The series features Parks as the protagonist, James "Jim" Bronson, a newspaperman who becomes disillusioned after the suicide of his best friend Nick (Martin Sheen), and with "working for The Man" after a heated argument with his editor.

Bronson rides a Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle and, as such, he was viewed by some as a modern version of the solitary cowboy wandering the American west.

Though the opening promises a journey of self-discovery, the premise of each episode is that Bronson enters someone else's life at a crucial point and acts as a catalyst for change.

Actors James Doohan ("Scotty") and Meg Wyllie, who appeared in guest roles, had previously worked on the original Star Trek series.

The series is also notable for providing the first television script credit for writer-producer Susan Harris, who went on to create Soap and The Golden Girls.

The closing vocal theme for the series, titled "Long Lonesome Highway", was sung by Parks and written and composed by James Hendricks; it was a Billboard Magazine Hot 100 hit that reached #20 in 1970.

In addition, other artists such as John Bahler, Kiel Martin, Gary Jayson, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Tom Paxton sang songs that appeared in the series.

A version of "San Antonio Rose", sung by Parks, appears on the Rhino CD Golden Throats 3: Sweethearts of Rodeo Drive.

Other actors: Meg Wyllie Bronson is hired by lonely widow Monica (Carol Eve Rossen) to work on her ranch.

Other actors: Dabney Coleman Bronson travels to Colorado to find an old friend named Bucky O'Neill (Bruce Dern): a priest with a crisis of conscience.

Other actors: James Doohan Clay Turner (Bob Steele) is a bank robber and former local hero who has been imprisoned for years.

Bronson accepts a percentage of an oil well that is possibly ready to blow, in lieu of cash for work done for Royce MacLeod (Steve Ihnat).

MacLeod faces foreclosure on the land if he can't beat the target date specified on a promissory note owned by Mac Keller.

Other actors: Zalman King, Percy Rodriguez Bronson helps a reluctant biker in distress, Henry Tate (Robert Hooks), with a loan when his bike breaks down on the road.

Other actors: Bucklind Noah Beery, Slim Gaillard Native American Tony Wade (Robert Loggia) has taken his family into bleak country to perform his Vision Quest in order to reclaim his spirit.

Bronson is charmed by Sybil (Renne Jarrett) who fancies herself a witch and is part of a band of occultists led by cult-leader Hermes (Michael Lipton).

Bronson becomes part of a singing duo with Billy Mulavey (Michael Burns) in order to compete in a song contest and land a job at a highway honky-tonk.

When Bronson arrives in an Amish community his tales of the "outside world" captivate a young man and woman, Harold Mueller (Mark Jenkins) and Dorothy Hofer (Heidi Vaughn), who are betrothed.

Other actors: Rance Howard, Bebe Kelly Bronson and Native American Boise Idaho (Eddie Little Sky) both vie for the attention of beautiful Tender Grass (Buffy Sainte-Marie) by entering a cross-country motorcycle race.

Harve Traine (John Colicos), publisher of The Pacific Grove Press, warns his community in a series of editorials about the ecological havoc industrial pollution is causing the local bay and surrounding ocean.

Does Harve stick to his editorial guns and face monetary ruin, or does he acquiesce to the wishes of his advertisers and in the process lose the respect of his daughter and Bronson?

Much like the vagabond Bronson, widower Isadore Katz (David Burns) left his business in New York City and took to the road in a camper to experience new realities and meet new people.

Bronson helps his uncle Herman (Gerald S. O'Loughlin) and his cousin Carl (Bob Random) repair and restore a fishing boat.

The series was also satirized by Mad magazine in a piece titled "Then Came Bombsome", which portrayed Parks smoking atop his Harley in the iconic opening scene at the San Francisco stoplight: "Takin' a trip"?

"[6] Then Came Bronson has also been referenced numerous times on the film-mocking TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, usually in a scene featuring a lone figure riding on a motorcycle.