A plethora of riches for fans of hot cowboys. Brooding angsty man in black, quiet and gentle tracker, eager young turk, fun loving womanizer, marally complex gambler, gentle giant preacher, and the noble and patient healer. There's something for everyone.

And it was also relatively smart and well written. No surprise that it was cancelled while the dreck that was Walker, Texas Ranger was allowed to air flourish for almost a decade.


I know I can't be the only fan. Come out and show yourselves and discuss!

Ah, I remember this show. I once had every ep taped. I pretty much had a crush on 5 of the 7, yeah, I admit it! LOL

I loved this show, although I didn't see it when it aired on national tv. I became a fan from reading the fanfiction and catching eps on the Hallmark channel a few years ago. Still love the guys, especially Ezra (the gambler)! And the Mag7 fanfiction is still my favorite to read and re-read.

Does anyone know if the second season of the DVD will ever be released?

Anyone have a fevorite episode? I'm partial to Obsession. Sick and twisted fun!

I believe my favorite episode was "One Day Out West", yeah, it was the official first episode but it had all of the elements that needed to be there along with a spotlight on all of the characters. I too, got hooked on the fanfiction before the actual series. I do remember watching an episode way back when it was brought back but I wasn't familiar enough with the characters to appreciate it.

Wow! I thought I was the only fan of this show out there. I have all the episodes that aired on tape. Loved the episode with Tyne Daly as the vindictive mother with her own six or seven sons. Loved Wagon Train because Vin was my favorite character. Oh I really have no complaints about any episodes, I loved the whole thing.

In case anyone is interested, the second season is finally being released this May.TV shows on DVD.com I'm pretty excited about it, I figured they'd forgotten about it.

I was just reminded of this show. I always had a soft spot for westerns, and I really liked this show.

I always wanted Chris and Mary to hook up. I'm a sucker for the tormented bad boy and the uptight good girl who can fix him. I loved reading fanfic in this genre.

Hooray for the DVD announcement! Thanks, linderhill! I caught the first season on Netflix and figured I would never get to see the rest of it. This is awesome news.

I was forever changing my mind on which character I loved best, but I'll always have a soft spot for Ezra. I just loved his wicked grin, and the way he could go from foppish dandy to cold-eyed killer in two seconds flat.

Chris was my favorite, but I think that was a holdover from Terminator. I always like Buck, despite the womanizing, and it was hard not to like Ezra. His name was Ezra!

Now, I wonder if my husband will notice Mag 7 on our netflix queue. Hmm.

Just a heads up. Anthony Starke (Ezra) is guest starring on "Journeyman" on Monday, December 10 and he is supposed to be on "ER" in January. The others have been busy as well. Andrew Kavovit (JD) was on "Criminal Minds" this past Halloween and Dale Midkiff (Buck) was on "CSI:Miami" and "Dexter" last month. With the strike, I would bet these would be repeated fairly soon.

I didn't realize that TWOP had a thread for Mag7; this was my first online fandom. Good memories. :-)

Dale Midkiff was also on an episode of Without A Trace (which co-stars Eric Close) within the past couple of months.

JD was my fave, and I loved the big brother-little brother relationship of Buck and JD.

I remember seeing JD show up on an episode of NYPD Blue, as a young cowboy prostitute. Sorta weird for me, thinking of cute naive JD in that light.

I remember watching Eric Close on Santa Barbara, and I kept watching him pop up in new TV series, looking for a home. It's nice to see Vin land safely at Without A Trace. Did he share a scene with Dale Midkiff?

Yep, they had a nice scene in the interrogation room. I wish they would release bloopers for WaT, I'm sure they had a few together!

Now, if only Michael Biehn could get sober....and work....


ETA: ooh! Two whole pages!

Actually, Michael seems to be busy with lots of cheesy, direct to DVD projects. I seem to recall he had a DVD come out last September about a guy in love with a vampire.

Dale is staying busy as well, the new movie in the "Love's..." series premires this Saturday on Hallmark channel. It's the sixth one and I think there are eight books in the series.

I was flipping channels and I saw a commercial for that, but I didn't realize it was a brand new movie in the series.

I'm not sure if I'm remembering this correctly, but I think at a film festival earlier this year, a movie was shown that Andy Kavovit produced/directed, so he may be doing more behind-the-camera stuff (other than his one episode of Criminal Minds).

Aw, I'm so glad there's a thread for M7! I loved that show. Nathan was my favorite, but Buck and Chris were close behind.

It was nice seeing Anthony Starke on Journeyman the other night, but I really wish someone would give the man a part where he wasn't such a jerk. I mean, I know he does it well, but still.

