Screen Gems had a problem in 1968. They needed a hit that captured the rugged, adventurous spirit of the Pacific Northwest but without the grit of a standard Western. What they got was Here Comes the Brides. It was loosely—very loosely—based on the real-life Mercer Girls who traveled to Seattle in the 1860s. The show didn't last forever. Only two seasons. But the here comes the brides cast became icons for a generation of viewers who tuned in every week to see if those 100 women would actually stay in the logging camp for a full year.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle the show worked at all. You had a mix of seasoned character actors and total newcomers who had barely stepped onto a soundstage.
Bobby Sherman and the Jeremy Bolt Mania
If you ask anyone who watched the show back then why they tuned in, they’ll probably say Bobby Sherman. It’s hard to overstate how massive he was. He played Jeremy Bolt, the youngest of the three Bolt brothers. Jeremy had a stutter, which was a risky move for a TV heartthrob at the time, but Sherman handled it with a kind of gentle sincerity that drove fans wild.
Before the show, Bobby was a singer on Shindig!. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to be a full-time actor. But once Here Comes the Brides hit the airwaves, his life changed. He was getting thousands of fan letters a week. Most of them were from teenage girls who just wanted to protect Jeremy Bolt.
It’s interesting to look back at his career because Sherman eventually walked away from the limelight. He didn't want the Hollywood grind. He became a paramedic and a reserve deputy sheriff. That kind of career pivot is rare. Most people cling to fame until it’s stripped away, but Sherman just... moved on. He found a different way to be a hero, which somehow makes his performance as the sensitive Jeremy Bolt feel even more authentic.
Robert Brown: The Anchor of the Bolt Brothers
Robert Brown played Jason Bolt, the eldest brother and the mastermind behind the whole "bring 100 women to Seattle" plan. Brown brought a certain gravitas to the role. He had to. Without a strong lead, the premise of the show—trading a mountain for a year of female companionship—would have felt totally ridiculous.
Brown wasn't a teen idol like Bobby Sherman. He was a working actor. He had that classic leading-man voice. You might remember him from the Star Trek episode "The Alternative Factor," where he played Lazarus. He was a bit older than the others, and he acted as a mentor on set.
The Chemistry of Three Brothers
The dynamic between Robert Brown, Bobby Sherman, and David Soul (who played Joshua Bolt) was the engine of the show. They actually liked each other. You can tell when a cast is faking it. On Here Comes the Brides, the bickering felt like real brothers.
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David Soul, of course, went on to massive fame in Starsky & Hutch. But in 1968, he was just the "middle" brother. He was the blonde, brooding one. He often clashed with Robert Brown’s character, providing the necessary tension to keep the plots from getting too sugary. Soul was also a talented musician, just like Sherman. The show was a weirdly dense pocket of musical talent.
The Women Who Made Seattle "Civilized"
We can't talk about the here comes the brides cast without mentioning the women. The premise required 100 women, but the show focused on a few key players.
Joan Blondell was the biggest "get" for the production. She played Lottie Hatfield, the owner of the local saloon. Blondell was Hollywood royalty. She had been in movies since the 1930s. Having her on the cast gave the show instant credibility. She was the mother figure for the "brides," but she had a sharp edge. She wasn't some wilting lily. She was tough as nails.
Then there was Bridget Hanley as Candy Pruitt. Candy was the de facto leader of the brides. Hanley played her with a mix of sweetness and iron will. She had to be the moral compass of the show. If Candy decided the Bolt brothers were worth staying for, the audience believed it.
Mark Lenard: From Vulcan Father to Seattle Villain
One of the most surprising members of the here comes the brides cast was Mark Lenard. Most people know him as Sarek, Spock's father in Star Trek. In Here Comes the Brides, he played Aaron Stempel, the "villain" who bet the Bolt brothers they couldn't keep the women in Seattle.
But Stempel wasn't a cartoon villain. He was a businessman. He was pragmatic. Lenard brought a sophisticated, almost Shakespearean quality to the role. He wasn't twirling a mustache; he was just holding the brothers to a contract. That nuance is why people still talk about the show today. It wasn't just good guys vs. bad guys. It was about survival and community building.
Behind the Scenes Chaos and Success
The show was filmed on the Columbia Ranch in Burbank. It definitely wasn't Seattle. If you look closely at the backgrounds, you can see the same hills used in Fantasy Island and The Partridge Family. The cast often joked about the "Seattle rain" being a guy with a garden hose just out of frame.
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Production was fast. They were churning out episodes.
- The theme song, "Seattle," became a hit for Perry Como.
- The show was a Top 10 hit in its first season.
- The second season saw a dip in ratings, partly due to a time-slot change.
- Screen Gems canceled it after 52 episodes, much to the frustration of the loyal fanbase.
Actually, the cancellation was a bit of a shock. The ratings weren't terrible. But the demographics were shifting. Networks wanted "relevant" shows—think All in the Family or MASH*. A show about loggers and brides in the 1860s suddenly felt a bit dated to the suits in New York, even though the audience was still there.
Where Are They Now?
Tracking the here comes the brides cast over the years is a bit of a bittersweet journey.
Robert Brown lived a relatively quiet life after the show, eventually passing away in 2022. He was 95. He lived a long, full life away from the Hollywood tabloids.
David Soul became a global superstar. Starsky & Hutch made him a household name, and he had a massive singing career in the UK. He passed away in early 2024. He was always proud of his time on the show, often calling it one of the happiest sets he ever worked on.
Bridget Hanley stayed active in the acting community and was a staple at fan conventions. She loved the "Brides" fans. They were her family. She passed away in 2021.
Bobby Sherman, as mentioned, is still with us. He’s the last of the Bolt brothers. He occasionally does charity events, but he mostly stays out of the public eye. He’s 82 now. He’s spent more of his life saving people as an EMT than he did as a TV star. Think about that. That’s a legacy.
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Why We Still Care About This Cast
The 1960s were a turbulent time. Vietnam, the civil rights movement, the assassinations of RFK and MLK. Here Comes the Brides offered something different. It was about people trying to build something together. It was about the idea that you could take a group of strangers, put them in a rainy logging camp, and they would eventually become a family.
The here comes the brides cast sold that idea. They didn't play it for laughs, even though there was plenty of comedy. They played it for heart.
When you watch the show today, it feels like a time capsule. Not just of the 1860s, but of the late 1960s TV industry. It was the end of an era for that kind of earnest, adventurous storytelling.
How to Revisit the Series
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of Seattle (via Burbank), you have a few options. The series is available on DVD, and you can occasionally find it streaming on platforms like Tubi or Rewind TV.
Steps for the modern fan:
- Look for the DVD sets: They often include commentaries and interviews with the cast members before they passed.
- Listen to the music: Check out Bobby Sherman’s discography. A lot of his early hits were recorded while he was on the show.
- Read the history: Compare the show to the real Mercer Girls. The real story is actually much more grueling and fascinating than the TV version.
- Join the community: There are still active Facebook groups dedicated to the show. The fans there are incredibly knowledgeable and can point you toward rare photos and behind-the-scenes trivia.
The legacy of the here comes the brides cast isn't just a list of names in a TV encyclopedia. It's the way they made a generation feel like they belonged in that small, rainy town. They were the original ensemble cast that proved you don't need a massive budget if you have characters that people actually care about.
If you want to understand 1960s television, you have to look at this show. It was a bridge between the old Westerns of the 50s and the character-driven dramas of the 70s. It was a weird, wonderful experiment that worked because of the people on screen. Take the time to watch an episode or two. You’ll see exactly why Bobby Sherman had to hire extra mail carriers.