot and even give some residual viewers to the sci-fi show that followed - ''Series/TheXFiles'', which became the runaway hit ''Brisco County, Jr.'' was expected to be! The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6i9AAtuk8o theme music]] is composed by Music/RandyEdelman and was later used by Creator/{{NBC}} during their UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball and [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames Olympics]] coverage.
20
21----
22!!This TV series provides examples of:
23
24* AbsentMindedProfessor: Prof. Wickwire is a shining example.
25* TheAce: While it mostly makes sense, Brisco seems to be just a little too good to be true, especially when it comes to gunplay.
26* {{Actor Allusion}}s and {{Casting Gag}}s:
27** Hippie drug guru Timothy Leary's expertise in botany and pharmacology as Dr. Milo in "Stagecoach"...not to mention his Fauxlosophical [[ContemplatingYourHands Hand Contemplation]] scene.
28** John "Gomez Addams" Astin mentioning how the [John & John Q.] Adams family was "weird".
29** The series finale features a group of villains who are all played by football players, and discuss their plan to capture Brisco in the same style as a football play, including shouting "Break!" at the end. While running down a street, they encounter props which conveniently resemble a football training camp obstacle course, including tires.
30** The traveling scenes are denoted by a very ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' -style red line on a map overlaid with video footage, which falls more within Author Allusion.
31* AdaptationDecay: In "Mail Order Brides," Brisco and Bowler learn that writers back east are writing dime-store novels about their adventures. Some of the material tracks with what we've seen before, but others (like a cover picture of Brisco on a Bolivian adventure) not so much.
32* AirGuitar: Actually more like Dueling Air Banjos when Pete Hutter and Aaron Viva try to outdo each other while locked in a jail cell.
33* AllAmazonsWantHercules: Subverted when the actual Amazons (the Schwenke sisters) are more interested in Prof. Wickwire than Brisco.
34* AmazingFreakingGrace: [[TheBigGuy Lord Bowler]] demonstrates that of all the bounty hunters in the west, he's the best singer, as Brisco lies dying after being gut-shot by [[BigBad John Bly]]. (He gets better.)
35* AmplifiedAnimalAptitude: Comet, to the point it borders on parody. In the PilotMovie, Brisco states Comet thinks he's a human and Comet certainly proves as much throughout the series, often tracking Brisco over impossible distances and managing to hold conversations with Brisco despite not being able to talk.
36* AnachronismStew: The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. included such things as rockets, a mobile battle wagon (it's a freakin' tank, people!), steel horses (motorcycles), "machinery" guns, an inner-space suit (diving suit), a zeppelin and other items as well as modern popular culture references in the show dialog. Though these were supposedly early prototypes, their functionality and most people's understanding of them really strains suspension of belief.
37** Some of the "anachronism" were more carelessness than playing with history - several of the "new-fangled" devices featured were already around by 1890, some for ''decades''. The Gatling gun was patented in 1861, diving suits were a major area of research during the decade and would be manufactured before the end of the decade, and steam-powered airships had been flying since 1852. First motorcycle has been built in 1885 while similar vehicle powered by steam engine was constructed in 1868. Another episode featured denim being presented as the "next big thing" in textiles, despite having been used in American clothing for over a century.
38*** Although Ned Zed's "machinery gun" was more like a Thompson sub-machine gun than a gatling gun, which makes it still fit into this trope.
39*** The writers may well have been aware that these devices were around, albeit in primitive form, and that was the point.
40** It could be taken as {{Steam Punk}}.
41* AndStarring: With Comet.
42* AndTheAdventureContinues: The final episode, written under the assumption that there would be a second season, becomes this as Brisco and Bowler ride off after promising the President they'd be back in action after a "brief hiatus".
43* AngryGuardDog: The jail dog in "The Orb Scholar" who has the keys to the cells clipped to his collar.
44* ArcWords: "The Coming Thing"
45%% * ArrowCam
46%% * ArtifactOfDeath: The broken orb.
47* ArtificialLimbs: Frenchie Bearpeaux has a bear paw for a hand because he got his hand caught in a BearTrap meant for Brisco County Sr.
48* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Of all the historic liberties the show takes with its time period, the biggest is probably in "Baby Makes Three" where Brisco, Bowler, Dixie, and Whip have to look after a kidnapped Chinese baby who's the rightful emperor of China. Of course, no Chinese emperor was born in 1894. The actual emperor of the time had reigned since 1875. The next (and last) Chinese emperor was born in 1906.
49* ATeamFiring: From most of the bad guys, and from Brisco, whenever the plot requires that the bad guys get away in the first act.
50* AwesomeMcCoolname: ''"This here's Utah Johnny Montana. It used to be Utah [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mellencamp John Cougar Montana]] but he dropped the Cougar 'cause he thought it was pretentious."'' (And he's from Idaho.)
51%% * AwesomeMomentOfCrowning
52%% * AxCrazy: Quite a few villains are this through the series, but few reach the neurotic unhinged madness of Pete Hutter.
53%% * BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Big Smith]].
54%% * BackToBackBadasses: Brisco and Bowler
55* BadassBiker: A whole gang of them, really (yes, this is still largely a Western show...largely).
56%% * BadassLongcoat: Lord Bowler
57* BankToaster: The episode "Crystal Hawkes" features a scene where Brisco steps into a bank offering a free branding iron to anyone opening a new account.
