David Carradine portrayed the titular character in the television series, a former gunfighter and sometimes outlaw who takes a job as a hired hand at the ranch of a widowed woman, her son, and her father-in-law.

The series follows the 1953 film in its general premise, even in the lead character's buckskin shirt and concho gun belt,[1] but departs from it in several important aspects: The Shane, Marian, and Joey characters are much younger; Marian is a widow who lives with her father-in-law Tom, and Shane has lived with them for a while already when the story starts.

That is the basis for a romance subplot that constitutes the arc of the whole series; nearly every person who meets them supposes Shane and Marian are a couple.

Rufe Ryker, the open-range cattleman, alive here until the end of the series, has his own dramatic arc: he starts as an absolute enemy of the “sodbusters”, as evil and ruthless as in the movie.

Later, he becomes the occasional ally of Shane or the homesteaders when his interests are affected or a common danger approaches; also, given the strength he has by his team of cowhands, he functions as a law enforcer.

In 1966, after Paramount sold the rights to ABC, the TV company got Herbert Brodkin and his Titus Productions, Inc. Brodkin offered the producer job to Denne Bart Petitclerc, with David Shaw as executive producer; William Blinn was offered the job of story editor (credited as story consultant).

Also, the quality of the show rested on team effort, with the inclusion of the cast in story conferences, the hiring of talented directors like Robert Butler or David Greene, and writers as Ernest Kinoy.

[7] Marian and other settlers hire schoolteacher Amy Sloate to educate their children, but Ryker insists that he will not allow a school in the community.

A sad old man whose son was killed by Shane four years ago during his days as a gunfighter, comes to make him an unexpected offer.

When Ryker's cattle trample the Staretts' crops, Shane contemplates returning to his old profession as a gunfighter as a means of earning money needed for the farm's survival.

Then, Marian finds herself having to decide rather she and Joey should stay or go back East with Warren, leaving behind Shane and her father-in-law.

Shane is unable to convince the homesteaders and Ryker of the need to fight Major Hackett and his army, even after they attacked a cattlewoman.