insp TV is airing some early episodes. I just watched Season 1 Episode 9 It Tolls for Thee which aired November 21 1962. In it the Virginian writes a receipt and it is dated July 1884. In the following episode, West, which aired a week later on November 28, the Virginian narrates at the beginning that the year is 1897- a gap of 13 years in just one episode.
Raylan Givens: You make me pull, and I'll put you down.
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I'm watching THE VIRGINIAN on DVD and like you I noticed this wild jump in time between episodes. I just watched "It Tolls for Thee" and was surprised it was set in July 1884, which didn't jibe with Episode 7, "Riff Raff," being set during the Spanish-American War of 1898.
I read somewhere that "It Tolls for Thee" was the pilot and thus the first episode filmed. I believe it, since it seems to methodically introduce each character and includes characters like Lee who don't make the grade. Maybe the producers originally thought to set the series in in the 1880s then decided to move the setting up a decade?
All of the old westerns were terrible about dates back then. For example, Bonanza, The Rifleman, and Daniel Boone were all over the place time-wise as much as The Virginian.
No blah, blah, blah!