Scott Bairstow starred Newt Call, a young man in search of his fortune who settled in the town of Curtis Wells, Montana  in the Dakota Territory of the 1870s and later became the town's deputy sheriff.

Newt Call  (formerly Newt Dobbs) is the son of Texas Ranger, Woodrow Call. In his later years he wrote a book called "Lonesome Dove: Tales of the Plains" that chronicled his life.

"It would surely confound them that knew me as a young fellow to learn that I'd ever made a dollar as a book writer. And nobody's more surprised than myself. See, folks just assumed I could scarcely read and write back then. I was so busy soaking it all up, I'm sure they took me for shy or plain dumb. Truth be told, it was a bit of both. My father, Texas Ranger Captain Woodrow Call had give me a good horse by the time he finally owned up to being my Pa. He gave me his name and I rode off from him to make good of it. I wanted my own dream. I just didn't know right off what that was." -- Narration from first episode

 Newt’s friends in Curtis Wells included:

• Christianne Hirt as Hannah Peale Call, Newt's girlfriend, then wife. The daughter of Josiah Peale, She and Newt lived in the Lonesome Dove Hotel until they build a home of their. When Hannah  died in a fire when their home exploded, Newt became a Bounty Hunter and Hannah's brother became deputy.
• Eric McCormack as Col. Francis Clay Mosby, a gambler fast on the draw who Colonel Francis Clay Mosby, an ex-confederate officer turned gambler who coveted Newt’s wife [he owned the Ambrosia Club, formerly the Pigseye Saloon]. Hanna Peale resembles Mosby's dead wife. 
• Paul Le Mat as Josiah Peale, the publisher of the Montana Statesman.
• Paul Johansson as Austin Peale, Hannah's brother Austin Peale. Austin became deputy sheriff when Newt left town to work as a Bounty Hunter. Austin became sheriff when the former sheriff died.
• Denny Miller as Sheriff Owen Kearney
• Diana Carroll as Mrs. Ida Grayson, a black woman who co-owned the Lonesome Dove Hotel with Newt [formerly the Unity Hotel]. The hotel was named after Newt’s home town. Ida later left town and sold the hotel.
• Tracy Scoggins as Amanda Carpenter, the new owner of the Lonesome Dove Hotel. She later lost the hotel in a poker game and ended up selling whiskey in a tent  town outside of Curtis Wells.
• Frank C. Turner as Finch, a town derelict who worked for Mattie Shaw.
• Bret Hart as Luther, a stagecoach driver and Newt's friend.
• Kelly Rowan as Mattie Shaw who left town after Newt didn't share her romantic interests.
• Dennis Weaver as Buffalo Bill Cody.

Listen to Theme Music

Screen Captures from Opening Credits