58%% * BarBrawl
59* BearsAreBadNews: In "Hard Rock," Brisco and Bowler wind up trapped in a cave. Before they can blast their way out, they have to fend off one angry bear.
60* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Many Orb episodes have someone tell Brisco that he has a destiny to fulfill.
61* BeingGoodSucks: In "Hard Rock," Sheriff Viva recognizes Hondo as a criminal, but can't arrest him since no one can prove he's broken any laws that are "on the books."
62* BerserkButton: Subverted. Supposedly, Pete Hutter will flip his shit if you touch his gun. In practice, every time someone does (even if it's a repeat offender like Brisco), he's so shocked that he'll stand there, gibbering that they "touched his piece", for several minutes, giving the would-be victim plenty of time to get rid of it, compelling Pete to waste his time finding it.
63* BettyAndVeronica: Amanda Wickwire and Dixie Cousins, at least in the pilot. Amanda's the law-abiding NiceGirl looking after her eccentric father, while Dixie is the sultry singer with taste in outlaws.
64%% * BigBad
65%% ** John Bly.
66%% ** In the two-part SeriesFinale, [[GeneralRipper General Quarry]].
67* BigEater: Sheriff Aaron Viva. He's later shown BRUTALLY winning a pie-eating contest.
68-->'''Sheriff Viva:''' Uh, Miss Raymond? Any chance we can get something to gnaw on?\
69'''Lenore Raymond:''' Of course, Sheriff. What'll ya have?\
70'''Sheriff Viva:''' Four chicken-fried steaks, two top sirloins, six baked potatoes, a loaf of bread, a stick of butter...ahhh pound of tapioca and ahhh gallon of buttermilk. Mister County, you want anything?\
71'''Brisco:''' Uh, no thanks.
72* BigFancyHouse: Bowler, much to Socrates and Brisco's surprise; apparently they thought he was stuffing his mattress with those big bucks he was making as a bounty hunter. He even has a cabinet full of top-of-the-line crystal, which he asserts he ''will'' make Socrates pay for in full if there's so much as a chip in it. So it's unfortunate that the reason they're even having the conversation is because Socrates has managed to acquire a PsychoExGirlfriend in record time, and needs a place to hide out.
73* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Swill Brothers and their extended family:
74-->'''Gil Swill:''' You remember our cousin Ed?\
75'''Bill Swill:''' The one who married Aunt Merriam?\
76'''Phil Swill:''' I thought he married his mother.\
77'''Bill Swill:''' That's what I said.\
78'''Gil Swill:''' Until recently, Ed was one of the Army's top test drivers. The man is fearless.\
79'''Phil Swill:''' You have to be fearless to marry your mother.
80* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: Brisco, in a showdown, actually manages to put a bullet through his opponent's barrel and into the chamber, causing it to explode.
81%% * BolivianArmyEnding: [[spoiler:Almost!]]
82* BookDumb: Bowler may be slow on intellectual matters, but he's quite brilliant when it comes to tracking fugitives.
83* BoomTown: No Man's Land, a boom town with a population made entirely of women.
84* BountyHunter: Aside from Brisco and Bowler, many other bounty hunters also appear in the show. Most notably in the episode "Bounty Hunters Convention".
85%% * BoxingEpisode: "Riverboat"
86* ButtMonkey
87** When at odds with Brisco, Bowler tends to wind up as this.
88** Socrates fits this category to a tee.
89* CardSharp: Played to the hilt in one episode where Brisco is in a poker game and both he and his opponent are cheating extensively. At one point Brisco even reaches down to pet a dog and pulls an ace from its collar. Even the cigarette girl is in on it. Even more fun is that despite Brisco's obsession with the "coming thing," he's relying on classic low-tech cheating while the other guy has all kinds of steampunk gadgets to help him. Though Brisco's opponent has a hand of five kings, he concedes defeat to Brisco's five aces:
90-->"Ya cheated me fair and square!"
91* TheCasino: One of Brisco's cases involves him and his crew busting up a riverboat casino owned by one of Bly's gang.
92%% * CattlePunk
93* ChainedToARailway: In the pilot episode, Brisco and Lord Bowler are tied to the railway tracks by the John Bly Gang.
94* CharacterAsHimself: "...with [[CoolHorse Comet]]" - actually played by four horses, each with a specific area of training (gestures, riding tricks, etc.). Bruce Campbell mentions on the commentary that there were a few times where he had to break it to an episode's director that a shot they wanted with Comet was impossible, due to requiring two different horses.
95* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:Quite literally with Brisco's own gun, which has a connection with the Orb.]]
96-->'''Brisco:''' [[LampshadeHanging You mean I've had this thing with me all along, and I never knew it?]]
97%% * AChildShallLeadThem
98* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome:
99** Professor Wickwire's daughter Amanda is never heard from after the pilot.
100** The reporter from the pilot was meant to be a recurring character as the paper's regular correspondent for Brisco's exploits, but as Socrates fulfilled the same function in a different venue, the idea was quickly dropped.
101* ClearMyName
102** Subverted in "Socrates' Sister" where the titular sister Iphigenia Poole (Creator/JudithHoag) helps accused forger Jack Randolph (Creator/WilliamRuss), who claimed MistakenIdentity, to escape...guess what; [[TropeTelegraphing he was guilty all along]].
103** Played straight in "Crystal Hawks" with Brisco himself the innocent accused.