AS is great at being a jerk. But he's really good at charming, too. Ah, Ezra.

Absolutely! Ezra was my favorite, but I have to admit I really liked ALL of the characters! It's a shame this show was cancelled; I thought it was one of the best ensemble shows (where all of the characters were utilized, not just two characters plus a bunch of supporting players like you find in so many other ensemble shows).

Definitely true. It was obvious Chris was the leader, but everyone had their role to play - and it wasn't always the typical one you might expect. I really enjoyed that about the show. I mean, who would have expected Ezra to dress up like a woman and infiltrate the brothel in Working Girls, instead of younger, smaller JD?

Also, it was great to see the way the group interacted. Those guys all had really good chemistry with each other, especially Buck and Chris, and Buck and JD.

I was sad this show was cancelled -- although looking back, I can't say I'm surprised that CBS wouldn't be a great fit for a western -- but I always wished there was better writing. Some of the episodes were clunky, with clunky dialogue and weird pacing. I never thought it lived up to a recent predecessor western ensemble show, The Young Riders, but that if they'd just give it more edge, it would work.

Chris had the whole man in black/anger/vengeance thing that, if properly developed with serious angst, would have worked. Watching Michael Biehn grit his teeth and scowl as Johnny Ringo in Tombstone proved to me that he's best in dark roles. I think the show would have had a lot longer life if they'd fought to be dark, but it still probably wouldn't have made it out of 3 seasons, tops. It was the wrong time.

What bums me out is that all these years later, we get the real western in Deadwood -- which has all the darkness and edge and weirdness and fear that a frontier show would have -- and it's critically acclaimed, but it still ends too damn early.

The chances of another TV western anytime soon? Anyone want to venture a guess on that?

Side note: did anyone else notice the rampant levels of Alternate Universe fanficiton this show created? I saw a ton of "ATF" based Mag7 fanfics back then.

I remember at one time, I think it was in between Season 1 and Season 2, there were rumors that TNT wanted to pick up the show, but then CBS got like a kid with a toy and, even though, it didn't really want Mag7, it didn't want TNT to have it either.



The "ATF" universe was created by mog, and yeah, that AU seemed to really take off with writers and readers of fanfic.

Encore Western is showing the series occasionally. They are starting Mon, Jan 7th with the pilot at 11.05 AM CST and "One Day Out West" at 12:40 PM CST. It will air the pilot again on Jan 17th. Also, Anthony Starke (Ezra) is supposed to be on "ER" on Jan 10th and 17th.

I heard Rick Worthy (Nathan) on the radio the other day, doing an ad for Disney World. It was so nice to hear his voice, but I wish he were on my tv again. I'm hopeful his character will show up on BSG again, once the show starts up again in March.

It was great seeing Anthony Starke on "ER" last week as a doctor; I'm really looking forward to his appearance on this week's "ER" episode. It looks like he may get to play hockey!

Wow, Anthony Starke looked great on "ER". Loved the locker room scene and the cheeky grin he gave to his opponent at the hockey game. That was a nice performance. I found out that he will be on "House" on the 29th. Something else to look forward to.

Susanlea, you do love your Ezra, don'tcha?

Yep, I surely do! I enjoy his snarky attitude and he is easy on the eyes. I've been just thrilled lately with all the work that Anthony Starke has gotten lately. For a while he had a role once a year and for him to have seven shows this year was a lovely treat.
I'm just hoping that he will continue to get work.
<crossing fingers>

Thank you for posting that M7 was in reruns on Encore. I watched the one where the prostitutes come to town and Mary gets kidnapped. Mr. Stark had a fine turn as a cross-dresser. In purple, no less.

I actually disliked the scene, though, because it interrupted a really tense moment. Mary acknowledging her vulnerability in life as a woman in the wild west, paralleled with her extreme physical vulnerability at that moment, wow.

But then they cut to Ezra in drag, singing with ruby red lips. It poured water on the fire, and jolted me out of the scene.

Ultimately, M7's failure to properly balance comedy and drama doomed the show. It probably wouldn't have done well anyway, with the bouncing time slots and the lack of support, but if it had been a little better at balancing that stuff, at least it might have had critical support.

But I love the idea of a group of outlawish men coming together to protect a vulnerable little town. And I always wanted Chris and Mary to hookup. In my mind, after another season or so, they would have had spontaneous can't-hold-back-the-passion sex, and then a lot of tense commitment issues, until eventually they have a secret affair, and series ender -- they get married.

I'm a sap.

