Movies have produced a lot of action heroes over the years. Men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis are always sure to thrill and excite their audiences. Typically they stay with the big blockbusters where they can make their fans happy. Few if any make the transition to television. Okay, Willis did it in reverse and started on TV but the rule of thumb is once an action hero makes it in films they stay there. This is not the case for the legendary tough guy Chuck Norris. He took the path that few have taken and after a successful movie career settled down on TV. He helped to create one of the definitive action oriented televisions series ever; ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’. We all have seen the running series of jokes about Norris on the internet. Everyone is sure to know a few such as ‘Chuck Norris is so tough that under his beard there isn’t a chin, there is another fist.’ The man has that kind of image and it has served him and his fans very well over the years. ‘Walker’ is a slightly different kind of action TV show. At its heart are socially conscious messages that reflect Norris’ dedication to his faith. He may be one of the ultimate tough guys but the man has a soft, spiritual center. There are legions of ‘Walker’ fans who anxiously await the release of a season of this series on DVD. CBS Paramount is obliging them with about one per year and they are now getting towards the end of the nine year run with the release of the complete season six. Like any series that reaches a certain degree of longevity this one had numerous changes over the year. Many fans will point to the middle years as the best and this set will not disappoint. It contains all 23 episodes of the season rather than splitting the season into volumes which is becoming more popular with TV releases on DVD.

Norris is Cordell Walker, a member of the Texas Rangers. He is just one of a long unbroken line of Walkers that have served on this rough and ready police force. This does come in handy whenever they have an episode set in the past where Norris can play one of Cordell’s illustrious ancestors. Ostensibly Walker is based in the city of Dallas but his beat is pretty much the entire huge state. This does allow a lot of latitude for the writers since Walker can come upon a wide variety of criminal activity from drug smuggling to the mistreatment of the elderly. This is fundamentally a western. This is one of the most venerable genres in American entertainment and although several nations have adopted it no one does it quite like we do here in the States. As a modern western this series can blend elements of the old West with newer law enforcement techniques and technology. It is this combination that helps make the show unique. It is a modern action show with all the flavor of the old westerns like the ones so many of us grew up watching on Saturday afternoon. This is visually represented by the look of Walker. He typically wears a sports jacket over a dark shirt and jeans. His belt is a typical cowboy style and he is topped by and old fashion cowboy hat. Naturally he wouldn’t carry a modern gun; Walker uses an old style Colt six shooter. Just one look at him and you know the premise of the show; old style colliding with new.

No old West hero was ever a true loner. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto and Matt Dillon always had a side kick and a lady friend. For Walker these vital roles are filled by his partner on the force, Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard) and Assistant District Attorney Alex Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson). Walker also heavily depends on the ageless wisdom and advice but the man who served as his mentor C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham). Trivette is college educated thanks to a football scholarship. He provides the connection to the necessary modern police methods and is usually the one that is captured requiring a rescue by Walker. Alex is there to make sure little things like warrants are around and also provides a TV-14 romantic interest for Walker. She is also a regular kidnap victim. It does feel that if you know Walker it is a matter of when not if you are going to get kidnapped by a long line of heinous criminals. C.D. is the touchstone to the old ways of doing the job and runs the local bar where the characters regularly gather. Together, if a crime is going on in Texas Walker and his friends are all over it.

Norris is a man well known for his social consciousness. This is reflected in many of the episodes in this season. In one double episode, Walker winds up helping a boy with AIDS find his mother. This pulls Walker into becoming an advocate for the rights of AIDS patients and their families. This plot device may not be normal for a western but it fits into the mythos that Norris created for his character; a man who cares. Another example is when Walker discovers that illegal and immoral medical experiments are being conducted on a forgotten part of our population, the elderly residents of nursing homes. As a Texas Ranger Walker is sworn to help those unable to defend themselves and he does so with gusto. If you get in his way or are harming the weak there is an excellent chance that your face will be up close and personal with Walker’s boot. Norris may have had a few more years behind him then during his film career but the man can still deliver realistic martial arts action. Those ‘tough guy’ Norris jokes are around for a good reason; he is believable as somebody that can kick your butt with ease. In what has become a tradition for the series there is a double episode where the story is set in the past. In this instance a group of school children are taking a tour of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Walker tells them a story about one of the most famous Rangers, Hayes Cooper, also played by Norris. This is an opportunity for the writers and cast to let go and have some fun with a more traditional western motif. Walker also gets to take on the establishment when he wants to start a camp for youthful offenders. He feels that there is still time to help train them for a productive role in society. He is blocked by a Senator who ran on a tough on crime platform and wants them all to go directly to prison. There are some more familiar plot lines explored here like when Trivette shoots a child and Walker has to clear his friend’s name. This show can go from a plot like this to a scientist trying to genetically create a race of super soldiers. The fun of the series is you never know what kind of story you are going to get but you can be sure it will be fun to watch.

If you are a Walker fan this is a decision that will require no thought, just get it. For the few out there that have never seen an episode before this season is a great place to start.