104* CliffHanger: Of the CommercialBreakCliffHanger variety. Usually OnceAnEpisode, but earlier on, twice. When the episode would return from a break, a chapter title would appear.
105%% * TheCon: "Riverboat."
106%% * ConMan: Brisco, occasionally. Not to mention con women (Dixie and Dolly Cousins).
107* ConquerorFromTheFuture: [[spoiler:The BigBad of the series, John Bly, is revealed to have come from the 26th century, having gone back to the 19th-century to procure the Orb and use its power to rule the world.]]
108%% * ContemplatingYourHands: Dr. Milo (Timothy Leary!) in "Stagecoach".
109* ConveyorBeltODoom: Examples include Brisco being tied to a log in a sawmill, tied to railroad tracks, tied up with wet rawhide[[note]]that would slowly contract as it dries, squeezing him to death[[/note]], stuck in a soon-to-be exploding boiler room, tossed into quicksand, dumped down a well, stuck in a burning barn, the ax-throwing trick, tied to a metal pole in a thunderstorm, acid bath (actually intended for the victim in the room above Brisco but nearly gets him when it falls through the ceiling) and much more.
110* CoolHorse: Brisco's horse Comet can even open combination locks. And knows Morse code. So naturally, Brisco is inclined to quibble over small details.
111* CountingBullets: Brisco tricks a young gun-shooter into wasting his bullets before he shoots off his gun-belt.
112* CoversAlwaysLie: The DVD synopsis ends with "Let's play cowboys and aliens!" There are no extraterrestrial beings on the show.
113* CowardlyLion: When forced into action Socrates is always going to be utterly terrified, but he will NEVER abandon Brisco.
114* CreatorCameo: Carlton Cuse as an artist Pete hires in the pilot.
115%% * CuteBruiser: Crystal Hawks.
116%% * DeadHatShot: In the pilot [[spoiler: subverted in that the victim, Big Smith, survives.]]
117* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: While certainly not stupid, Socrates often finds himself out of his element and struggling to keep up with Brisco and Bowler. Every once in a while however he manages to do something EXTREMELY brave and competent, often to the surprise of his friends.
118* DeadlyDodging: In the first episode, Brisco is about to be shot by four bandits who form a perfect cross around him. He decides to duck at the last moment and the bandits kill each other simultaneously.
119* DeadpanSnarker: U.S Attorney Breakstone.
120-->'''Socrates:''' Rita Avnet is obsessively in love with me.\
121'''Breakstone:''' I'm sorry. You'll forgive me for laughing.\
122'''Socrates:''' But...you're not laughing.\
123'''Breakstone:''' Trust me. On the inside...I am.'
124%% * DeadPersonConversation
125%% * DeathTrap: At least OnceAnEpisode. Maybe even more than that.
126%% * DepletedPhlebotinumShells
127%% * DeusExMachina: Usually via the Orb
128%% * DisneyVillainDeath
129%% * DistressedDamsel: Alternately played straight or subverted, depending on the damsel or episode in question.
130%% * DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything
131* DoubleEntendre: Dixie is a master at these, which is frequently Lampshaded by Brisco.
132%% * TheDragon: John Bly's whole gang can be traced to this trope but the main Dragon would have to be the character of Big Smith (M.C Gainey).
133%% ** In the two-part SeriesFinale, Colonel March is this to [[GeneralRipper General]] [[BigBad Quarry]].
134* DrowningMySorrows: Bob from "Showdown" was Brisco Sr.'s right-hand man and a longtime family friend. He helped round up Bly's gang, but he lagged behind during the breakout on the train, with Brisco Sr. ultimately gunned down. According to Annie, Bob hit the bottle hard and never let up. He only comes out of it towards the end of the episode, thanks to Brisco.
135%% * ElaborateUndergroundBase: And it's in Chinatown!
136* EliteMooks: Pete Hutter enters the show in the pilot movie as the somewhat elite mook of Big Smith. After his initial appearance he becomes a minor AntiVillain, periodically showing up while working out his own villainous schemes. Pete has a special love for his gun, a la Series/SledgeHammer, which is known as "Pete's Piece."
137* EmbarrassingFirstName: U.S Attorney Breakstone
138-->'''Socrates:''' U.S Attorney....uh, Mister Break...oh, this is silly. My name is Socrates, what's your first name?\
139'''Breakstone:''' Ginger. But that's on a need-to-know basis.\
140'''Socrates:''' Ginger....?\
141'''Breakstone:''' That's right, Ginger.
142* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Peter Leviticus Hutter.
143* EmbarrassingLastName: James "Lord Bowler" Lonefeather.
144* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
145** Pete Hutter is introduced giving a rant about his appreciation for classical art over the newer {{Impressionis|m}}t movement as he observes a painter painting a mound as part of a TrainJob, and then tells the painter that his landscape should have a sunset to complete the look. The painter remarks that it's in the middle of the day, so a sunset would ruin the illusion they're going for, whereupon Pete gets cranky over how he won't accept "constructive criticism." This tells us that Pete is nothing but your typical Western outlaw [[KnowNothingKnowItAll that think's he's smarter than he really is]].
146** We're introduced to Lord Bowler trying to pick a fight with Brisco Jr unprovoked after a lifetime of losing to Brisco Sr. After failing to intimidate Brisco with a lit pack of dynamite, he get both of them landed in jail. While Brisco manages to get out of a jail-sentence with his knowledge of the law, Bowler fails to do the same. This tells you everything you need to know about Bowler; he's manly, but as dumb as a rock and [[ArchNemesis lives his life to try and inconvenience Brisco]], only to be made to look like an idiot because he isn't as clever as his {{Foil}}.
147* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes
148** The Swill brothers and the extended family are very protective of their own.
149** Played with in "Hard Rock." Hondo previously shot his brother for cheating him, but he can't bring himself to shoot his own son when threatened. He also urges his son to be a good man in memory of his mother.
150* EvenEvilHasStandards: More like "even perpetual nuisance has standards", but Pete, when accused of committing every crime on the books short of murder, adamantly insists that he's never violated an agricultural quarantine.
151%% * EverybodyWasKungFuFighting: Except for Brisco, Bowler and Whip who were using GoodOldFisticuffs.
152%% * EvilMatriarch: Big Bad Momma Swill.
153* EvilMinions: Every one of John Bly's evil minions has at least one evil minion of his own.
154* {{Expy}}: Lord Bowler was based on Lord Baltimore from ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid''.
155* TheFarmerAndTheViper: While trying to escape, [=LaCutte=] from "Pirates!" [[spoiler:stumbles right into quicksand]]. Brisco tries to save him, but [=LaCutte=] prefers TakingYouWithMe instead. Brisco's only saved by Bowler's sudden arrival.
156* FateWorseThanDeath:[[spoiler: Bly is sucked inside the Orb by a trick bullet in the handle of Brisco's gun.]]
157%% * FauxActionGirl: Sheriff Jenny Taylor in "No Man's Land"...played by Denise Crosby, of all people.
158* FigureItOutYourself: Brisco often gets told he has to do this in regards to the Orbs.
159%% * FireForgedFriends: Brisco, Bowler and Socrates.
160* FramingDevice: The episode "Ned Zed" is framed by a father reading to his son from a "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr" dime novel.
161%% * FriendlyLocalChinatown
162%%* TheFullNameAdventures
163* FunWithAcronyms: '''U'''nearthed '''F'''oreign '''O'''bject
164* FunnyForeigner
165-->'''Enzio Tataglia:''' [Sitting at a table in the middle of town] In my country we have a saying "If you yodel in the forest , the yoohoo that you yoohoo will be the yoohoo that you get back."\
166'''Brisco County Jr.:''' Where were you from again?
167%% * GadgeteerGenius: Prof. Wickwire, naturally, but also Brisco.
168* GeneralRipper: General Quarry is a thoroughly cynical version of this, deliberately framing a Mexican revolutionary to start a war with Mexico, solely to satisfy Quarry's own political ambitions.
169* GenreSavvy: Brisco is this. Unfortunately circumstances usually end up leading him to the dramatic climax that he's already described in detail and was trying to avoid.
170* GenreShift: Starting with [[spoiler:"Bye Bly" where John Bly is killed and the Orbs returned to the future]], so the genre shifts slightly out of fantastical SciFi and into less fantastic western espionage for the rest of the series.
171-->'''Bowler:''' Brisco, can we just be cowboys from now on?
172%% * GentlemanThief: Jack Randolph
173* GirlOfTheWeek: ''Somewhat'' subverted in Dixie Cousins as a regular LoveInterest, but played straight in almost every other episode...including with NewOldFlame Annie Cavendish, whom he promised to return to one day. Next week, she's forgotten. of course.
174* GoodCopBadCop: Given a certain twin German Amazonian blacksmiths kinda twist. The good cop flirts, while the bad cop makes to beat the hell out of the person.
175%% * GreenRocks: The Orb.
176%% * [[DressHitsFloor Guns Hit The Floor]]
177%% * TheGunslinger: Brisco, of course. Bowler's not that bad, either.
178%% * HalloweenEpisode: The episode "Bad Luck Betty".
179%% * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Big Smith]]
180* AHeroToHisHometown: Though Brisco has some notice for his career (which is how he got the job hunting Bly's gang), he's still considered a small fry compared to his more illustrious father. However, he returns to the old homestead in "Showdown" and gets a warm welcome from the lawful citizens. He further improves his reputation with them by taking down the Brackmans for their crimes.
181* HiddenDepths: Bowler is actually very careful with his bounty money, getting himself a lavish and well-furnished mansion. He also later reveals that he served in the military.
182* HistoricalInJoke
183** Mexico has a county named Brisco out of gratitude for his actions in "Brisco in Jalisco."
184** Sheriff Viva invented sunglasses (though he called them "dayglasses").
185%% * HurricaneOfPuns
186* ILied: A villain does this to Pete Hutter in the episode "And Baby Makes Three".
187%% * IAmYourFather: Turned on its head when the son reveals himself to his father instead.
188* IconicItem: Brisco's gun is a custom-made revolver. Anyone who sees it instantly knows that it's the gun of his legendary father, and immediately assumes that Brisco is his son.
189%% * IdiotBall: Emilio Pena in the episode "Brisco in Jalisco".
190* ImprobableAimingSkills: And how! Brisco's gunplay in the final act is usually without error. During his duel with Utah Johnny Montana, he's able to shoot a bullet up Montana's gunbarrel and blow up his revolver in his hand.
191%% * IntellectualAnimal: Brisco's CoolHorse, Comet.
