In the early 1990s, Bruce Campbell had perhaps the highest point of his career - the moment at which he very nearly became, at least, a television star. Campbell starred as the title character in FOX's lighthearted cowboy comic-drama The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr., a show which ran for 27 episodes and achieved a relatively strong following and critical response. Brisco County is a genuinely likeable character, and the show strikes an impressive balance between fairly light dramatic television and gentle comedy. What made the show stand out was its generic experiments, in which western elements like train robberies and gunfights were fused with multiple references to science-fiction and steampunk. Campbell's Brisco holds everything together with his chiselled good looks, wisecracking humour and heroic traits. It is interesting to note, though, that Campbell had to audition five times for the role before he was hired - especially given that one of the few reasons that it is still remembered today is because he remains such a strong cult figure. He received a substantial amount of praise for the role from critics and network executives alike. At the time, FOX executive Sandy Grushow said that he would become the next big television star. Critics since have argued that it was undoubtedly Bruce's last great performance before he lapsed into a selection of characters that verged on silly and self-parodic. Unfortunately, ratings figures dropped as the show went on, and FOX cancelled after one season. That cancellation effectively rang the death knell for any potential a-list success that Campbell may have ultimately achieved. However, it remains a great show in retrospect.
