Branded was a Western series which aired on NBC from 1965 through 1966. It starred Chuck Connors as Jason McCord, a United States Army Cavalry captain who had been drummed out of the service following an unjust accusation of cowardice.

The opening scene of the series was memorable, with McCord's epaulets being ripped off, his uniform having its buttons cut off, and his sabre being broken, while a drum played. He was then sent out of the gates of the fort where this occurred, which were then closed behind him. This scene was repeated each week as the theme song, which also told the background story, and the opening credits, were played, in part so that new viewers could easily be brought in on what had been going on, a very common device at the time used in many other programs as well.

In the series, McCord traveled throughout the Old West, trying to prove his innocence. He encountered people who believed in him and those who did not.

The series followed Connors's highly popular series The Rifleman , but had nowhere near the previous show's success.

Branded was a minor thematic element in the Coen brothers' film, The Big Lebowski.

Branded is also a book authored by Alissa Quart . The book, subtitled "The Buying and Selling of Teenagers", is a critical account of the use and targetting of teenagers in advertising. The thesis of the book is similar to that of No Logo by Naomi Klein.

References