192* IronicEcho: As a RunningGag throughout "Socrates' Sister", people keep commenting that Socrates is carrying "too much weight" during his ill-planned quest to rescue his sister. At the end of the episode, [[spoiler: after the rope that leads to Jack Randolph's diving suit snaps, dooming him to death by drowning]], Prof. Wickwire ruefully comments that there was "too much weight."
193* ItWasWithYouAllAlong: "Fountain of Youth" reveals that [[spoiler:Brisco's gun has a connection to the Orb, with the handle containing a special bullet forged from the Orb's alloy]]. Brisco is rather displeased to find this trope was the case for half a season.
194* JailBake: Played with in "Socrates' Sister". Iphigenia brings a "birthday cake" to Jack Randolph, but the warden lampshades how often people seem to have birthdays in jail and cuts the cake to pieces, only to find nothing in it. He and his deputies gleefully devour it themselves [[BatmanGambit and subsequently fall victim to the sleeping powder Iphigenia had laced it with.]]
195* JamesBondage: Brisco gets captured and strapped to any number of deathtraps many, many times, only to escape after the commercial break.
196* KangarooCourt: In "Brisco for the Defense," Brisco's old school pal is the prime suspect for a murder. The judge is actually a reasonable (if stern) person, but the sheriff and other citizens actively try to obscure evidence and push for an innocent man to be hanged.
197* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Pete Hutter, most definitely. He will drone on and on about something he ''thinks'' he's an expert on, much to the irritation of colleagues.
198* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Lord Bowler. His real name is James Lonefeather.
199* LadyLand: The titular town in "No Man's Land" is a refreshingly understated example. The women of the town don't hate men so much as they're waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with their way of thinking, and Brisco and Professor Wickwire are perfectly willing to play by their rules during their stay. The only woman to be openly hostile was the saloon owner, and she came around after Lord Bowler risked being blown up to save her life.
200* LiteralCliffhanger: A humorous example as Brisco is hanging out a window with Socrates (who is holding onto Brisco's belt). There's a wagonful of sharp pointy things under them and a Chinese gangster stepping on Brisco's fingers.
201-->'''Brisco:''' "Socrates...my hands are slipping."\
202'''Scorates:''' "Don't worry, I've got a good grip on your belt."
203* LoveAtFirstPunch: Amanda Wickwire is introduced in the PilotMovie trying to hit a man who was assaulting her and accidentally decking Brisco, who takes a liking to her. Unfortunately, it never went anywhere because she was PutOnABus immediately afterwards.
204%% * LukeYouAreMyFather: In "Hard Rock," Whip to Hondo.
205%% * MacGuffin: The Orb.
206* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Subverted with the daughter of Prof. Wickwire who is outgoing and packs a pretty mean punch.
207* MadeOfExplodium: Slow-moving rocket car meets slow-moving tank and....kaboom.
208%% ** Not to mention the [[spoiler: second orb]] in "Senior Spirit".
209%% * TheMafia: Both Irish and Italian.
210* MagicCompass: In one episode Socrates is given an object which glows when pointed towards Brisco.
211%% * MaternallyChallenged: Subverted with Dixie in "And Baby Makes Three."
212%% * TheMole: [[spoiler: Pena's second-in-command Aguerro]] in "Brisco in Jalisco" and [[spoiler: Rita Avnet]] in "Deep in the Heart of Dixie"
213* MoodyMount: Brisco's horse Comet is like this sometimes, when they've had a spat. He also gets this way in "Steel Horses" when he's initially outclassed by the motorcycles.
214* MookPromotion: In the first Swill brothers episode, they're led by the eldest brother, Gill. At the end of that episode, Gill is KilledOffForReal, but Will, Bill, and Phil are all caught alive. In their second episode, the next eldest brother, Will, is in charge.
215* MsFanservice:
216** Dixie Cousins by far. Often wearing OfCorsetsSexy or very beautiful dresses. She is pretty much the eye candy to all the male characters.
217** Karina, the naked time traveler, from “Bye Bly” also counts. While mostly covered by SceneryCensor, we do see a fair bit of skin from her. Even when only wearing her blazer, she shows off some nice legs.
218%% * MrExposition: Prof. Coles, Orb scholar.
219%% * NakedOnArrival (also Naked On Departure)
220%% -->'''Lord Bowler:''' Dayum!\
221%% '''Brisco County Jr.:''' Now, it's just anatomy guys.\
222%% '''Lord Bowler:''' Yeah, it sure looks real good on her.
223%% * NeverFoundTheBody: In the episode "The Brooklyn Dodgers".
224* NewOldFlame
225** Annie Cavendish for Brisco in "Showdown" and Lenore Raymond for Bowler in "Hard Rock".
226** In "Ned Zed," we meet Jennifer Hart, who was engaged to Brisco during college and dumped him without a second thought. She expressed interest in rekindling things before finding someone else.
227* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: A member of John Bly's gang, Blackbeard [=LaCutte=], former High Seas Pirate who becomes a High Plains Pirate.
228* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Sheriff Aaron Viva is a take-off of Elvis.
229* NonActionGuy: Socrates, bordering at times on being TheLoad.
230%% * NonHumanSidekick: Comet.
231* NoodleIncident
232** An example from the episode "Hard Rock" where there's a buckboard wagon stuck in the side of the second floor of a building:
233--->'''Brisco:''' What's with the buckboard?\
234'''Sheriff Viva:''' Wagon-jumpin' contest...got out of hand.
235** A more serious example in another episode when Brisco calls Bowler on being distrustful of others, asking if he even has any friends. Bowler responds that he did once, but "It didn't work out."
