The "Billy and the Bandit" television series is made possible through the four of us coming together. We are fans of the 1960's TV series "The Virginian." Right now, with the help of a whole lot of people, we are spearheading our “Billy and the Bandit” project. Below is a little blurb about each one of us.
Gary Clarke
I am Gary Clarke, actor/writer since 1957. I played "Steve" in "The Virginian" in the 60's. Still acting. Still writing. And loving every minute. Our production of "Billy and the Bandit" promises something different and exciting for all of the family. I wrote the screenplay and will also be directing.
Darryl Bartlett
My name is Darryl Bartlett. I got my first pair of cowboy boots when I was 3 years old and haven't looked back . I've been a fan of westerns ever since then. I came up with the idea of "Billy and the Bandit" from seeing a miniature horse and thought, "How cool would it be to see the Virginian and the rest of the gang riding one of these?" Thought about that, then came up with a story line that fit the Virginian morals. I approached Nancy Thomas about helping me write the story, then proceeded to contact James Drury and Gary Clarke to help, and they graciously accepted and the rest will hopefully be history.
Nancy Thomas
Hello, my name is Nancy Thomas and I wrote the story, Bandits and Tadpoles, on which "Billy and the Bandit" is based. I am an avid Virginian fan and a novice western fan fiction writer. This story is all about a young boy who is growing up to be a well-adjusted, happy young man despite his disability. He is learning to handle a variety of life situations through the stories that his grandfather tells him about his great-great-grandfather, The Virginian. Billy’s aim in life is to be just like The Virginian. When I wrote my story, I was hoping to bring out how these friends of The Virginian might have learned these lessons themselves while growing up.
Lisa Race
I am Lisa Race. Once upon a time, about a year ago, I was looking at Facebook one afternoon while my husband was channel surfing. All of a sudden I heard ..... "Hi, I'm James Drury." What??? I can't tell you how fast my head popped up. "Stop!" I pleaded. "The Virginian's back on? It's about time!" It had been about thirty-five years since I had last enjoyed my favorite television show and now, finally, I could watch it again, any time. Then I found out about a Facebook group called James Drury's Virginian Posse. What fun! It wasn't but a few weeks before I had made some wonderful friends. I met Darryl and Nancy, and learned about their desire to turn a Virginian story into a series. Working with children for 21 years now, I have seen a need for shows with basic lessons for growth that can be enjoyed by both kids and their parents. This show is that! The screenplay that Gary Clarke has written is brilliant. So, I couldn't be happier in joining them to produce this pilot and deliver a show with a fresh approach, fun and adventure and human interaction that will give to our kids what I know first hand was good to have, way back when.