Having never ridden a horse before, Franklin was sent to "Cowboy Camp" for 3–4 days where he learned how to mount and dismount, and the basics of riding.

In an interview, he noted that the series producers were very receptive and was regularly encouraging the cast to not only make suggestions, but also follow through with them.

When the cast noted that they didn't like the series becoming a "guest-villain-of-the-week", it was changed to refocus back on the individual characters and their relationships with each other.

James Butler Hickok (Josh Brolin) Wild Bill, usually referred to as Jimmy, is hot-tempered and quick to go for his gun.

Many prominent actors guest-starred on the show, including Mitchell Ryan, Rob Estes, Chris Penn, Lloyd Bochner, Jay O. Sanders, Ted Shackelford, Roger Rees, James Gammon, Meg Foster, Albert Salmi, Kelli Williams, Fisher Stevens, Della Reese, Melissa Michaelsen, David Carradine, Stacy Keach Sr., Pernell Roberts, David Soul, Cynthia Nixon, Richard Roundtree, Buck Taylor, Nick Ramus, Jamie Walters, Frances Fisher, Noble Willingham, James Cromwell, William Russ, John Slattery, Rebecca Staab, Jim Beaver, Peter MacNicol, Tim Thomerson, Stan Shaw, Bart the Bear, Brian Keith, Park Overall, Brian Bonsall, John Schuck, Gloria Reuben, Khrystyne Haje, Gary Sandy, John de Lancie, Tammy Grimes, Frederic Forrest, Frederick Coffin, Cliff DeYoung, William Sanderson, Sydney Walsh, Cassie Yates, Robert Clohessy, and Jenny O'Hara In its first year on the air, The Young Riders was plagued by low ratings.

[5] In its second season, the series was given a new timeslot [6] and made a dramatic turn around, winning its time slot five out of its first seven weeks, and consistently outperformed the other critically acclaimed shows on the night China Beach and Twin Peaks.

Though still only ranked 57th in the Nielsen Ratings, it began building a "small, but loyal" following among teens and young adults.

[7] Diane Holloway of the Austin American-Statesman felt it offered a new take on the standard Western, and praised the series for its "beautiful" cinematography.

[5] The Philadelphia Inquirer's Ken Tucker heavily criticized the series when it premiered considering it "one of the season's most pretentious bombs" and feeling "everything about [it] is overdone" including the acting.

[8] Writing for The Atlanta Journal, Phil Kloer agreed with Tucker, also calling the series a rip-off of Young Guns.

As it entered its second season, he renewed his praise, noting the more successful series was now "thumbing its nose at all the prognosticators" who had considered it unlikely to succeed.

[7] MGM released the first season of The Young Riders as a single Region 1 DVD box set on March 21, 2006.

However, due to clearance issues, the episodes "Born to Hang," "Bad Company," "Blood Money," and "Littlest Cowboy" were excluded.