236** As Bowler explains his NewOldFlame to Brisco, he has to reveal his last name was originally "Lonefeather." When Brisco asks why he changed it, Bowler simply asks him which story he'd rather hear at this point.
237* OfCorsetsSexy: what Dixie wears to seduce Brisco, and later, she wears a corset and fishnets in her burlesque show.
238%% * OldMaster: Lee Pow, leader of the Scarred Foot Clan.
239%% * OneLiner: A staple of the show.
240%% * TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou
241* OfficialCouple: After several episodes of playful flirting, Brisco and Dixie eventually realize they actually do love each other and become this.
242* OvershadowedByAwesome:
243** Lord Bowler is an excellent tracker and has a good record of success, but to dime store novel readers, passers-by and even [[spoiler:a woman from the very distant future]], he is just Brisco's "faithful companion."
244** The father in "Pirates!" feels this sting, as Brisco's the ass-kicking cowboy that impresses his son, whereas he's just a simple farmer.
245* PaperThinDisguise: In order to hide his identity, Brisco often introduces himself as Roscoe Merriweather or "Kansas" Wylie Stafford (at least until the episode AKA Kansas, where "Kansas" Wylie Stafford actually shows up to set the record straight).
246* ParentalAbandonment
247** In "The Brooklyn Dodgers". Okay, actually [[spoiler: The children weren't abandoned, they thought both their parents were dead but their mother was still alive although she also believed they were both dead.]]
248** Bowler himself, having lost his father while a baby and his mother later on during childhood.
249** And, of course, Brisco. His father is gunned down in the pilot and his mother died years earlier.
250* ParentalFavoritism: In "Mail Order Brides," Ma Swill says that her dearly-departed son Gil was her favorite.
251* ParentsAsPeople: Brisco Sr. was often away as part of his job, leaving a young son often feeling neglected and ignored (though it's pointed out he was never checked out during their conversations). "Senior Spirit" has Brisco come to terms with the fact that, while not perfect, the old man was doing the best he could as a widower with a full-time job.
252* ParodyNames
253** Sheriff Aaron Viva is a parody of Elvis Presley, including looks, mannerisms and even occasionally speaking in well-known Elvis song lyrics.
254** From "No Man's Land": [[Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman Dr. Rosa Quintano, Medicine Woman]].
255* PianoDrop: John Bly arranges this as Brisco is chasing him, used as a CommercialBreakCliffhanger. Brisco shoots the pully clamp to stop it just before it hits him and his GirlOfTheWeek.
256%% * PinkertonDetective
257* APirate400YearsTooLate: One member of John Bly's gang and his lackeys were a group of actual pirates. Somehow or another they'd gotten driven off the high seas, so they took to pirating on the American plains. It's also a literal example of this trope, as they're very much classical pirates (maybe 17th century-ish), but the show is supposed to take place right around the turn of the 20th century.
258* PowerTrio: Brisco (ego), Bowler (id), and Poole (superego)
259* ProchronicProduct: One of the running themes in the series is Brisco fascinated by "the coming thing," various advanced inventions from side characters, villains, and his friend Professor Wickwire. The inventions are common to our time, but astounding in the Old West setting. Examples include an "inner space suit" (a diving suit) "motorized steel horses" (motorcycles), and Wickwire rigging up a rocket sled on a train track.
260%% * TheProfessor: Wickwire and Coles
261* PunBasedTitle: Almost every chapter title per episode. After the pilot, always two there are: EX: "I'll be Sawing You in All the Old Familiar Places"; "When All is Zed and Done").
262%% * PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Justified due to the [[DeusExMachina Power]] of the [[MacGuffin Orb]].
263%%* PutOnABus: Amanda Wickwire, love interest of Brisco in the pilot.
264* QuicksandSucks: Quicksand surely does suck for [[spoiler: Blackbeard La Cutte]].
265%% * RailroadTracksOfDoom
266* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Judge Gatt is a grouchy and impatient old man, but is also extremely fair, willing to delay a trial so that Brisco can do his research, and firmly wants to further justice.
267** Mr. Emmerson. When the other robber barons weren't interested in having Brisco work for them due to his unorthodox behavior, Mr. Emmerson immediately stands up and hires Brisco. And through the rest of the series he proves to be the most wise and moral of Brisco's employers.
268* ReallyGetsAround: This exchange between Brisco and Dixie tells a lot about the latter's character.
269-->'''Dixie:''' You like the bed? It comes from France.\
270'''Brisco:''' Louis the 14th?\
271'''Dixie:''' No, I think Louis was the 9th or 10th. But then a lady never counts.\
272'''Brisco:''' Oh, yeah, then what are those notches on your bedpost?
273* RealMenLoveJesus: Lord Bowler is a tough son of a gun. He is also a tough Son of God who won’t tolerate any weapons in a church.
274* RecklessGunUsage
275** While Brisco is tussling with a bad guy. The GirlOfTheWeek wants to help, and grabs a nearby pistol by the barrel and is about to hit the bad guy before Brisco stops her. He beats up the bad guy himself, then demonstrates that fact that if the woman had struck someone with the butt of the ''loaded, flintlock'' pistol, [[IJustShotMarvinInTheFace it would've gone off. Directly into her.]]
276** Also lampshaded in the pilot, when Big Smith's gang is going to shoot Brisco.
