Episode 1
The Kid
Young men of the Pony Express brave harsh conditions.
Where to watch The Young Riders
TV series
The Young Riders
1989TV-PG3 seasons7.4 / 10
The Young Riders was an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War. The series premiered on ABC on September 20, 1989 and ran for three seasons until the final episode aired on July 23, 1992.
Availability
Not streaming in United States
The Young Riders premiered September 20, 1989. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Synopsis
The Young Riders was an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War. The series premiered on ABC on September 20, 1989 and ran for three seasons until the final episode aired on July 23, 1992.
Season 1 episodes
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 2
Gunfighter
The boys attempt to save Wild Bill Hickok from an unnecessary gunfight.
Episode credits
Directed by Max Tash
Episode 3
Home of the Brave
Buck is the target of hostility when Sweetwater is threatened by a local tribe.
Episode credits
Directed by Dan LernerGuest stars Nick Young
Episode 4
Speak No Evil
Robbery witness Ike McSwain is pursued by the criminals he is to testify against.
Episode credits
Directed by Jim Johnston
Episode 5
Bad Blood
The riders help Lou track down her younger brother and sister who were kidnapped by a ruthless gunrunner.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 6
Black Ulysses
Col. Savage and a band of militia hunt down a runaway slave accused of murder.
Episode credits
Directed by Bruce Kessler
Episode 7
Ten-Cent Hero
A novelist avenges a beating by Hickok with writing a story that incites others to challenge the cowboy.
Episode credits
Directed by Kevin Hooks
Episode 8
False Colors
The Kid is torn when his long-lost brother turns up just as nearby fugitives are planning to steal a gold shipment.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 9
A Good Day to Die
A Sioux brave who claims to be innocent is denied justice when brought to trial for an Indian massacre.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 10
The End of Innocence
Hickok and Emma face hostile Indians and a ruthless commanding officer at a remote Army post.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 11
Blind Love
Hickok's heart is lassoed by a mysterious woman, but he is caught in a dangerous tangle when he discovers that she is bound to another man.
Episode credits
Directed by Lee H. KatzinGuest stars Don Collier
Episode 12
The Keepsake
Teaspoon is given claim to a small fortune, but he may lose it to a young woman he thinks is his lost daughter, and to a crooked gambler willing to kill for the cash.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 13
Fall from Grace
Hickok has a falling-out with Teaspoon, and he falls in with a gang of outlaws who are after a store of Army guns and ammunition.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 14
Hard Time
Kid is sentenced to hard time on a trumped-up charge by a small-town sheriff carrying out the policies of the sadistic man who keeps the town under a cloud of fear.
Episode credits
Directed by Kevin Hooks
Episode 15
Lady for a Night
Dressed as a lady for a night, Lou meets a vicious brute who develops an obsession for her, while he masterminds a series of heists in the territory.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 16
Unfinished Business
After surviving a massacre of wealthy settlers near Sal Lake, Emma's estranged husband arrives in Sweetwater looking for shelter from Emma, and raising the suspicions of Sam and the riders.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 17
Decoy
On a wild ride to deliver a top-secret Government message, Cody helps a mortally wounded mountain man, who asks Cody to care for his pet bear. Meanwhile, back in Sweetwater, the other riders look after an abandoned baby.
Episode credits
Written by Tony Blake, Paul Jackson
Episode 18
Daddy's Girl
A new girl in town has Buck in her sights, but he is caught in the cross-fire between her, her tyrannical father and her cruel suitor.
Episode credits
Directed by George MendelukGuest stars Nick Young, Alice Adair
Episode 19
Bulldog
An Eastern college boy arrives with dreams of meeting his Western idol, Hickok, but he is used as an unwitting accomplice in a scheme that endangers all the riders.
Episode credits
Directed by Joseph L. Scanlan
Episode 20
Matched Pair
Hickok helps a friendly rival search for their gunfighting mentor's kidnapped daughter, who actually has escaped with evidence of her dad's corruption.
Episode credits
Guest stars Chris Penn
Episode 21
The Man Behind the Badge
Sam finds himself on the wrong side of the law in his own town when the man responsible for the murder of Sam's wife takes over Sweetwater.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 22
Then There Was One
Teaspoon sets out for Texas with an old comrade in arms to warn three other veterans that someone has been murdering the last men who truly remember the Alamo.
Episode credits
Guest stars Michael J. Pollard
Episode 23
Gathering Clouds (1)
The Kid finds himself secretly helping the Army learn the identity of the Hawk.
Where to watch The Young RidersEpisode 24
Gathering Clouds (2)
finale
The men of the Pony Express find themselves taking different sides as the start of the Civil War approaches.
Episode credits
Directed by Lee H. Katzin
Episode information updated Jul 22, 2026
Available now in United States
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More about The Young Riders
Cast
Stephen BaldwinBuffalo Bill Cody
Josh BrolinWild Bill Hickok
Brett CullenMarshal Sam Cain
Travis FineIke McSwain
Don FranklinNoah Dixon
Melissa LeoEmma Shannon
Ty MillerThe Kid
Gregg RainwaterRunning Buck CrossCredits
- Written by
- Charles Grant Craig, Steven Baum, Scott Shepherd, Tony Blake, Paul Jackson
Production details
- Status
- Ended
- Series type
- Scripted
- Episodes
- 68
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
ABCUnited States
MGM TelevisionUnited States- Ogiens/Kane Company