Of course, Vin would also have been vindicated, J.D. would have become sheriff, Buck would have died saving J.D.'s life, Josiah would give up the gun to be a full time man of god, Ezra would be chasing the love of his life to San Francisco, and Nathan would be doctoring. Still.

Nooo you can't kill off Buck!

Sorry! I couldn't imagine them all living, though, and Buck seemed like the least likely to have a calm, happily ever after life. It would be cliche to kill the young man in the bloom of promise, or the woefully underused black man, or the preacher. Buck seemed like the best choice.

Tell me why not, and maybe in my mind, I'll rewrite his ending. Also, I'm open to suggestions on Nathan. Would he have left town? Married? Moved to Europe?

I actually always thought Buck was the most likely one to keep drifting, to never really settle down, while always just enjoying life. He knows when it's time to get serious and fight, but he also knows how to find the good things in life, and he doesn't take himself too seriously. Like that line in the movie Tombstone, when Kurt Russell says they'll live off room service...to me that's Buck in a nutshell.

Nathan, though... I dunno. I haven't seen Season 2 yet (I'm still waiting eagerly for the DVDs to come out) so I don't know all of his story. But I think, yeah, he might like to travel. To see more of the world. That would be a nice ending for him.

I guess I can see Buck continue to drift. But I still maintain the Seven should be "broken" by at least one death. If not Buck, then....Vin? It would be sad, but maybe right after his Vin-dication (hee! I like puns cuz I'm 5), it would be a tragic reminder to the rest of the Seven to go after what they want, carpe diem, etc.

Chris and Mary: with Billy, two more kids, ranching. Beautiful land, Mary still runs the printing press. One child must be named Vin.

JD: Sheriff, and he married that girl (Casey?). I don't remember that line much. But maybe the town was made the county seat or something, and some real organization/government came to town, cleaning things up.

Buck: Drifting, maybe wanting to continue the quest of helping those in need. Maybe Nathan went with him to help? Or else, dead.

Vin: Dead, tragically. All your fault, beckyg. ;-)

Josiah: Preaching, a true man of god, a pacifist. Tries to heal conflict with peace. Has an established church and a lot of attendance....including Chris.

Ezra: Off to make his fortune in San Fran, chasing a girl who really means something to him but will always make him run.

*falls over laughing*

Aw, poor Vin.

JD could always be the one to die, heroically protecting the town he's served for so long. That could be the catalyst to bring the rest of the six back together from wherever they've scattered to.

Like a fast-forward to the future sorta thing? Say, 15 years later, JD dies so the six reunites? I hadn't thought about a long-term future. Hmm.

I think one of the reasons I wanted JD to live is that because he's the youngest, the innocent idealist, if he died it would really damage the rest of the group, especially Buck. Their desire to make the world a better place -- which was a somewhat tenuous desire in the first place, so in conflict with their senses of realism -- would be really damaged. It would be the perfect thing to break up the Seven and scatter them to the wind, but I wanted a happier ending. But if Vin were to die, the idea that you could redeem yourself is kind of damaged, too.

Fine, I guess in my mind I'll kill....Ezra. Don't tell Susanlea.

May I play too?

I think Chris should be the one to die. I can't see him living happily ever after. He finds Ella Gaines and gets justice for Sarah and Adam. Sometime later he dies saving Billy.

Vin seems like the least likely to settle down, IMO. He leaves town after Chris dies. I'd like to think he clears his name, but I'm not sure how. Thoughts? He continues to drift from place to place for a while. Years later he returns buts lives on the reservation not in the town.

JD marries Casey and becomes sheriff. They inherit Nettie's ranch and raise a large family.

Buck remains in town to keep an eye on JD. He's a favorite uncle to JD's kids. He marries eventually, because I don't want him to become a dirty old man.

Josiah continues his work as a preacher. He becomes a noted scholar on comparative religions.

Ezra talks a lot about leaving, but he never does. He can't leave the one place that has brought out the good in him. He becomes a successful businessman. He also becomes a generous, though anonymous, benefactor to the town. He marries Mary. (Am I the only one who likes Ezra and Mary rather than Chris and Mary?)

Nathan marries Rain and stays in town too. He leaves for a time to get more medical training (paid for by Ezra) but returns to where he's needed.

If I remember correctly, they didn't give us much room to solve it. I'm sure they would pop up with another witness someday, but I can't remember what Vin supposedly did to make him a marked man.