277---> Pete: "Dixie! I'm kind of a stickler for gun safety." *waves the gun in her direction* "Could you move a little to the left?"
278** Taken to a ridiculous extreme in "Bad Luck Betty" when Betty walks up to a man who was just shooting at them and tries to ''yank his shotgun from his hands by the barrel'' '''''while it's still pointed right at her!'''''
279* RecurringCharacter
280** Usually Dixie Cousins, the LoveInterest, or Prof. Wickwire, the ReluctantMadScientist and sometimes both.
281** Also Whip by the end of the season.
282** Along with Pete and Pete's Piece.
283* ReluctantMadScientist: Professor Wickwire, though he may be just a little unhinged.
284** In "Socrates' Sister," he is forced by Jack Randolph and Pete Hutter to use his new dive suit for their scheme
285** In "Senior Spirit," Bly has him kidnapped to study an Orb and threatens a hostage to force his compliance.
286* ResurrectionRevenge: The episode "Bad Luck Betty" features a man who's apparently come back from the dead after (allegedly) being wrongly convicted of his wife's murder and hanged. [[spoiler: It turns out his daughter was the murderer, he let himself hang to protect her and she's been doing the killings after being driven mad by guilt.]]
287* RetroactivePrecognition
288** Brisco and his obsession over "the coming thing." Which he runs into quite frequently, even when he doesn't know it (such as drive-thru windows and the hitchhiker's thumb.)
289** In "Steel Horses," Wickwire unveils his one-way glass for an interrogation. Bowler muses that he'd want something like that at home that he could turn on and watch anytime he wants.
290--->'''Bowler:''' Did I just think of a comin' thing?\
291'''Brisco:''' It's fun, isn't it?
292%% * {{Retirony}}: In [[spoiler:"Bye Bly" with Lord Bowler]] this was played straight [[spoiler:and then subverted.]]
293%% ** Best part: {{retirony}} is used exclusively for dramatic effect; [[spoiler: after Bowler does not die, he decides against retirement. He was thinking of retiring just so it would be extra poignant when he dies.]]
294* TheReveal: In "Fountain of Youth," [[spoiler:Bly is revealed to be a time-traveler from 612 years in the future]]. [[spoiler:He came to get the Orbs so that he could conquer the world in his time]].
295* RevengeBeforeReason: Generally averted with Brisco himself. He's hunting the men that murdered his father, but as personal as the loss was, he is content to bring them to justice. Played straight, however, when Brisco encounters the man responsible for his mother's death. Brisco takes two beatings when he tries fighting head-on as opposed to using his wits.
296%% * TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified: "Brisco in Jalisco".
297%% * RuleOfCool: One of the driving forces of the series, along with...
298%% * RuleOfFunny
299%% * RunawayTrain
300* ScaryBlackMan: Both played straight ''and'' subverted in Lord Bowler. He tries to be this trope and sometimes succeeds...when his own dimwittedness and/or [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold soft heart]] don't subvert the attempt.
301%% * SealedEvilInACan: Or an Orb, in this case.
302%% * SecretLegacy
303* SentencedWithoutTrial:
304** In the pilot episode, Brisco and Lord Bowler find themselves in jail when the latter picked a fight with him in a cafe. The Judge tries to convict them to two months of community service, only for Brisco to invoke his law degree and demand his constitutional right to a trial by a jury of his peers. Not accustomed to such rights being invoked (and already having a workload too big to do so), the Judge throws his case out and lets Brisco go free while Lord Bowler is saddled with community service.
305** In "Brisco for the Defense", Brisco's old Harvard friend Dr. Matt Carter is framed for a murder, and the entire town is convinced that he did the dirty deed and are intent on seeing him hanged as quickly as possible. The fact that the Sheriff tries to be as obstructive and unhelpful as possible certainly doesn't help.
306%% * SexyDiscretionShot
307%% * ShadowDiscretionShot
308%% * ShakyPOVCam
309* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Karina in "Bye Bly". She is a naked time traveler from the future. She travels naked because it's easier for the process. Though she appeared to have no problem being seen naked by Brisco and his friends, but she does cover up when she realizes Brisco found her nudity distracting. Of course the only thing she wears is a blazer.
310%% * TheSheriff
311* ShoutOut: Several, typically to old western series.
312** In "Riverboat" Brisco's gambler outfit is a duplicate of the one worn by James Garner in ''Series/{{Maverick}}''.
313** One episode has John Astin's character remark that the John (John Quincy Adams') family was said to be weird.
314** In "Stagecoach", the captured agent is named [[Series/TheAvengers1960s Emma Steed]].
315** One of the residents of "No Man's Land" is [[Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman Dr. Quintano, Medicine Woman]].
316* ASimplePlan: Usually a plan constructed by Pete Hutter which he often pulls off with the same success of anything by Wile E. Coyote. Though he does seem to be fairly successful at causing trains to run into giant rocks that are painted to look like the continuation of the train tracks.
317-->'''Pete:''' That's why they came to Pete Hutter. Because they know if you're gonna pull off this type of operation, what you need is big rocks!
318* SpinningPaper: Used in the opening credits to tell the pilot's back story of Brisco's Dad getting killed, millionaires hiring his son, and Lord Bowler on Brisco's trail as a competitive Bounty Hunter. After Brisco and Bowler became partners, that part was excised.
319* SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/TheWildWildWest''.
320%% * SplitPersonalityTakeover
321%% * StalkerWithACrush: Rita Avnet for Socrates.
