Walker, Texas Ranger was seen as one of the most violent shows of its time
Posted: December 2, 2021, 3:55PMNowadays, violence has become commonplace amongst some of our most popular TV shows and movies. Once typically reserved for only horror films, audiences around the world have become more tolerant of the occasional blood and gore in their favorite media.
Back in the '90s, this wasn't always the case. Network television would rarely feature excess violence or blood in many of its programmings, those that did typically aired late at night. Among the most "violent" offenders at its time was Walker, Texas Ranger.
Ranked by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, Walker, Texas Ranger was the third most violent series next to The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and SeaQuest DSV. Unhappy with this label of brutality on the show most of all was the producer and star of the series, Chuck Norris.
”NYPD Blue deals with a lot more violent structural concepts than I do, but I get labeled (for violence) and they don’t,” remarked Chuck Norris on Walker, Texas Ranger's reputation for violence.
When the series first premiered in 1993, it had the late-night Saturday timeslot right after the popular romance drama, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Because of the stark difference in subject material between both the series, Walker, Texas Ranger featured content wanting of violence in its initial premiere episodes.
Another factor that helped build the series reputation of violent content for the series due to Chuck Norris being the star of the series itself. Prior to the premiere of the series, Norris had already made a reputation for himself by starring and producing some of the most violent action films of the '70s and '80s.
Despite the harsh label cast on his show, Norris persevered and didn't make Walker and less action-packed than when it started. Instead, he focused on the morals and good nature behind Cordell Walker's high kicks that he would deliver to the bad guys and made sure each episode always told a positive message.
”There’s a lot of action, but it’s all done with a moral background, it’s justice fighting injustice."
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