I always thought Vin's vindication would happen, and then Vin would spiral out of control a bit. Having his freedom might finally trigger the collapse and freakout that he had restrained for so long. He was always a little too laid back for a wanted man, but that attitude was an important foil for Chris, so I didn't mind much. His legal absolution, I always figured, would be a big two-episode adventure, with lots of stunts, chases, and explosions.


Buck always reminded me of Augustus McCrae (in that an-imitation-of way). I can't see him getting married, myself.


We're going to have to part ways, here. I was a whole-hearted Chris & Mary shipper. Mary's pristine prissiness was more interesting when contrasted with the brooding angry guy, rather than the slick conman. IMO, obviously.

I can see the argument for Chris dying, but it makes me too sad.

And how bad is it that I completely forgot about Rain? Okay, how many kids did they have? Names?

And I figure JD has a kid that he almost names Buck....but instead, names the paint pony he buys for his kid Buck. I can picture Dale Midkiff's face for that.

What! Someone is killing Ezra! Oh nooo!

Actually, given the reckless things Ezra was prone to doing, I wouldn't have been surprised if Ezra had wound up dead (in the course of doing a very heroic deed and saving the town, naturally). Split Ends had the same idea as the producers; in the pilot, Buck dies saving JD's life and the Irish Confederate soldier joins the group. However, Buck and JD had such great chemisty together and the Irish guy was a bit of a dud, so Buck recovered from his injury. The movies always seemed to kill 3-4 of the characters so losing one over the course of the series would fit.

Vin really didn't seem all that bothered by the being wanted dead or alive; he didn't change his name or style of dress at all. I believe how he got framed was that, while bounty hunting, Vin found a dead man who he thought was the bounty he was after. He returned the body to the local town for the reward only to find out that it was a local citizen and he had been framed by the guy he was after. In the series, Chris has to kill the perp to save Vin's life so that increases the difficulty in getting the matter cleared up. If the show had continued, I'm sure they would have found a way to clear Vin.

(off to hide Ezra somewhere safe)

Okay, I guess Ezra's off the killing menu. He was the most flamboyant. It would be a great redemptive arc for Ezra to die saving someone, but even better if Ezra found love and chased it to happiness. At least in my mind.

I had no idea about the Irish Confederate! Buck and JD had great chemistry, for sure. It would have been sad to lose Buck, although a bit of ethnicity in the group would have spiced things up. Nathan was always sorely underused, IIRC. They made him so darned nice! If he had been angry, or just generally messed up in the head, it would have been nice. But Chris had the cornerstone on anguish, didn't he?

If Buck, Chris and Ezra are out of bounds, I think the next most likely (non-boring) choice is Vin. Josiah, being religious, is too close to death to die. Nathan was so underused that killing him would seem cruel, as if I'm cutting a guy from a football team because I have too many strong safeties.

So if Vin were to die, any suggestions why and how? Before or after his legal redemption?

Kill Vin? Stop the insanity!

However, if Vin has to die, I think it should be before his legal redemption. I'd have him killed by a bounty hunter who believes he's guilty and wants to take him in. The remaining six could then make it their mission to posthumously restore his name. It's not very original, but I'm too upset at the very thought of Vin dying to be clever.

I agree with this. It would be too heartbreaking if he were to be killed after he had cleared his name.

I like this. I could see them burning Vin's wanted poster over his grave, crying, having brought the real killer to justice.

What did Vin say about his family, again?

Vin tells Nettie Wells that his mother died when he was five. He doesn't mention his father or any siblings at all.

Maybe Chris and the boys could have a bit of a Lonesome Dove and take Vin's body back to some sort of family plot or something. Vin deserves a big sendoff.

I love the ATF Magnificent 7 AU! It kept on cropping up in other fandom crossovers, so I actually assumed that that is was an actual series that I had missed. I love especially the ones where Vin is a Sentinel

I can't see Ezra dying. Even with all his schemes that backfired, and all the crazy chances he took, Ezra always landed on his feet.

JD marrying Casey, and becoming sheriff I think fits with his character.

Vin would continue to drift.

Buck would continue to drift, but show back up in town everyone once in a while to check on JD.

Josiah as a preacher, and Nathan as town doctor.

Chris would be the one to die.

I think Mary would have married someone like her husband (Frank), or Gerrard, and Chris would have been, "That could have been me if I had ever been willing to take the risk on being happy and losing it all again."

deleted

Aww, and here I was hoping the thread might have a new direction to take. Man. I guess I should just be impressed we made it to four pages.


I could see that. But I prefer my happy ending. Let the man in black wear some pale blue a while.

I like the idea of Buck wandering back to town every once in a while. I might try shoehorning out a necessary death. It's my brain, after all.