322* StoryArc: The Orb and tracking the John Bly gang [[spoiler:which are part of the same arc]].
323* SuperstitionEpisode: In a HalloweenEpisode Briso & Bowler have to deal with Bad Luck Betty, a superstitious deputy, while on a case. Where she goes bad luck follows, although she always says it's an accident - while also following various superstitions. For example, she managed to put the sheriff in a full body cast: she tossed salt over her shoulder just as he came in, which made him lose his footing and a grandfather clock fell on him.
324* SuperStrength: One of the benefits of possessing the Orb.
325%% * SupervillainLair
326* SuspectExistenceFailure: There's a TenLittleMurderVictims episode with a gathering of {{Bounty Hunter}}s at a secluded hotel.
327%% * TankGoodness: In "No Man's Land".
328%% * TechnoBabble: The long-awaited explanation of the orb in "Bye Bly."
329%% * TemporalParadox
330* TemptingFate: When Brisco is framed for murder and captured by another bounty hunter, he easily escapes the ropes she ties him up with and advises her to invest in chains instead as he escapes. Not long afterward she catches him again, and it turns out she took his advice.
331%% * TenLittleMurderVictims: The Superlative Seven.
332* TheyKilledKenny: Pete Hutter is supposedly killed more than once and other characters are usually surprised to see him again.
333-->'''Brisco County Jr.:''' We heard you were alive, Pete.\
334'''Lord Bowler:''' We just didn't believe it. We saw you get killed by that Chinese death star with our own eyes.\
335'''Pete Hutter:''' Well that's the thing about your Chinese death stars, An hour later and you're alive again.
336%% * TimeTravel
337* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Comet just loves green apples.
338%% * TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot
339%% * {{Troperiffic}}
340%% * TrueCompanions
341* TwilightOfTheOldWest: Given the prominent themes of science and technology in the series this is inevitably referenced. Brisco interestingly is actually hoping this happens, not too perturbed over the age of cowboys ending thinking it will signal in a bright new age of law enforcement.
342* TwoferTokenMinority : Bowler is referred to as a "half-breed" in the pilot, and other episodes refer to him being part Cherokee. He is black, but Bowler's hair, clothing, earrings, and aspects of his character come from his Native American heritage. Also falls under TruthInTelevision, as Julius Carry does have Native American ancestry.
343%% * USMarshal: Brisco County, Sr.
344* VillainDecay: Pete Hutter was a menacing, if highly eccentric antagonist in his first two appearances. After that, he turns into a completely ineffectual goof-villain played for laughs.
345* WeirdWest: The series occasionally veers into light {{Steampunk}}. The Orb is straight up [[ClarkesThirdLaw Sufficiently Advanced Science]] with no clear limits to what it can do.
346* WellDoneSonGuy: "Senior Spirit" highlights Brisco had these kind of issues with his father.
347* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Brisco's father is killed by Bly and the 12 members of his gang. By the time of "Bye Bly," Brisco and Bowler corner the "last one" before going on to defeating Bly himself. However, we'd only seen eight members defeated prior to this (plus a tenth member in the WholeEpisodeFlashback that aired right after "Bye Bly"). The 12 number is repeated in a later episode, so the three remaining members were apparently dealt with off-screen, but some fans nonetheless found the development curious.
348* WhatTheHellHero: In "Showdown," Brisco goes to his hometown to help out an old friend and her father, Bob. As he tries to deal with the local outlaws, Brisco gets sick of Bob's self-destructive behavior and unwillingness to admit to it.
349-->'''Brisco:''' All those years where dad was gone all the time, you're the closest thing I ever had to a father! You were the sheriff! You held this town together.\
350'''Bob:''' I'm still holding it together.\
351'''Brisco:''' Like the hell you are! You're a drunk! If my father were still alive, he'd be ashamed to ride with you. And so am I.
352* WholeEpisodeFlashback: "Ned Zed," which tells a story early into the hunt for Bly and his gang--well before Brisco and Bowler officially teamed-up. (Surviving production codes suggest it was filmed after the PilotMovie, but it wound up being held back for most of the season.) The framing device is a father and son reading a dime store novel.
353* WigDressAccent: While on the run in "Deep in the Heart of Dixie," Dixie dons a matching black wig and dress, and performs under a different name.
354* WillTheyOrWontThey: Brisco and Dixie. A SexyDiscretionShot strongly suggests they did in the pilot and while they clearly have feelings for each other, they never really get together until near the end of the season.
355%% * WittyBanter: This show practically crawls with it.
356%% * WomanScorned: Part of the reveal to [[spoiler:"Brisco for the Defense"]].
357* WomenAreWiser: In "Deep in the Heart of Dixie," it's Dixie that makes Brisco and Bowler finally realize they'd get more done working together than separately.
358* TheWorfEffect: Bowler gets a dose of this whenever some new character needs to be established as physically strong, like Crystal Hawks, or Ned Zed.
359* WorthyOpponent: Bly calls Brisco exactly that in "Fountain of Youth."
360%% * WrenchWench: Amanda Wickwire in the pilot. The Schwenke sisters in "No Man's Land" and "Steel Horses."
361* YouHaveFailedMe: In "Deep in the Heart of Dixie," after a botched attempt to kidnap Dixie, lead villain Smiles poisons the subordinate that screwed up.
362%% * YoungGun: "Whip" Morgan

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