Fury

Fury is the first American series to be produced originally by Television Programs of America and later by the British-based company ITC Entertainment.

Peter Graves was cast believing Fury to be a prime time show and was disappointed to find out it was not, though the show's ratings ended up exceeding those of many prime time programs.

When Graves did not renew his five-year contract in 1959, John Compton was signed to replace him, but the show switched to airing repeats for the rest of its run and Compton was never actually used.

The titular horse, a saddlebred stallion named Highland Dale (nicknamed 'Beaut'), was owned and trained by Hollywood horse trainer Ralph McCutcheon, who had previously used the horse to star in Black Beauty, as well as in films like Lone Star (1952) and Giant (1956).

Outdoor footage was filmed primarily on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, where a dedicated 'Fury Set'—featuring a house, cabin, corrals, and a large barn—was built in 1955 specifically for the series.

The Fury Set was later reused for other productions, including the film Fury at Showdown (1957), The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), and TV series Bonanza and Cimarron Strip, before it burned down in the massive Newhall/Malibu fire of fall 1970.

Some of the earliest series footage was shot on the Garner Ranch in Idyllwild, California, and the episode 'Packy, the Lion Tamer' (premiered January 2, 1960) included footage filmed at Jungleland USA in Thousand Oaks, California.

The show had an average 17.8 Nielsen rating during its first four seasons, surpassing many prime time shows, and when it went off the air in 1966 there were no more live-action Saturday morning shows until fall 1974.